U2M - Solstice Strawberry

A strawberry mead, brewed on winter solstice.

The original notes for this mead were lost. This is our best recollection of the notes reconstructed 2 weeks later.

Ingredients:

10.5 pounds Madhava wildflower honey
5 quarts strawberry juice
1/4 t Irish moss
1 t gypsum
3 t yeast nutrient
1 t acid blend
Eldorado Springs water - enough for 5 gallons
5 gm Lalvin EC1118 yeast
3 t yeast starter
1/3 can of frozen apple juice concentrate
3/4 c corn sugar

Yeast was pre-started December 22, in the morning. Apple juice was pasteurized with a quart of water. Yeast starter was stirred in after cooling.

December 23, 1998 - Honey heated with water. Irish moss, gypsum, acid blend, strawberry juice and yeast nutrient added. Heated to 170 F. Added must chiller and brought back to 170 F. Kept hot for 15 minutes. Mixture got too hot and boiled before it was turned off. Cooled and poured into carboy. Water added to make 5 gallons. Yeast pitched. Stirred and stored with a blow-off tube.

January 6, 1999 - Racked. SG 1.000

June 17, 1999 - SG 0.998 Corn sugar boiled in 1 c H2O for 20 minutes, then cooled and poured into bucket. Mead racked into bucket with sugar water. Bottled.

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