I've purchased all the books, and downloaded my own personal copy of the Bees Lees and various recipes. I also have this cool book I bought *somewhere*, called 'A Witches Brew' by Patricia Telesco, ISBN #1-56718-708-0.

The recipes I have going now are:

Fall Methyglyn - 9-28-97 3 gallons

1 pkt Wyeast dry mead yeast #3632

Simmer all except honey for 1 hour in 2 gal water. Add honey and bring to 160 F for 15 minutes, stirring to dissolve. Scoop out fruit and as much of spices as you can easily, and strain into fermenter. Pitch yeast at 75-80 degrees F and add 3 tsp yeast nutrient. When fermentation has dropped below 4 bubbles per minute, or S.G. is below 1.00, rack to 3 gal carboy and age for 6 months. Bottling: Boil 2 c water with 2 cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp orange peel, 5 allspice berries and a little ground ginger. Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool and pour into must. Bottle and age as long as you can stand it. This came out good, right out of the racking! Aging will mellow the harsh notes, and bring out the spices.

O.G. 1.106

F.G. 0.999

1-31-98 Checked mead. Flavor is semi-sweet, with spicy finish. Well balanced, with good legs, medium body, and a beautiful dark golden color. All in all, a fine batch. I'll probably do it again, only bigger next time.

Blackberry Melomel - 10-29-97 5 gallons

10 lbs clover honey

3 qts water packed blackberries, frozen

Wyeast dry mead yeast

Heat 2 gal water to 160 F. Add honey, stirring to dissolve. Simmer at 160 for 15 minutes. Rack to primary. Pitch yeast with 4.5 tsp yeast nutrient at 75 F. When S.G. reaches 1.02, rack onto thawed blackberries, and allow to ferment out.

O.G. 1.080

F.G. 0.99

1-31-98 Taste showed a completely dry mead with a clear dark red color. Carboy was low after racking, so I topped up with 3/4 gal water with 1.2 lbs honey, simmered at around 150 for 15 minutes. It immediately started bubbling again. I'll rack off lees next week or the week after and put it downstairs to age. I may oak for a week or so to add character, using 3/4 cup toasted oak chips.

Yule Cyser

2 pkg Pastuer champagne yeast

Heat 1 gallon cider to 160 F. Added honey, brown sugar, 5 cinnamon sticks and rest of spices. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes at 160, covering often. Put 3 gallons cider in fermenter, cold. Pitched must into this. Pitch yeast with 3.5 tsp nutrient at 80 F. Ferment in primary for 2 weeks. Add remaining gallon to secondary and rack primary onto this. Ferment another 2 weeks. Boil 2 c water with 5 cinnamon sticks and more of other spices (same proportions). Cool and add corn sugar. Mix this into must and bottle. Let condition for at least 2 weeks to carbonate.

O.G. 1.080

F.G. 1.00

Note: When I bottled, I bottled half as above. To the rest I added 2 c water boiled for 15 min with cider spices above to which was added about 1 lb honey. I added this to the rest of the must and bottled it. First taste: the first is dry and tart, the second a little sweet and spicier.

When I tasted the sweeter version, I decided to fruit it. I added two cans frozen raspberry-cranberry juice. The resulting brew was semi-sweet, with a touch of tartness, a spice finish, and a pretty red color. It has been wildly popular with everyone, and is almost gone.

BlackJazz Horilka - 11-23-97 5 gallons

5 lbs ea frozen raspberries and blackberries, thawed

5 -16 oz cans cran-raspberry juice concentrate (no preservatives)

3 lbs orange blossom honey, 3 lbs Tupelo honey, 4 lbs clover honey

5 liters blackberry brandy

2 pkg Pastuer champagne yeast

Boil 1 gal water with fruit and juice for 20 minutes. Let cool to 160 F and add honey. Simmer at 160 for 15 minutes, stirring. Rack to fermenter, adding water to 5 gallons.  Pitch yeast at 70-80 F. Let ferment until finished. Watch out! This stuff will blow on you, use a blow off tube, or keep the level low enough to allow extra head space. Rack to secondary, leaving fruit behind. Add honey, if needed for flavor. Add brandy and bottle. Age for at least 6 months.

O.G. 1.115!!!!!! Watch out this stuff packs a punch!

F.G. who knows? and after 3.5 fifths of liquor added, who cares?

1-31-98 I had topped the carboy off with the brandy and raspberry liqueur, and still needing some topping, added around 3/4 gal water with 1.5 lbs honey. This aged for a month or so, then I tasted it today. Wow! Medium sweet, and what a kick!

2-4-98 Bottled today, and it is the most gorgeous clear *dark* red!

2-5-98 Took a bottle to the brew shop, and everyone loved it. Several other customers got in on the impromptu celebration.

Raspberry Barkshack Gingermead (from More Joy of Homebrewing) 3-4-98                                                        .

Heated 1 gal. water to 160. Added honey, corn sugar, ginger, gypsum, citric acid, irish moss, and yeast nutrient. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring. Fish out ginger with strainer. Pour into fermenter over bagged fruit, letting cool for 1 hour. Add water to 5 gallons. When temp is 70-80, pitch proofed yeast.

When S.G. has fallen to 1.020, or in 7 days, whichever is first, rack to secondary. Remove fruit at that time. Age 1-1.5 months in secondary. Add spice tea and bottle with 3/4 c corn sugar. Age at least 6 months, preferably 1 yr.

Notes:

OG: 1.080

3-21-98 Racked off fruit to carboy, tasted sharp and really gingery.

4-5-98 S.G.:1.00 tasted sharp still, very gingery

4-23 added 1.5 c honey water, it's mellowing a bit....SG after honey 1.003

5-5 still a bit sharp. Gonna bottle soon, and stash this stuff downstairs and forget about it til the Carolina Ren fest this fall....

Raspberry Melomel 1-17-98

Simmer water at 160 and dissolve honey.  Simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into fermenter. Add 2 gal cold water. Pitch yeast at 80 or below.

OG=1.106

Notes:

1-19 no airlock activity, pitched ale yeast

1-20 still no activity, checked lid and found broken seal. replaced lid and bubbles started immediately.

2-12 racked onto 12 lbs raspberries in must bag

3-4 racked off berries, added 3 c honey water 3:1

4-5 SG=1.00 tart tasting and bitter

4-11 bowing to pressure, added 3 bottles blackberry brandy and 1/4 bottle chambord, converting it to horilka.

4-23 bottled. clear as a bell, tastes yummies! this stuff won't last any longer than the blackberry did......

Raspberry Cyser 1-19-98

Simmered 1 gal cider at 160, added honey, brown sugar. Placed spices in teapot. Boiled water and steeped spices for 20 minutes. Added tea to must. Pour remaining 3 gal of cider into fermenter. Add hot must. Pitch  when temp is below 80.

Didn't record OG

Notes:

2-12 racked onto raspberries in bag.

2-25 Racked off berries

3-4 Racked and topped off with 3:2 honey water using meadowfoam honey

4-5 SG=1.00 Taste is dry, tangy, good raspberry flavor and nose. Somewhat cidery (doh!)

5-5 Tasted, not bad. White foam on top, slow bubbles. Added 1.5 c more honey-apple juice mixture. I will rack again in a few days.

Meadowfoam Mead 3-4-98

15 lbs meadowfoam honey from Oregon

5 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 pkg Premier Cuvee yeast

Boiled 1 gal water. After boil, added honey and simmered 20 minutes at 160. Poured 4 gal cold water into fermenter. Added hot must and yeast nutrient. When cooled added proofed yeast.

OG: 1.12

Notes:

4-3 Racked to secondary, adding 3 c 2:2 honey water. Taste was sharp, kind of yeastie and alcohol hot. SG: 1.055

4-23 SG: 1.041 Sweeter now, just a little. Tastes sort of round and full, and good. Good legs, nice honey aroma and flavor, with a vague vanilla finish. Gonna rack it again in  the next couple weeks and let it age downstairs for a few months...

Creme de Framboise 3-4-98

4.5 c pureed raspberries, 3 tsp lemon peel, 9 c brandy, 6 c sugar water 2:1

MIxed berries lemon peel and brandy. Sealed and steeped.

4-1 Strained filtered a bit. Added sugar syrup.

4-25 Strained more, and bottled.

Notes: This is really good stuff, knock your socks off if you're not careful. The general friend assessment has been: 'Can I have some more of that, what didja call it?'

Normandie Cider 4-11-98

This was a kit which was lonely on the shelf at the brewshop when I went to buy malt and grain for a beer recipe. So I bought it and made it.

1 Can Normandie Cider Kit

Boiled 8 pts water. Added water and can to fermenter. Added apple juice, sugar and honey. Topped up to 5 gal. Will bottle with honey water.

OG: 1.060

4-23 SG: 1.012 Added 1.5 c honey water after racking to carboy. Nice apply taste, not too sweet.

5-6 SG: 1.003 Dropped clear, nice dark brown color. Tastes dryer than I had hoped. So I added 6 oz apple juice concentrate/1 c water/.25 c honey. Bottled in crown capped beer bottles.

Not bad, for a kit! I can't wait to drink of it in a few weeks......

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