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blending meads

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hey, didn't mean to disappear. i've been a bit nervous about jinxing my mead mixing.
the only time i measured after an addition was the very first quart (ish). that time it was 1.080-i couldn't freakin' believe it (i guess math works;)). like i wrote before, it was at 1.070 before the addition, so Medsen has been spot on.
i'm almost done. i've been adding just like you advised (when it gets to 1.070). i'm on the second gallon, now and have a bit over a quart left. i've been slowly increasing the amount since my larger carboy has, comparably, so much more volume than what i'm adding.

wolfie, about saving this one for the future, no kidding. this experience has taught me much (by standing on the shoulders of giants-thanks Medsen), and i'm glad for the experience.

okay, now i need to hijack my own thread:
so what do ya'll think about an oak addition for the bulk aging on this one?
i was thinking medium, maybe medium+, oak cubes. i've never done any, but i'm very excited about the idea of trying it.
 
I'm a fan of oak in meads, especially ones that finish slightly sweet, since the oak tannins help to counterbalance the sweetness and make them seem less cloying. I'd say, go for it. If you have a choice between oak sources, I like a little American medium + to start (say an ounce and a half of the cubes in 5 gallons), and after a couple of weeks, I'd add another ounce of French medium. This "layering" will give the oak character more complexity, and it is something that the users of cubes have over those guys who age in barrels. ;)

Be sure to thieve and sample a little, every week or two, to determine when you have enough oakiness in the result. Aim for a little bit more oak flavor than you think you'd like to end up with, and then allow it to age, integrate and mellow with time. But by all means don't just throw in the cubes and forget them, unless you're looking for overpowering oak presence in the result.
 
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mmm...
sounds great. thanks, for in depth description of what types and how long. that answered the next questions that i had.


when the fermentation has stopped, i'll let ya'll know what the final gravity ended up being.

and, of course, huge thanks for all the help.

-dave
 
this batch finished up awhile ago, but i have just been lazy about testing the final gravity (though it's been racked off the lees for quite some time, now). so, it stopped at 1.040. it was cruisin' really strong for awhile and i totally thought it would make it past that, but c'est la vie. it's okay, my wife and i love really sweet meads.
two are on oak (American), right now, and i'm thinking i'm going to oak the other two gallons, as well, but maybe with Hungarian? hmmm....or French with a bit of American? decisions, decisions.
 
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