Not offensively sweet. Should appeal to those who like Drambuie but not other sweet liquers. A long-term project that produces a great after-dinner drink.
Yeast starter (or use primary fermenter deposit from white wine):
Combine in pail or 10 L carboy:
Ferment 8 days or until "cider" has a good yeast deposit and is in process of clearing. Rack off cider - might be good for blending with crabapple scrumpy or something. Leave yeast in fermenter.
Mead (per gallon final product):
Boil together in pot with sufficient headspace:
Boil 10 minutes, skimming foam (collect in heat-resistant container and return clear liquid).
Remove from boil, add:
Force cool. When at room temperature, add:
Rack onto yeast deposit from apple juice or wine. Make sure fermenter has plenty of headspace as about 5 inches head is expected. OG should be 1.090-1.100
At day 2, or when fermentation starts to slow down,boil together as above:
Boil 10 min., skim foam, etc. Force cool and add to primary fermenter.
When head collapses, rack to carboys. Use mix of sizes so as to fill to neck without topping up.
Rack at 2 weeks (SG 0.996). Yield about 5.5 L
Rack at 3 months (should be starting to clear). Yield about 5 L. Prepare sweetening by boiling together as above:
Boil 15 minutes, skim foam. Add to pot while still hot:
Stir vigorously and patiently to suspend. Force cool and add:
Rack mead and add sweetening.
Bulk age until it clears (2 wks. to 1 month to ???). Bottle (dregs can be filtered out with coffee filters for maximum yield). Use 1/2 bottles and close with FLANGE CORKS. Seal with wax and store and age UPRIGHT.