Based on "Chief Niwot's Mead" in the New Joy of Homebrew by Charlie Papazian, this sparkling vanilla mead took a while to age. At five years it was just beginning to mature. At ten years it's light and dry and very tasty. My last bottle was over 20 years old when consumed, and better than ever.
Ingredients:
Heat honey with water to almost boiling. Add gypsum, acid blend, and Irish Moss. Skim scum. Keep hot for about 15 minutes to pasturize. Cool, pour into carboy and add water to make 5 gallons. Pitch dry yeast and yeast nutrient. Stir and store with blow-off tube.
Brewed August 20, 1994
Racked on September 6, 1994 and stored with bubble lock.
Racked on November 28, 1994 and stored with bubble lock.
January 30, 1995 corn sugar boiled for 10 minutes with 1 cup tap water. Mead and sugar mixed together in a plastic pail. Bottled.
March 22, 2001 - There's not very much left of course, but it's getting close to well-aged. Dry and slightly bubbly, with a very light vanilla flavor that is almost completely overshadowed by the honey.
February 13, 2005 - Still a few bottles left. This has really matured well. It just keeps getting better and better.
Copyright ris