As part of my solstice activities, I started a batch of mead on Saturday. Well, it's kinda mead. Due to financial restrictions, buying 20 lbs of honey wasn't really going to happen. I'm improvising this, so It may end up utterly undrinkable.
This is mostly for my own record.
2 gallons purified water
1 gallon organic not from concentrate pasturized apple juice
5 lbs local honey
1 lb corn sugar
1 packet dry Red Star Pasteur Champagne
Sanitized everything.
Melted the honey into about half a gallon of the water to de-crystalize it over low heat. It never even got up to a simmer, so most of the more subtle flavor from the honey should be preserved. After most of the honey was melted, scooped out a bit into a cup and tossed the yeast in that to rehydrate and start getting happy.
Poured the remaining water and apple juice into the brew bucket. Once all the crystals had dissolved, poured the honey water into the bucket and then added the yeast. Gave it a few stirs to mix everything and then added the corn sugar, mixed that in.
Lidded and added an airlock. By Sunday morning, it was bubbling along happily, and was still doing so this morning. My plan was to allow this to brew until the equinox and then transfer to the secondary, but I'm not sure that'll get me something good. Most folks ferment until completion, I'm not sure what i'm going to do. I might let it go 2 weeks and then taste then decide.
I couldn't find the hydrometer Saturday to get an initial reading on sugar content, so we'll never know just how alcoholic this is.
I guess since this has honey and apple juice, this is actually a cyser.
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