Greetings all. I have been enjoying my first batch of mead, Joe's Ancient Orange Cinnamon Clove. For those unfamiliar (probably very few), here is a link to the recipe:
http://www.gotmead.com/component/option,com_pccookbook/page,viewrecipe/cat_id,69/recipe_id,118/
I am going to make a second batch. I really liked how this turned out, and want to make a second mead of similar difficulty. Where I am it is hard to get ahold of all those tablets, yeast nutriets, HCl CaNC BBQ RTFM and all those other chemicals and gasses they say to put in for certain recipes, so limits what I can make from the recipes I find. So this is a two part quesion.
1- How much can that recipe be altered? I plan to keep the amount of honey and yest the same, along with the oranges. I know there are certain chemicals in raisins that come up in other applications, but would that throw of the process if I substituted them with, say, dried cranberries? Does anyone have suggestions for additions or substitutional ingredients to give this mead a different taste, though not too severely?
2- Are there any other recipes that are along the complexity (as it ingredients, refering to not adding chemicals and the like) with good success rating? I found simple honey-water ones (boring) and one with a tone of grape juice (can you say Maneshevitz?), but want something more interesting and mead like.
Thank you all for your time and help!
~Tahlorn
http://www.gotmead.com/component/option,com_pccookbook/page,viewrecipe/cat_id,69/recipe_id,118/
I am going to make a second batch. I really liked how this turned out, and want to make a second mead of similar difficulty. Where I am it is hard to get ahold of all those tablets, yeast nutriets, HCl CaNC BBQ RTFM and all those other chemicals and gasses they say to put in for certain recipes, so limits what I can make from the recipes I find. So this is a two part quesion.
1- How much can that recipe be altered? I plan to keep the amount of honey and yest the same, along with the oranges. I know there are certain chemicals in raisins that come up in other applications, but would that throw of the process if I substituted them with, say, dried cranberries? Does anyone have suggestions for additions or substitutional ingredients to give this mead a different taste, though not too severely?
2- Are there any other recipes that are along the complexity (as it ingredients, refering to not adding chemicals and the like) with good success rating? I found simple honey-water ones (boring) and one with a tone of grape juice (can you say Maneshevitz?), but want something more interesting and mead like.
Thank you all for your time and help!
~Tahlorn