Post date: Oct 21, 2012 4:25:3 PM
I think I have to have a policy - for every 3 or 4 "straight" wines I make, I have to make a strange one. This fits that bill.
This comes from "The Joy of Home Wine Making" - this is the "Rye Not Kummel" recipe. It can use sugar or honey - I chose the latter, making this a metheglin rather than a wine, I guess. As to the caraway flavor - hey - I like caraway seeds. I even like akvavit...
2 oz. caraway seeds
Water to 1 gallon
3-1/2 lbs honey
1 tsp citric acid
1 tsp malic acid
1 tsp tartaric acid
1/4 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp Lalvin K1-V1116
10/19/12 11AM
I heated the honey and 2 cups of water in a saucepan up to a simmer and skimmed off the stuff that comes to the top (what is that, by the way? Pollen and bee parts?). Dissolved the acids, tannin, and yeast nutrient in about 2 cups of water in the bottle, got them swirling around, and poured the slightly cooled honey and water mixture into the bottle slowly, interspersed with some water, swirling the whole way. At the same time, I put 2 oz of caraway seeds (from a freshly opened container) into about 1/4c of Everclear and 1/4 water to steep.
10/19/12 2:30PM
Strained the liquid out of the seeds, added to the must, sparged with 1/4 cup boiling water. SG is 1.120.
10/19/12 11PM
Pitched yeast.
11/23/12 4PM
Measured gravity - 1.072 at 66 degrees F. So we're currently at about 6.6% alcohol. The fermentation doesn't seem stuck, just very slow. Added 1/2 tsp yeast energizer (got at Beer & Wine Hobby) and stirred vigorously.
1/27/13 12PM
Racked and stabilized. Tastes fine, tired of it sitting there - time to let it clear.
7/20/13 ??
Racked.
8/24/13 1PM
Racked. This is clearing nicely, if slowly. It's really getting nice - the caraway flavor is mild, and there is a tartness now, and a hint of honey flavor. Doesn't seem to sweet - maybe that's what mead generally tastes like. I should measure the gravity again - there was a fair amount of gas - the fermentation may have restarted.
10/5/13 3PM
Was going to rack or even bottle, but still, the fermentation continues, slowly. So I stirred up the sediment a bit and sent it back down to the cave.
12/7/13 1PM
Still seems to be going - less sweet, very fizzy. Tastes nice - maybe I'll just stabilize and bottle.
8/31/14 1130AM
Bottled into 3 750s and 4 375s. It has darkened somewhat, and seems to have fermented out a bit more - some sweetness, but not cloying. It's quite clear. I think it will be nice, especially cold.