Hello I am about to embark on my first mead and hoped to have some educated people review my recipe. I hope this will finish as a lemon Iced Tea Metheglin ABV or 13% - 14% and hope for a FG of 1 to 1.005 if my math is right I should have and OG of 1.105. Here is the recipe it is for a 15 gal batch.
Please give your suggestions on what I should alter with a quick explanation why.
Thank you All
primary ferment
2 ½ cups raisin
pectic enzyme
45 lbs clover honey
the earl gray tea 48 oz loose leaf
Filtered water 12 gallons
71B-1122 yeast and nutrient/energizer
Secondary ferment
juice & zest of 15 lemons
Campden tablets
Mince raisins and bring 4 cups water to a boil, simmer raisins 5 min.
Add 4 cups of cold water, cool till 70 Fahrenheit then pitch pectic enzyme, let stand for 12 hours.
Boil 11.25 gallons of water add loose tea in cheesecloth or muslin bag, let steep no longer than 3 min
Use 2 gallons of Tea water into large kettle and heat to 175°F. Once near boiling add honey and begin stirring. This drops the temp to approximately 150°F. adjust heat to stabilize the mixture at this temperature. continue stirring intermittently for about 15 minutes. At this point it should have a nice smooth consistency. At this point add the yeast nutrient 5 tbsp yeast and energizer 5 tbsp
Rehydration of yeast 4 tbsp at 104°F with 4 tsp rehydration nutrient, stand for 30 min
Add everything to the primary and vigorously mix again adding air.
Pitch yeast at 70 fahrenheit, mixing for 5 min adding more air.
Let stand for 24 hrs open then add your airlock.
[Addition of 9 grams (approximately 2.25 teaspoons) Yeast energizer, plus 12 grams (3 teaspoon) Yeast nutrient to must with a vigorous aeration at the end of the lag phase] - (six to 12 hours, at the start of obvious fermentation activity)
Over the next 5 days add 3 tsp of nutrient/energizer.
Rack after 4 weeks into secondary
Zest 15 lemons into a bowl and add vodka to cover, let stand 24 hrs.
add juice and zest/vodka, keep zest in cheesecloth or muslin bag.
Taste weekly for lemon flavour and remove zest once achieved, rack on top of bentonite.
After 4 weeks add 15 campden tablets and 7 ½ tsp potassium sorbate (30 min later) dissolved in a small amount of mead. Once treated you can back sweeten. Wait to sweeten 1 day after treating then bottle.
Please give your suggestions on what I should alter with a quick explanation why.
Thank you All
primary ferment
2 ½ cups raisin
pectic enzyme
45 lbs clover honey
the earl gray tea 48 oz loose leaf
Filtered water 12 gallons
71B-1122 yeast and nutrient/energizer
Secondary ferment
juice & zest of 15 lemons
Campden tablets
Mince raisins and bring 4 cups water to a boil, simmer raisins 5 min.
Add 4 cups of cold water, cool till 70 Fahrenheit then pitch pectic enzyme, let stand for 12 hours.
Boil 11.25 gallons of water add loose tea in cheesecloth or muslin bag, let steep no longer than 3 min
Use 2 gallons of Tea water into large kettle and heat to 175°F. Once near boiling add honey and begin stirring. This drops the temp to approximately 150°F. adjust heat to stabilize the mixture at this temperature. continue stirring intermittently for about 15 minutes. At this point it should have a nice smooth consistency. At this point add the yeast nutrient 5 tbsp yeast and energizer 5 tbsp
Rehydration of yeast 4 tbsp at 104°F with 4 tsp rehydration nutrient, stand for 30 min
Add everything to the primary and vigorously mix again adding air.
Pitch yeast at 70 fahrenheit, mixing for 5 min adding more air.
Let stand for 24 hrs open then add your airlock.
[Addition of 9 grams (approximately 2.25 teaspoons) Yeast energizer, plus 12 grams (3 teaspoon) Yeast nutrient to must with a vigorous aeration at the end of the lag phase] - (six to 12 hours, at the start of obvious fermentation activity)
Over the next 5 days add 3 tsp of nutrient/energizer.
Rack after 4 weeks into secondary
Zest 15 lemons into a bowl and add vodka to cover, let stand 24 hrs.
add juice and zest/vodka, keep zest in cheesecloth or muslin bag.
Taste weekly for lemon flavour and remove zest once achieved, rack on top of bentonite.
After 4 weeks add 15 campden tablets and 7 ½ tsp potassium sorbate (30 min later) dissolved in a small amount of mead. Once treated you can back sweeten. Wait to sweeten 1 day after treating then bottle.
