For maple and honey in all its forms. Even if other adjuncts are present and strong, anything with tree syrups can go here.
(by /u/shininghero)
Total Volume: 5+ gallons
Style: Acerglyn (Maple Syrup Mead), melomel
Carbonation: none
Starting Gravity: 1.082
Target Final Gravity: 1.020
Target ABV: 11%
Target YAN: 193 effective PPM
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | 8 pounds | |
| Maple Syrup | 4 pounds | Natural syrup, nothing cut with corn. |
| Blueberries | 4 pounds | Save these for later. You won't need them right away. |
| Fermax | 3.3 tsp | Or Fermaid K |
| Yeast | SafAle US-05 | |
| Lactose | variable | Unfermentable sugar, adds creamy milk taste |
Method:
Put the blueberries in the freezer. We won't need them for a while.
In a 5 gallon carboy, add all the honey and maple syrup, and add water to 4.5 gallons.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer. Add water/syrup to target gravity of 1.08+ and total volume of slightly under 5 gallons.
Rehydrate yeast and add to carboy.
Ferment according to SNA.
2 weeks after FG (1.000) is hit add blueberries to a clean 5 gallon carboy, and rack the mead onto the blueberries.
Let sit until clear, and the gravity stabilizes around 1.000 again.
Backsweeten with lactose to desired taste (I prefer 1.02), then bottle.
Additional Notes:
This started off as a crazy idea to make blueberry pancakes in mead form, and it turned out beautifully. A little expensive to make, as real maple syrup isn't cheap, but it's worth it. It's drinkable at 2 months, and will only get better.
The reason you want to aim for just under 5 gallons in step 3 is to account for the addition of blueberries later. They will take up about an inch of carboy space before it narrows.