We seem to have some talented brewers here in the forum. Would be nice to see some final results from the community members in this forum! Perhaps it can also inspire some people who are curious about the hobby.
I can start: here is a sparkling mead along with my labeled bottles.
I made 5 gallons of country strawberry wine. Though the alcohol content is on the higher side at 16%, it absolutely delicious.
Beautiful color. How does it stand up to the 16%? Is there sufficient fruit or is it overpowered by the alcohol? I have some strawberry in the cellar, but I made it 11% off-dry.
The alcohol is not overpowering, the flavor is both complex and smooth with a perfect strawberries and sunshine aftertaste. I made 5 gallons with 25lbs of strawberries and 12 pounds of sugar so strawberry essence was really packed in there! I failed at a scuppernong wine before this so was ready for disappointment but I got an acid kit and think that lends a lot to final product. I also was a little OCD every step of the way but I think that’s part of why it actually turned out so well.
I brought some up a friend’s house in the North Carolina Appalachian mountains. His cousins who have been ‘home brewing’ for generations probably paid me the highest compliment when they had some and were like wow, that actually tastes like something you’d but at a store!
Sounds like it all worked out well!
25 lbs of fruit with 12 lbs of sugar all in 5 gallons??? Do you have a picture of this… I only ask because I am having a difficult time visualizing the volume.
Ok well first things first! I fermented the fruit and sugar water in a bucket for about a week, covered with a towel, punching down the musk daily and praying nothing would ruin it. It was in a strainer bag which kept the pulp and seeds back and just left the liquid to add to the 5 gallons carboy.
Here’s it just in the carboy.
This looks fantastic! I’ve never seen a sparkling mead before. Mead is next on my list, or maybe a melomel.
Thanks! Melomels are great. I have found they are perfect intro meads for those who do not “like the taste of mead” as there is additional fruit flavors… Have had good luck with blackberry, blueberry, and 50/50 black/blue blends.
Oh I love mead. Those bubbles in yours look extra fun. Blackberry is what I was interested in making, though I found a recipe for dandelion mead (is that a melomel?) and found that intriguing. Have you tried that?
I have seen recipes for various flowers and reeds — such as dandelion, but have never tasted one. Now that I think of it, I have never seen one lol. Do it!
I made one with chamomile. Delicious after it sat a year to mellow, but it will put you to sleep in a heartbeat. Hibiscus is next on my list. I love floral flavors
