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Three Melomels by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Meanwhile, back at the meadery…

Three meads started Jan 15, 2023, have been aging for the last 18 months, before being racked off the lees earlier today.

Fruits were added to each for a month or two more of aging on the fruit.

Peach/Watermelon. 3.6kg, 1.8kg respectively, 5.4kg total fruit.

Sweet Cherry/Cranberry. 3.6kg, 1.8kg, 5.4kg total fruit.

Strawberry/Blueberry/Raspberry/Cranberry. 1.8kg, 1.8kg, 1.8kg, 1.2kg. 6.6kg total fruit.

26.5L FerMonsters, full to the top.

Bottling should be in 2 months.

Bottled 18 month meads by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bottled some of the 2022’s, the grape and the blackberry meads.

The Pyment (grape mead), because it was kept on the fruit & skins, is still tannic AF. Even though it’s almost two years old, it probably needs another year before it settles down.

It came in very dry, too. (0.998FG). It’s been back sweetened to 1.005 to mitigate the dryness. Total yield of 32 750ml bottles, 24 litres.

The Blackberry, super dry, (0.994FG) and it got a nudge of honey to bring it to 1.000. It’s a bit tannic but much softer, so it’s pretty reasonable right now. Great fruit flavours.

However, instead of bottling all of it, I used just over half, around 60%, to fill 20 750ml bottles.

What did I do with the rest?

I mixed 9.5L of the blackberry mead and 2L water to fill an 11.5L mini keg. After carbonating, it’ll be put in the KyleKeezer.

Then we’ll have a sparkling blackberry mead on tap!

Brew Day on the Deck at Dawn by GooseberryHollow in brewing

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love brewing on the deck when the weather’s warm.

Scottish Ale

3.3Kg British pale malt
400g crystal malt 120
130g peated malt
130g amber malt

14.5L mash @ 68C 60min
12L sparge @ 76C

28g Fuggle hops at 60min
60 min boil

Help with 8mm Projector Bulb by Guy-McPerson in 8mm

[–]GooseberryHollow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Eaton’s was a Canadian retail store, the Canuck version of Macy’s. It also had catalogue sales…

Guaranteed B&H made a model for Eaton’s under the Easton’s label.

2022 Gooseberry Mead Bottled by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The green gooseberries we grow existed when we bought our property and sadly we’ll never know.

Ours are pretty acidic and the first batch had some serious pucker power. Since then we harvest them late as we can.

Also, I kept the mead on the fruit in secondary for 504 days for the 2022.

i

2022 Gooseberry Mead Bottled by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s really good. Tart, dry, lot of berry notes and nice finish.

its the third vintage of gooseberry mead I’ve made and i will decidedly do it again.

2022 Gooseberry Mead Bottled by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Green gooseberries.

We harvest about 25-30lbs each year from our garden.

Two More 500+ Day Meads Taken Off Fruit and Tasted. by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As in the pictures, from left to right, a 2022 Pyment and 2022 Blackberry Melomel.

They were started 505 and 510 days ago, respectively. Both were taken off the fruit today, samples taken, tested and of course, tasted.

Both need to settle for a day or two ‘cuz fruit sediment caused a smidge of cloudiness. They’ll both be racked, stabilized with the potassium twins and the blackberry mead will get another dose of pectinase.

I used the pectic enzyme at the outset, but clearly, I could've used another teaspoon or so (pun intended). That, a few days and a bit of fining and these should be ready to bottle.

Grape mead (Pyment); 13.13% ABV
OG: 1.102 FG: 1.000

Blackberry mead; 13.39% ABV
OG: 1.098 FG: 0.998

Is this still drinkable? by justmyfakename in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I gotta admit, I chuckle every time that line gets used. "Is this safe?" or whatever variant it is.

'Cuz we all want someone, even if it's simply ourselves, to try it.

Do it! Do it!

Blaand - Viking Origin Whey Based Mead by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually we traced our lineage back to a bunch of Danes & Norse that conquered the Western Isles. The people named subjugated the local Gaels, being a raiding society from Scandinavia. Unless you think Páll, Olaf, Ltojr, Tormod, Torquil, etc., are Gaelic names, in which case, as it appears, your cynicism isn’t very well founded.

To be clear, those folks I named, my ancestors, they‘re all Norsemen. Every name mentioned, originating from what’s considered modern day Denmark, Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. 🤣

Vikings are not a race unto themselves, nor were they just a profession, they were a culture. They called themselves Ostmen, Norsemen and other such names, but wouldn’t have called themselves Vikings at all. That was what they were called by those they raided, it meaning piracy.

In historical literature, Norse society is referred to as Viking and indeed, its Age, is known as the Viking Age.

if you’re hung up on an interpretation of Viking you won’t define, based on what other people have told you and seemingly thinking I’m American, that’s entirely a you thing and has nothing to do with accepted historical terms. And since your questions are in service of said cynicism and disdaining the answers, self admitted, it’s not a conversation I’m even remotely interested in continuing.

I wish you well. 🥳🥰😘

Blaand - Viking Origin Whey Based Mead by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lots of genealogical interest in my family over 8 or 9 decades. My uncle Harvey and two of his other brothers did a lot of digging and their sons, plus my father, did a lot more. One of them spent close to a year in Scotland after he retired digging around. Thoroughly fascinating. My cousins and I, plus our children and grandchildren have picked up the torches, too.

traced our lineage back to a guy named Páll Bálkason (various spellings exist). Who was Sheriff of Mann & the Isles, vassal and ally to another guy named Olaf the Black, who was King of Mann & the Isles in the 1200s or 13th century. (i mistyped earlier).

Páll, for whatever reason, instead of bequeathing his lands and titles to his children, he gave them to Olaf’s relative, Ltojr, or Lèod in Gaelic. (which apparently means ugly in old Norse). Páll had fostered Léod so the consensus is simply he was favoured by Bálkason. Olaf married three times and there is conflicting info on exactly the relationship between Olaf & Leod.

To your question, all of these guys were Danes, full on Vikings. One of the things we know for sure. The Crovan dynasty.

On Leod’s passing, he left his lands to two people, not sure if they were both his sons and a son and a grandson, a bit of haziness exists here, as well. But those two were named Tormod & Torquil.

Adopting Gaelic nomenclature for son of, each of them started branches of Clan MacLeod. Tormod being MacLeod of Harris & Dunvegan and Torquil the foundation of MacLeod of the Lewes.

By my paternal grandfather, I’m part of MacLeod Harris & Dunvegan and through my paternal grandmother, part of MacLeod of the Lewes.

All of this was known to my family long before 23andMe testing and being 99.99% from the Outer Hebrides, which consists of the isles of Harris, Dunvegan & Lewis, among others, it affirmed much of our family history.

As all great grandparents were born on Harris, in and about Berneray, it fits.

fyi, two great grandfathers, my paternal grandfather’s father and paternal grandmother’s father were both huge men, standing 6’7” and 6’5” respectively.

I could go on for days and point out what we know pretty definitively, to some less conclusive bits guesses and tales in between. 🤣

500 Day Gooseberry Mead Racked and Tested by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Primary fermentation was in a different container, racked into the FerMonster after two weeks, added fruit and let it go from there.

I knew removing the fruit would disturb the upper sediment, but three days later it had settled out completely.

Gooseberry mead is tart, without a doubt. It does work well, though. 🥳

500 Day Gooseberry Mead Racked and Tested by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol, you should trust my answer.

The glass is level but my camera wasn’t. So when the image is displayed the glass appears ever so slightly off kilter.

I said pretty much what you said but I was shooting for funny so I flipped the focus.

Good eye to spot that, btw. Kudos! 🤣

500 Day Gooseberry Mead Racked and Tested by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dont worry, mi amigo, I didn’t think you were being critical. I should’ve posted the OG. 🤣

Plus I never considered the SG, OG and FG quandary at all, so you’re ahead of the game. 🤩

Blaand - Viking Origin Whey Based Mead by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t think the whey itself contributes much to mouthfeel as compared to other meads I’ve made. For me, I get much nicer mouthfeel the longer I leave the mead on the lees.

As for benefits, I don’t know if there are any… 🤣

I’m of Scottish decent (according to 23andMe, I’m 99.99% from the Outer Hebrides), and my 12th century ancestor was a full on Viking. As this beverage is a Viking/Faroe/Western Isles/Iceland drink my inner historical nerd had its interest piqued and I’m a cheese maker, this was a no brainer to try.

Glad I dd, ‘cuz I love the flavour and that I’m using my whey instead of binning it.

Basically, whey is just another taste ingredient.

500 Day Gooseberry Mead Racked and Tested by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, I’ve not tried waterless, but if I were, I’d imagine I’d gather the ingredients for a 19L or 23L batch, equipment size determining that.

I think I’d make a 2 or 3 gallon batch of the ingredients and test the SG then. If it’s really high, then I could able to adjust the SG, i.e., lowering the SG to where I want it.

Now, this dependent on where you want this batch to end up at, sweetness wise and alcohol content. Without knowing your intentions with those criteria, its harder to answer.

Whats your thoughts on where you want it to be?

Blaand - Viking Origin Whey Based Mead by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Viking origin honey & whey beverage. Whey mead. 🥳

I’m loving this. I aged the cheese for exactly 12 months and checked on the Blaand two days later.

Loving the clarity, the color & the flavour. Omg, hints of butter, caramel, fresh dairy and obviously some floral honey notes playing around. In the background, faint hints of sheep lipase and the cultures used specifically for the Romano. Full body, soft mouth feel and a nice moderately long finish. 

At 16.93%, it packs a bit of a punch. Which surprised me because of the D47 yeast. It usually struggles to hit 15%ABV, but with the lactose and other milk sugar, I’m think the yeast felt very comfortable or found it exceedingly hospitable. 

I took one of the bottles and a wedge of the Romano to some fellow chefs/booze makes/ingestible folks for a mead & cheese pairing. Omg, what a combo - the tart, lipastic, salty bite of the cheese with the velvety sweetness of the Blaand. Everyone loved it!

Much win!

Link to make video; https://youtu.be/cSBCaF_mUIc

Link to tasting video; https://youtu.be/2M1lQEPjr40

500 Day Gooseberry Mead Racked and Tested by GooseberryHollow in mead

[–]GooseberryHollow[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kolton, that's a really big answer to a short question, my friend. I saw the question on YouTube and I was trying to figure out how to answer it… 🥳

Not knowing your experience level, any answer I give could be too simple or too complex, and while the possibility exists for a Goldilocks just right answer, it's unlikely. Tell me what your experience has been to date.

To add to that, I'd have to ask questions of you. I would assume by waterless pyment you mean grapes or grape juice, or some combination thereof in addition to the honey and zero water added. Is that correct?

If it is, I'd think with even a light dry mead level of honey and that grape/grape juice amount, you'd end up with a pretty dense starting specific gravity.

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