Mead: Experimental Batches.

Set up 4 of 5 experimental batches (1 gallon jugs) of mead the other weekend. 3# of clover honey apiece. All measured OG in the mid 1.080s, but I didn't do a very good job of getting the honey dissolved. I supposed typical OG for mead is 1.120. Clockwise from the back left: Leap Year mead, Liquid Sex chocolate mead, Chocolate mead, Orange Chocolate mead. I used my champagne yeast starter to seed all four jugs.

• Leap Year: To be racked onto a vanilla bean. Slow start, maybe even slower than the AOCC mead I made last year.
• Liquid Sex: Original recipe calls for 1# cocoa for a 5 gallon batch. Another thread used 6 oz for 1 gallon and it came out too bitter at tastings. I used 3 oz. Took off surprisingly pretty quickly.
• Chocolate mead: Used 6 oz of Nesquick. Took off fast (extra sugar in the powder) and busted into the airlock. Attached blowoff but doesn't seem to need it now.
• Orange Chocolate: Standard JOAM recipe with 6 oz of Nesquick. Also a quick take-off.
• Orange Vanilla: After racking the Leap Year, I'll reuse the jug for a JOAM+vanilla bean. Thinking about splitting this at racking and adding lactose to half to get an Orange Creamsicle mead.

Also interested in trying this caramel apple mead.