Apple Pie Mead Recipe Help

[poptarts]

5 gallons apple cider unfiltered
10 LB local honey
1 LB brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 vanilla beans, split and mixed with some alcohol to make extract

Should this make an okay apple pie mead? Im not fully sure if it will be enough on the spices or too much
Ive never made mead before. Any tweaks you guys would do to make the recipe better?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

What yeast are you looking at using? Also what plans do you have for the spices. Adding them in post/during fermentation can be very different. I would also watch the gravity to make sure it doesn't go too high. It will cause problems for the yeast. If the GotMead Calculator is right than your starting gravity would be around 1.148 which is way too high.

The first thing I would do is take out the sugar, you already have plenty in there. I would wait to use some of the apple cider and step feed it in.

 

[liquiditynerd]

I would recommend some molasses. And like MMBlue asked which yeast?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

/\ This, Especially if you decide to keep the sugar, Use molasses instead of brown sugar, since brown sugar is just sugar with molasses.

 

[poptarts]

//All in primary

5 gallons apple cider unfiltered
5 LB local honey (Cut in half to lower gravity)
1 LB Molasses

// All into secondary, Would be taking out the cini sticks once the cinimon level was where it was good.

6 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 vanilla beans, split and mixed with some alcohol to make extract

I was thinking on making this a sweet mead, so maybe some d-47 for the yeast? I cut the honey in half so the OG isnt so crazy and replaced brown sugar with molasses?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I'd up the honey to 6.5 lbs. This should give you enough residual sugars for a sweeter cyser.

The "sugar addition" is your 1lb of molasses.

 

[poptarts]

Great thanks

 

[Zaffo]

You could also try buckwheat honey. It has a molasses like taste. Just a thought.

 

[liquiditynerd]

I start with cinn. sticks now and transfer to secondary. I also add oak staves to give it a little more earthyness. Also, 2-1 honey to gallon ratio isnt crazy. D-47 should be able to handle it. Ive been using Montrachet lately because they just eat and eat and eat....

but with the plug-ins MMblue has it would be a very fine drinker that one will.


what size is your primary? I was thinking if you run out of room you could use a gallon of AJ in the secondary to bring the profile back up front after initial fermentation.

 

[poptarts]

Im going to primary in a 6.5 bucket and secondary in a 6 carboy. so I can get somewhere close to 6 gallons.

 

[poptarts]

Ok so I think this is the plan as it stands.

Get 5 gallons of Apple cider and add to carboy.
Add 5 campden tablets let sit over night
The next day Add
6.5 - 7 LBs local honey
1 LB Molasses
6 Cinnamon Sticks

Stir it all up with yeast and all its nutrients and energizer. Let sit in bucket till its fermented. Rack to secondary add the following spices.

3 cloves
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 vanilla beans, split and mixed with some alcohol previously to make extract.

From there determine cinnamon level and let bulk age in carboy for like ~6 months ish then bottle. How is that sounding to everyone?

 

[liquiditynerd]

Looks good! Let the yeasties fly! Do you like clove? It really comes out strong and spicy, kinda like cilantro though, some love it some hate it.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

5 Gallons for 3 cloves isn't too bad, especially with all those other things in there. I made a 1 gallon hydromel with 2 cloves and everyone loved it.

Fun fact: I think the cilantro hate has to do with an allergy that makes it taste like crap.

 

[poptarts]

Starting the mead tonight, gonna pitch some yeasties tomorrow!

 

[liquiditynerd]

5 Gallons for 3 cloves isn't too bad, especially with all those other things in there. I made a 1 gallon hydromel with 2 cloves and everyone loved it.

Fun fact: I think the cilantro hate has to do with an allergy that makes it taste like crap.

Ha, yeah I find myself in the love it so much other people think its too much category. And you're totally right about 3 cloves/5 Gallons, I kinda forgot the OP and I just got honey from my bee guy for a 1 gallon batch, my bad!

 

[poptarts]

Starting OG was 1120, it smells yummy.

 

[poptarts]

its down below 1.000 and its tasting great. going to rack to my carboy as soon as my saison is ready to go into bottles. Then gonna add all the other spices.

 

[poptarts]

Okay so moved to bottles about a month ago, it has a slight off flavor that I think is because its still so young. The abv is hidden very well and the flavors are amazing, defiantly has an apple pie spice flavor to it. I plan on making this again in a month or 2 because I have high hopes for this stuff and want to get a aged pipeline rollin out on it.

 

[liquiditynerd]

Good deal. We got into it last night, went fast! Definitely a go to recipe.

 

[tellish33]

Can I use just plain ole local cider? Not sure if its unfiltered or not. Its not commercial cider.