NEXT! (the to-do list)

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<shrug> I suppose, but if I REALLY needed one and wanted to pay the surcharges (which realistically aren't THAT steep), they can fast-track it within a couple of days... never left the country so far, don't feel like I'm missing much when there's still so much of Canada that I haven't seen. And if I don't use it, I'll feel dumb when it expires and I have one more frigging card to renew...
 
I too have a bit of an experimental streak. I always want to see what is a better way of doing things.

I like combining fruit with spices in unusual combinations.

Pear Nutmeg, wasn't too far out.

Raspbery Thyme, Was divine.

Peach Spearmint, turned out quick aging and subtle on the mint.

Vanilla Almond, was good but not enough of both flavors.

Pumpkin Spice, was good but a bit too spicy.

Bluebery Lemon, may be a hit, need to bottle soon.

Low ABV% Lemon/Lime, looks to be a good drinker

In the Carboy:

My Triple Toast test: A trinary batch of 5 gallons, done the same, wildflower honey, 12 pounds, back sweeten with 6 pounds. Oaked with Lightly toasted Oak, Medium Toasted Oak, Heavy Toasted Oak. Just to taste the differnece of the oaks.

Dual Chocolate:
5-6 gal bactches of 2 pounds of coco nibs in each. Medium toasted oak. 2 vanilla beans in secondary and backsweetening with 1 pound of Maltodextrin and honey.
1. Mixing in some homemade Hazelnut Extract. Mixed 1 cup chopped and put through the coffee grinder on rough grind with 1 cup of white rum. For 2 months, filter, "Rack" of oil that is floating to the top. Plan on using 2 tablespoons of it in secondary with oaking.
2. Mixing in second batch 1/2 teaspoon of homemade chocolate mint extract that is currently in the carboy.

I hope to put together a Pumpkin Hazelnut Spice this October. Need Honey.
Using 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut extract I am making.

Hmm, not sure how potent the Hazelnut extract is.

I have mangoes in the fridge, and strawberries, and frozen lemon juice, and frozen lime juice with frozen lime zest. Plan on making strawberry Oat over winter. Was thinking on carmelized mango but I think that I will just go Mango Mead.

Not sure if the Lemon, Lime, Peaches will get into a batch soon.

This summer I was thinking on a blueberry basil and Start a long aging Bamboo Jasmin mead that I plan on using both bamboo leaves in primary(?)and oaking with Bamboo. So I would be interested in anybodies method of Jasmin.

That is my personal plan. I have many other Ideas.

Personally, I don't like jalapino but I thought of doing a Garlic Mead. Hmm, Maybe a dry.

I love hearing peoples out of the box experiments.

Matrix (simple, yet complex)

As far as your
 
HAH! I was also thinking that oaking bamboo would be lovely. I'm glad that even my untried brewing thoughts have someone to agree with!

CG - I would love to see the chipotle or the dry/backsweetened vs chemically stopped mead experiments...
 
Honestly I'd have tried the chipotle already, except I haven't seen them in the market I usually get my weird veggies from since I got my honey!!
 
The plan

Ok, now that I've got ALL my seasonal silliness under control and a batch or three bottled and out of the way (consequently a few empty carboys)...

I'm going to do another round of my acerglyn, this time adding yeast energizer to the mix...

And of course I found a rosehip and hibiscus tea at my bulk food store that is AMAZING and I must ferment it one day.

But not today. I've got 3 - 5 or 6 gal carboys free but 2 are spoken for, a 3 that will be empty soon, 2 - 5 or 6 gal carboys coming from my mother, 2 1-gal empty glass carboys, several 1-gal plastic jugs and I think 3 empty glass jars (good for JAO's)

I think the official list will be:

Jasmine meth (1 gal)
side by side goldenrod and clover JAO (1 gal ea, original recipe except pith)
chocolate JAO - primary (1 gal)
chocolate JAO - secondary (1 gal)

and for the sake of peace in the valley, I better ferment SOMETHING currently taking up space in the freezer so maybe I'll do a blackberry port or something, or a gallon or two of black raspberry wine. Must check stock to determine whether I'll be going for 1 gal or 3 on whichever I decide to do.

Plans once I deal with some of those dratted cloudy 3-gal batches include the side-by-side traditionals of goldenrod and clover at 10% and maybe also at 15%.

Then I'll probably need more honey :p

... and an intervention, if one of my friends is to be believed :D

 
Starting an acerglyn tonight (going back to the lemon and adding energizer to the recipe this time), and I've decanted honey into jars from buckets in order to make the JAO's easier, I've got 3.5 lb each of the clover and the goldenrod honey ready for side-by-side JAO's.

Today while I was getting sticky was the first time I've tasted the clover and goldenrod honeys at the same time, and there's definitely a difference, I am pretty sure it's white clover because I could taste it, it's definitely not red clover :) I'm going to be very interested in how this comparison goes.

Any suggestions on whether I should use golden or clover honey for the jasmine batch? They're both pretty subtle, but different...
 
Got the side-by-side JAO's going...

Next up would be the jasmine and the traditionals comparing strength and honeys.

Revised list as of now, in all its glory...

Meads:
  • Traditionals at 10 and 15%, clover and goldenrod side by side
  • Need to make something dry so I can figure out if I like dry wines yet
  • pH test – traditionals - one with lemons like I’d done before, one with no acidity, one with controlled pH once meter is calibrated
  • yeast test, big batch of traditional, divided into 6: EC1118, K1V 1116, DC-47, 7B, bread yeast and whatever one I’ve forgotten, or maybe an ale yeast.
  • Water test – city out of tap, city boiled or left sitting, Britta or softened, distilled, hard well water, track pH, SG and rehydrate yeast in appropriate waters
  • Yeast abuse test – top sprinkle, rehydrate, acclimated starter
  • Backsweeten vs target SG with age – start two batches, one at lower gravity than the other, stop the higher-grav one with chemicals and then stabilize and backsweeten the other to match, bottle in small bottles, open in pairs to compare at 6 months, 1 year, etc, with age
  • Syllabub
  • Hopped tea mead
  • Big metheglyn
  • Jasmine mead
  • Coffee mead
  • Tannin experiment, tea vs grape tannin
  • Mustard in something, maybe with marshmallows (maybe another Chevette Weirdomel).
  • Chocolate JAO (add cocoa)
  • Chocolate in primary vs secondary, nibs vs cocoa
  • Chipotle pepper mead
  • Dmntd’s porter Braggot with vanilla?
  • Norskersword’s 4-week cyser
  • Traditional: comparison between long-term storage in glass vs plastic carboy
  • Wayneb’s Fileuil de la nuit or Kens’ Heart of Darkness
  • Ibwahooka’s Royal Metheglin
  • Maple-pecan mead
  • JAO with highbush cranberries
  • JAO side by side with and without raisins.
  • Metheglyn with rosehip and hibiscus tea
  • Pyment-mel comparison with wine
  • Stabilize versus not
  • Chevette Weirdomel including dragonfruit

Wines:

Black Currant
Blackberry
Black Raspberry
Maybe a second run with cerveza wort?
Something with chocolate nibs from Heinrich
Parsnip
Beet
Red currant without heat
Cactus pear with heat
Kit: mulled/spiced ice-style
Kit: split one into 2 – 3-gal batches, one for wine and one a pyment/mel
Stabilize versus not


Beer:

  • Vanilla
  • Check brktrt-18’s suggestions on gotmead
  • Pumpkin Ale
 
I'll be using bagged jasmine tea, I found a really good and yet also inexpensive brand that doesn't get bitter with a long steep.
 
I have often wanted to try Dragonfruit.

I could see, though expensive, a Dragon Mead.

Hmm maybe a Dragon Breath Mead with Dragonfruit and pepers.
Not big on pepers though.

Matrix
 
Having tried my old brew buddy's dragonfruit mead, I can't say I'm a fan (at least not of this particular attempt). It was oddly perfume scented and that may have just turned me off from the first swirl in a glass. I haven't tried it since he backsweetened it with agave, though...perhaps it has aged nicely? I just remember it started turning slightly golden as opposed to red like it was for the first few months.
 
I have often wanted to try Dragonfruit.

I could see, though expensive, a Dragon Mead.

Hmm maybe a Dragon Breath Mead with Dragonfruit and pepers.
Not big on pepers though.

Matrix

Dang, if only my husband liked peppers or anything hot, that'd be perfect (his nickname is Dragon).

I was lucky with my dragonfruit, I got 'em on sale for $3 for 10 (yes, they're usually $5 ea, yay for bargain bin bruised produce!)
 
Dang, if only my husband liked peppers or anything hot, that'd be perfect (his nickname is Dragon).

I was lucky with my dragonfruit, I got 'em on sale for $3 for 10 (yes, they're usually $5 ea, yay for bargain bin bruised produce!)

Very cool, I wouldn't even begin to know where I could get them in Denver, CO area. I have a friend that has actually changed his name to Dragon. Everyone calls him that and he works an industrial job with a jumpsuit with Dragon as his nametag. What a strange coincident.

Matrix