Batch 38: CVS Cider

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#38	Cider	10/24/19	11/6/19	Racked 1	Racked 2	Bottled

Yeast Type:  Lalvin EC-1118
Ingredients:  4 tsp yeast nutrient, 4 gallons fresh pressed cider (a mix of first and second press cider, but added 2 lbs. of brown sugar prior to primary fermentation)
Comments:  During initial racking on 11/6/19 combined with approx. 0.5 gallon of dregs from batch 32, acerglyn, which was determined to be quite sweet on its own.  Initial fermentation occurred at about 67 degrees F.  No data collected.

Update:

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 37: 2018 Maple dregs

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
# 37	Montrachet	4/4/18	11/20/18	Racked 1	Racked 2	Bottled

Yeast Type: Montrachet
Ingredients: 1 gallon maple must, 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 packet of yeast
Comments:  Huge qty of yeast for the must, primary fermentation took off fast and finished in a few days.

11/20/18 Update:  I didn't see any other racking dates, so I think I'm getting this off the lees six months late.  It is super syrupy and sweet, like all my maple wines.  A very small batch, so had to decant it, down to about 3/4 gallon left.  Did not get a hydrometer reading this time.  It is still cloudy so I put it in the porch to see if I can "cold crash" it.  It will be a dessert wine.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.135	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV	18	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 36: Cider with Honey or Cyser Light

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
36	Cider/Cyser	10/21/17	1/29/18	11/6/19	Racked 2	11/6/19

Yeast Type:  Lalvin EC-1118
Ingredients:  4 gallons unpastuerized apple cider
1 gallon boiled water
5 or 6 pounds of honey from our bees
5 tsp yeast nutrient
touch of Epsom salt
3 drops olive oil
Comments:  This is a hard cider sweetened with a bit of honey, or a light cyser.  I didn't want to go for a full strength cyser mead as past attempts have been a bit astringent, tart, or both, and have taken a long time to age.  Hoping this one can be ready in a year.  Did not collect initial data.

Aerated vigorously with a spoon once/day for 3 days to encourage growth.

1/29/18 Update:  Racked after 3 months of sitting in the primary because we cleaned the room and now you could see this thing clearly sitting in the corner all alone.  Appears slightly hazy pale straw yellow.  Tastes tart and light, somewhat dry.  Not too astringent despite honey in the recipe and no strong off flavors from spoilage or the long time in the primary.  OK overall, could benefit from clearing and carbonation.  Bottled 3 each 22oz bottles with varying amounts of priming sugar (which I believe is dextrose) to see what happens.  The bottles contain 1/2 tsp, 3/4 tsp, and 1 tsp priming sugar.  A recipe I saw called for 1/2 tsp per pint.  These are more than pint, so shooting for one lightly/under-carbonated, one just right, and one over-carbonated.  Update from memory:  They were all flat.

11/6/19 Update:  Racked off sediment, not totally clear, but needed to free up carboy space.  Tasted ok, but a bit tart and would benefit from carbonation.  Combined with 1 gallon batch 32 acerglyn, which was cloying, and added 72g corn sugar and 45g cane sugar in 1 cup boiled water.  A splash of ginger extract and cinnamon extract (approx. 1 Tbsp each) at bottling, just for fun.  Yield was 25 each 22 oz and one 12 oz with approx. 10 oz filled.  Hoping for decent carbonation without bottle bombs.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 35: "Burning Down the House" Bochet

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#35	Bochet	3/23/17	6/8/17	1/29/18	11//6/19	Bottled

Yeast Type: Montrachet
Ingredients: 5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
20 lbs caramelized honey
QS to 5 gallons with pasteurized water

Comments:
Honey was from a near-fire when melting wax on the woodstove.  That was a messy cleanup from 10pm-1am...  Evidence still on the hearth.  Bubbled away nicely in the primary as the lid had a good seal.

6/8/17 update:   Tasted and flavor was light and marshmallowy, lower alcohol with less mouthfeel than prior meads, owing to the lower starting gravity than all other meads we've made except maybe Charles' solo batches.  Racked from brew bucket to secondary glass carboy.  Added 10 whole cloves, 2 small cinnamon sticks, and 2.5 vanilla beans that had previously soaked in vodka for about 6 months, so they are not full strength.  Hoping to add some subtle flavors to the caramelized honey without needing extracts later.

1/29/18 Update: Appears a slightly hazy amber / dark golden mead, slightly carbonated.  Flavor is a light astringency, young overall, but has a smoky sweetness reminiscent of toasted marshmallow.  There were spices added in the secondary, but they are not prominent yet in the taste, definitely not overdone.  Needs another 3 or 4 years, but promising with or without additional adjustment.  The cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and cloves spilled out easily with the dregs during carboy cleaning.

11/6/19 Update:  Cloudy and dark, a unique spicy and carmelized profile.   Light on mouthfeel, not boozy or syrupy.  Has potential but needs to age and especially clear.  Condsidered bentonite, but did not bother yet.  Too many other things done on the same date to go with bentonite.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.080	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	10%	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd

Batch 34: Dregs Acerglyn

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#34	Acerglyn	3/23/17	1/29/18	N/A	N/A	N/A

Yeast Type: Dregs from Antmead #33
Ingredients: Maple syrup dregs, honey bits from random jars, 1tsp yeast nutrient
Comments: This is 1/2 gallon in a glass jug, otherwise would have gone down the drain.

1/29/18 Update:  Decanted into 2 quart jars and tasted.  It was tart, astringent, and not at all good.  Scrapped down the drain.

Batch 33: Antmead

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#33	Mead	12/6/16	3/23/17	1/29/18	11/6/19	Bottled

Yeast Type: Premier Cuvee
Ingredients: 14 lbs Pioneer Hill Farm honey
3.5 gallons well water, pasteurized after mixing with honey

Comments: I had 7 lbs honey that was hit by ants.  I scraped off all the anty-ness and added 7 additional lbs honey to it for this batch of mead.   Not really sure what I'm going for here, just wanting to start another batch.  I had limited yeast options and no other ingredients (yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, etc).  I added 1/8 tsp epsom salt and 1/4 tsp olive oil.  The mixture was pastuerized on top of the wood stove, then set in the porch to cool.  Yeast pitched and vigorously aerated on 12/7/16.

I don't think there will be any measurements, so I deleted the table.

3/23/17 update:  Racked to secondary.  Was not sure what would be under that lid as I NEVER heard the bubbler bubble.  Turns out the seal was compromised by some cracks in the bucket lid.  They must have vented it ok, positive pressure, because the smell was alcohol and it tasted of young mead.  Not spoilage from never fermenting, no vinegar from fermenting then oxidation.  Moved to the brew cave.

1/29/18 Update: Very little sediment, still slightly hazy after 10 months since the last racking.  Taste is light, bright, and young / slightly astringent.  Hard to tell at this point how this will  mature, but does not taste like it has off flavors right now, which is nice after questionable honey and long time in the primary.

11/6/19 Update:  Very clear after almost 2 more years.  Doesn't taste great, some off flavors of lighter fluid and turpentine.  Plan to continue to age for now.

Batch 32: Jim's Acerglyn

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
#32	Acerglyn (Maple Mead)	5/10/14	5/28/14	12/31/15	1/29/18	11/6/19

Yeast Type: Lalvin D47
Ingredients:  Approx 2 quarts of "known good" 2014 maple syrup plus rinsate
Approx 8 pounds of 2012 PHF Fall honey, crystallized
Approx 3 gallons boiled water to SG 1.110
Comments:

This batch was started after finishing maple sugar for 2014.  Took all the stuff with "sugar sand" (minerals) from the sap and all the rinse from the various jars and pots and funnels and combined it with 2012 honey remaining in a bucket, total volume 4 gallons.  Cooled overnight in a sanitized brew bucket, pitched the proofed yeast the following morning 5/10/14.

Actively fermenting on 5/11/14 and aerated vigorously with a spoon.  Vigorous fermentation slowing around 5/15/14, sooner than batch 32, which makes sense since that started at higher gravity.

5/28/14:  Signs of active fermentation as top surface "sparkled".  Racked from buck to carboy.  Very cloudy, still sweet but mellow.  Probably a bit early to rack but not concerned about foaming over due to >1 gallon headspace.  Compact lees and maple sugar sand.

12/31/15: Golden color, 1/2" dark brown sediment on the bottom, clear surface.  Tastes sweet, slightly astringent.  Should age out nicely.

1/29/18 Update:  A little over 2 years since I updated, but I still have this. If it was racked in this time I don't have a record of it, though I'm sure I topped off airlocks in this time.  No sediment on the bottom, very clear.  Very sweet tasting mead, tastes good but still has some astringency which is largely masked by the sweetness.  Should be good to bottle in another year if no more cloudiness shows up.

11/6/19:  Bottled a very clear, very sweet acerglyn.  Yield was 22 each 375 ml bottles and 2 each 750 ml bottles.  Added approx. 1 gallon to batch 36 cider to sweeten at bottling and 0.5 gallon dregs to batch 38.

Batch Data

Measurement	Pre-Ferm (PF)	Post-Primary (PP)	Post-Second (PS)	At Bottling (AB)
Specific gravity (hyd)	1.110	tbd	tbd	tbd
% Potential ABV (hyd)	14.2%	tbd	tbd	tbd
%mas sacc (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
° Oechsle (°Oe) (refrac):	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
KMW (refrac)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
pH (pH meter)	tbd	tbd	tbd	tbd
% alcohol (vin)	n/a	tbd	tbd	tbd