Batch #003: London Fog Mead
- Batch Size
- 1 gal
- Starting Gravity
- 1.106
- Final Gravity
- 1.006
- Approximate ABV (before backsweetening)
- 13.13%
I’m trying a thing here! I love a London Fog, so I’m going to see if I can get those flavors (Earl Grey tea, extra orange/bergamot, vanilla, milk) to play nicely with a mead.
- Blackberry Blossom honey from Shipwreck Honey
- Earls of Grey double cream earl grey tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Most Recent Update
Racked and added adjuncts
- 200g lactose
- 300g water
- 5g loose-leaf earl grey tea
- a little dried orange peel
- 1 vanilla bean
Before getting started, I brought the lactose and water to a boil and stirred to dissolve, then added a tea bag with the tea and orange peel to steep while I moved on with the measurement and racking.
Measured gravity at 1.006, which is almost full attenuation and about 13ish% ABV. Happy to proceed from here. The actual amount of alcohol will be lower since I’m adding some extra volume and a bunch of non-fermemtable sugars.
I racked it off the lees, but still caught some sediment toward the end. Probably fine since I think the addition of the lactose means this mead is destined to be a little cloudy anyway.
After measuring and racking, I added the lactose/tea mix bit by bit, tasting as I went, but I ended up putting it all in. I’m still not convinced the tea flavor or lactose texture are where I want them to be, but I’m going to age it for a bit before I try further adjustments. I can always add more later.
Finally, I added a split vanilla bean. I’m a little concerned about that being too intense, but there’s still plenty of time for adjustments.
Full Log
More flavor adjustments
- 216g lactose
- 320g water
- 5g loose-leaf earl grey tea
- a little dried orange peel
- 5 more grams of tea
Welp, I let this sit in the back hallway for almost an entire year, but I did get back to it eventually I suppose.
The vanilla comes through strongly, but not overpowerlingly so: I can still taste the floral character of the honey. The texture of the lactose was noticeable but still fell short of where I wanted it to be.
So, teatime!
I mixed up another tea like the previous addition and added it bit by bit, eventually adding all of it. After the additions, I was happy with the texture and the presence of the orange notes, but I still wasn’t getting the tea, so I dropped in an infuser with another 5g of the same tea I’ve been using the whole time.
Directly infusing tea could be risky, so I’ll be tasting it daily for the next little while.
Mixed must
- 2 lbs, 12.7 oz honey
- bottled spring water up to the 1 gallon mark
- 1 campden tablet
We’re starting out with a pretty classic formula for the primary fermentation. I’ll pitch the yeast tomorrow, and most of the interesting stuff will come into play when we get to secondary.
Pitched yeast
- 1 packet (5g) Lalvin 71B wine yeast
- 1/2 tsp LD Carlson Yeast Energizer (DAP)
- 1 tsp LD Carlson Yeast Nutrient (DAP)
Measured starting gravity at 1.106 (potential ABV of ~14%)
Racked and added adjuncts
- 200g lactose
- 300g water
- 5g loose-leaf earl grey tea
- a little dried orange peel
- 1 vanilla bean
Before getting started, I brought the lactose and water to a boil and stirred to dissolve, then added a tea bag with the tea and orange peel to steep while I moved on with the measurement and racking.
Measured gravity at 1.006, which is almost full attenuation and about 13ish% ABV. Happy to proceed from here. The actual amount of alcohol will be lower since I’m adding some extra volume and a bunch of non-fermemtable sugars.
I racked it off the lees, but still caught some sediment toward the end. Probably fine since I think the addition of the lactose means this mead is destined to be a little cloudy anyway.
After measuring and racking, I added the lactose/tea mix bit by bit, tasting as I went, but I ended up putting it all in. I’m still not convinced the tea flavor or lactose texture are where I want them to be, but I’m going to age it for a bit before I try further adjustments. I can always add more later.
Finally, I added a split vanilla bean. I’m a little concerned about that being too intense, but there’s still plenty of time for adjustments.