Capsicumel Mead

[opus345]

Happy New Year!

I created this recipe (with a bunch of help) back in 2013. I just started a new batch and thought I would post the recipe and the progress:

6 Gal Batch

Ingredients
15 lbs of Clover honey
5 Anahiem Peppers (Sliced, Seeds and Stems Removed)
5 Jalapeno Peppers (Sliced, Seeds and Stems Removed)
10 Serano Peppers (Sliced, Seeds and Stems Removed)
5 tsp yeast nutrients
2.5 tsp yeast energizer
7 g Fermaid K
1/4 tsp. Potassium Metabisulphite
1 packet of Lalvin K1V-1116 yeast.

Target OG = 1.095
Target FG = .994 = ~13% ABV
Primary 12 Days @ 68F

Mead Day
15 lbs of honey - Warm honey containers in hot water
Slice Peppers (Remove Seeds and Stems)
Use 7.9 gal+ open top fermentation vehicle
Thourghly mix 15 lbs Honey with 2 gallon of hot water for 5 minutes.
Add 1 tps nutrient, .5 tsp energizer
Add Potassium Metabisulphite
Add water (~ 3 Gallons of water to equal 6 gallon total). Shoot for a starting temp of 68F
Add the peppers to the Must and cover with a sanitized cheese cloth for 24 hours.

Stir and areate the Must every day for the first 12 days.

Mead Day + 24 hours
Add 1 tps nutrient, .5 tsp energizer
Make a yeast starter with a cup of water and a cup of the must.
Add the yeast and make sure it is working.
Pitch the yeast into the fermenter after 30 minutes and then stir to suspend.

Mead Day + 48 hours
Add 1 tps nutrient, .5 tsp energizer.

Mead Day + 72 hours
Add 1 tps nutrient, .5 tsp energizer.

Mead Day + 96 hours
Add 7 g Fermaid K after 1/3 sugar break

Mead Day + 7 days
Rack mead and peppers into carboy with an airlock

Mead Day + 13/30
Rack off into secondary without peppers
Stabilize with Potassium Metabisulphite
Put on the airlock.

Bulk age 6-12 months
Rack and Stabilize with Potassium Metabisulphite every 3-4 months.

If planning to back sweeten, either add Potassium Sorbate, Cold Crash, or Pasteurize to prevent bottle bombs. I bottled the first batch dry and it has been a big hit whenever I uncork a bottle for friends or family.

I very much appreciate any and all feedback.

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Are your peppers fresh or dried? We grow Marconis in our garden and roast them in a chile roaster, we save the sweating juice and then use that as the base, the roasting gives it a nice smoked roasted flavor. We also extracted some capsicum in EverClear from some Scorpions and added some of it back to the finished mead to give it a little heat.

 

[opus345]

@WVMoutaineerjack The peppers are fresh from the store, not from the garden. Wow, your mead sounds amazing!

 

[opus345]

Here are my notes:

Mead Day - 12-23-17
16 lbs of honey - Warm honey containers in hot water
Slice Peppers (Remove Seeds and Stems)
Use 7.9 gal+ open top fermentation vehicle
Thoroughly mix 16 lbs Honey with 2 gallon of hot water for 5 minutes.
Add Potassium Metabisulphite
Add water (~ 3 Gallons of water to equal 6.5 gallon total). Shoot for a starting temp of 68 F
SG = 1.096
Add the peppers to the Must and cover with a sanitized cheese cloth for 24 hours.

Mead Day + 1 - 12-24-17
Add 1 tsp nutrient, .5 tsp energizer
Stir and whip
Make a yeast starter using GoFerm (follow directions)
Pitch the yeast into the fermenter after 30 minutes and then stir to suspend.

Mead Day + 2 - 12-25-17
Add 1 tsp nutrient, .5 tsp energizer.
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 3 - 12-26-17
Add 1 tsp nutrient, .5 tsp energizer.
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 4 - 12-27-17
Add 1 tsp nutrient, .5 tsp energizer.
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 5 - 12-28-17
SG = 1.036
Add 7 g Fermaid K
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 6 - 12-29-17
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 7 - 12-30-17
Stir and whip

Mead Day + 8 - 12-31-17
SG = 1.007
Stir and whip
Racked from Fermentation Bucket to Big Mouth Bubbler with air lock
Air Lock is burping

1-7-18
SG = .994
Rack off into secondary glass carboy without peppers
Stabilize with 1/4 tsp Potassium Metabisulphite
Whip and degas
Put on the airlock.

1-10-18
Use Vacuvin to degas 5-10 times. Lots of bubbles.

1-14-18
Use Vacuvin to degas 5-10 times. Lots of bubbles.

1-18-18
Use Vacuvin to degas 5-10 times. Still a bunch of bubbles.

1-25-18
Use Vacuvin to degas 5-10 times. Less bubbles. Starting to clear.

2-1-18
Use Vacuvin to degas 5-10 times. Much less bubbles. Starting to clear.

Plan to rack on 2-7-18 and start bulk aging 8-12 months.
Rack and Stabilize with Potassium Metabisulphite every 3-4 months.