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Jonathan
Jonathan
7 years ago

I have been experimenting with this off and on since you introduce this in 2015. Nice to have a more detailed show about this

Burger1918
7 years ago

So, I’ve actually made a few batches with what we can call a 2/3 flower blend, only chamomile (whole flower tspaz) and elder flower (brewer’s best?) and they still cleared up quite a bit faster than with no flowers added. Perhaps I’ll experiment with separate batches of each flower this year.

Also, adding the flower blend to a rhubarb mead created absolutely insane initial fermentation compared to other fruit adjuncts I’ve used. Definitely learned to give future batches of it more headspace.

John P Smajda
John P Smajda
7 years ago
Reply to  Burger1918

Burger, check out my comment below.  Its the chamomile.

D.B. Watkins
D.B. Watkins
7 years ago

So… I actually use a piece of plastic wrap held on with a double wrap of garden twine instead of balloon or air lock. I’ve never lost one due to contamination after the yeast goes in, regardless if it was beer/mead/wine.

The only time they ever screw up is if I get something nasty on a wild ferment.

John P Smajda
John P Smajda
7 years ago

I think it’s the chamomile in your three flowers blend that makes it clear so quickly. I say this because I’ve made the three flowers, and I’ve made my own separate chamomile batch. The chamomile batch clears just as quickly as the three flowers.

My (current) technique for small batches is to make a 7 gallon must first. I just blend my honey, water, yeast and nutrient/energizer in the bucket.

 

For methelglins that I want to be involved in the primary ferment, I put the herbs in the one gallon carboys and pour the must into there and let them go.

 

For melomel’s, I ferment about 6-7 gallons in my big bucket carboy and rack off into 1 gallon secondaries of my various flavors. In a few weeks I will be doing

Vanilla Beans
coco nibs
lemon Ginger
Pumpkin spice
Sourgum
odins tears
Hibiscus
 

I find this is A LOT less work and less messy than doing them in the one gallon primary (which I have also done.) Honey is a pain to manage and it’s much easier to get into a bucket than a spout. You also save on yeast this way.

 

John P Smajda
John P Smajda
7 years ago

Jack, your math on the cost of batches got a bit off at the end of the episode.

at 1:07:50

For some reason, when you talked about making a 5 gallon batch of mead you said it would cost about $102 and use 30 lbs. You should only be using about 12lbs (about 1 gallon) of honey in a 5 gallon batch not 30 lbs (2.5 gallons).

5 gallon batches should cost about $50 (when you factor the cost of shipping and tax theft.) I don’t know how you are getting down to $10 on honey in a gallon unless you are buying a 5 gallon bucket, and I know you aren’t. If your getting the 5lb things thats at least $12 without shipping costs.

 

John Paul Smajda
John Paul Smajda
7 years ago

I made a math error? I couldn’t find it. Sorry if it came across as nit-picking, my OCD alarm when it comes to math started making to much noise in my brain that I had to let it out. Plus, I don’t want to scare away people from doing 5 gallon batches.

But yeah, economics wise it is still amazing per bottle.

I had the same experience at the webstauraunt store and their monarch push.  I have an irrational mistrust of it. Its just too cheap, I cant find a website for them, or much information at all for that matter.  At least Dutch Gold has a 3rd party certifier. I cant even find “Regal Foods” who are the distributer.  (Ironically, the label on Monarch says Regal Foods, Lancaster PA, which is where Dutch Gold is.)

Jared
Jared
7 years ago

how small would you guys go if you were trialing a blend?

Cause I found an airlock for mason jars

Jesse
Jesse
7 years ago

I’ve tried store-bought mead and found it overly cloying…Is this just the way it is, or can control of the process give me a better result?

Burger1918
7 years ago

Jesse,

Most commercial meads that I’ve had are much too sweet as well, probably to appeal to the masses.  They may use yeasts with lower alcohol tolerance and typically stop fermentation early. (Been on a few meadery tours.) With homebrewing, you are in control and can choose to ferment it all the way out for a dryer mead. Using the yeast combination Jack recommends, it’ll have no problem doing that with 3lbs of honey per gallon. It’ll have all the body of honey without all the extra sweetness. Give a shot, and see if it fits your tastes.

Duane
Duane
7 years ago

If it turns out Monarch’s Choice is garbage, looks like getting Dutch Gold Honey directly from the Dutch Gold Honey’s website is less expensive then from webstaurant if you think you’d be able to use up the 60 lb pail.  More honey varieties too.

Webstaurant’s 60lb Dutch Gold Clover Honey $207.99 + s/h.

Same thing from Dutch Gold Honey’s site $148.80 + s/h.

Not counting s/h that’s about $3.47/lb vs $2.48/lb.  Plus you get a bucket you can probably find something to do with!

I did order directly from Dutch Gold Honey’s site a few years ago, had no issues.

John Paul Smajda
John Paul Smajda
7 years ago
Reply to  Duane

I drove through lancaster this past January and picked up a 5 gallon bucket from Dutch Gold. Saved over $60 in shipping and tax theft, they even threw in a discount for not having to tape up the bucket. it was awesome. I used almost all of it in one day but I made over 22 Gallons of mead and used some in a cyzer. 6 Gallons of that is going to a very high gravity

 

Robert Losiniecki
Robert Losiniecki
7 years ago

As always thanks for the information I have a question regarding bottles. Do the bottles need to be brown or did the cheapest best one just happen to be brown. I’m assuming you can use clear bottles just as long as they aren’t exposed to sunlight?

I ask because I have some from Ikea and they make two sizes 1l and .5 liter.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10342687/

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40227983/

Michael Kalbow
Michael Kalbow
7 years ago

Howdy, has anyone started a batch with the Monarch’s Choice yet?  I’d like to know how it turned out before I buy some and pay that extraordinary shipping cost…

Brad
Brad
7 years ago

Hi Jack,

What were the 2 yeasts you were referencing?

 

Thanks