2 replies to this topic

[ChefLamont]

What batch size do yall typically do for meads (and wines)?I ask because I got a book (Something like Wild Wines and Meads or something like that, dont have it here at the moment), and all of the recipes are in 1-gal batches. That seems kinda small considering the wait.However, I am also thinking of doing a peach melomel. Actually I am thinking of doing 2 gallons and doing one straight up peach melomel and hitting the second with vanilla. The smaller batch size would keep me from having to get a ton of peaches.

[MtnBrewer]

I generally do 5 gallon batches. Sometimes people will do several 1 gallon batches, each slightly different, as a test. For example, if you wanted to try different yeasts you could do a few gallon batches, each with a different yeast. Or you could try different spices in each one, etc. Cider jugs are perfect for this, by the way. I've seen recipes of all different sizes, 2 gallons, 3 gallons, etc. Mead recipes scale up or down really well as long as you know about multiplication and division. But those intermediate batch sizes don't work too well for me because I don't have anything to ferment them in.On the subject of the peach mel, I highly, highly recommend Schramm's Peach Ginger recipe. Use more peaches than you think you need. 20 lbs. seems extreme but peach is difficult to extract so you can't really overdo it. Over ripe peaches are best too, if you can find them at a farmer's market or whatever. If you can't find that recipe let me know and I can send you the spreadsheet for it.

[armagh]

Used to be 5 gal., then I picked up a 14 gal. conical and now make 11 gal. at a time and split the batch in half after primary. One usually remains straight mead the other goes on to become something different.