New Brews and Learning Patience

So the last few weeks have been a lesson in patieence for me. As in, "Drink no wine [or mead] before its time." Unless you are checking it to see if it is time. I opened a bottle of the Strawberry Wine last night. It was horrible when we bottled it. It was horrible when I tried some a couple of months later. Last night it wasn't that bad. It wasn't great - yet. It was drinkable, and I could tell there was a little of the same ick left in it, so I know that that is aging out. Some strawberry flavor is actually creeping in. I think in a year this will be a very nice brew indeed.

So notes to self: Drink no wine before you have given it at least 2 years. Make enough to last the long aging time. Keep the 6.5 gal bucket active with JAO or cyser so there is a steady supply of good drinkables. Bottle at least 2 375mL bottles for taste testing (I hate throwing out a full 750mL bottle just because it tastes nasty right now). My patience and forethought will be rewarded.

New brews!

Cranberry Melomel (take 2, cuz the first was so good, it's gone!)
2# cranberries, thawed and popped
4# local honey
water to one gallon
campden
1/4 t. pectic enzyme
D47

12.05.06
popped cranberries in nylon bag in primary bucket (I was out of ziploc baggies and this made for less mess). Added honey and warm water to dissolve. The honey was kind of crystalllized, but that shouldn't be a problem since we dissolved it. Stirred until well combined. Added 1 crushed campden tablet and pectic enzyme. Let sit overnight to reach room temp before adding yeast.

12.07.06
okay so I didn't get to the yeast the next day. *grins* Added yeast after rehydrating according to package.
O.G. estimated 1.150 (it was off the chart!)
This should be a very sweet mead indeed . . .

12.09.06
Pulled out the bag of cranberries and poured the rest into a jug and airlocked. It is such a pretty red. I love the color of cranberry mead. Even with the yeast and sediment still in suspension, it is such a beautiful luxurious red . . .

True to my promise to myself, the next batch is
JAO, 6 gallons
18.75# cheap clover honey
2# local honey
6 very sweet clementines, quartered
5 packages of raisins
6 sticks of cinnamon
6 whole cloves
water to 6 gallons
1 pkg Fleishman's yeast

12.05.06
mixed everything but the yeast together and left to sit overnight to reach room temp. (except we know how that went since the next activity for this was on . . . )

12.07.06
drizzled yeast over brew and actually took a hydrometer reading for once.
O.G. about 1.125 (hard to see down in the bucket)

12.08.06
Started burbling, gurgling, and scaring the crud out of people . . . *grins*