Mixed Breed Beauty NHC07
Category 26: Other Mead
Gold Medal
Byron Burch, Santa Rosa, CA, Open Category Mead, Sonoma Beerocrats
"Mixed Breed Beauty"
Still Medium with Lime and Spearmint
Ingredients for 5 U.S. gallons (19 L)
18.0 lb (6.8 kg) "The Beverage People" clover honey
5.0 gallons (19 L) water
5.25 oz (155 mL) fresh squeezed lime juice
0.5 oz (15 mL) pectic enzyme
2.5 oz (71 g) tartaric acid
2.0 oz (56 g) "The Beverage People" yeast nutrient
1.5 tsp (7.4 mL) Irish moss
8.0 oz (227 g) bruised spearmint leaves
Prise de Mousse wine yeast (10 g)
6.0 g Sparkolloid to clarify
Original Specific Gravity: 27 Brix
Final Specific Gravity: unknown
Boiling Time: 5 min.
Directions
All ingredients except yeast and mint leaves are boiled for five minutes, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. Chill with immersion chiller, add yeast, and ferment. At summer temperatures, this should take three or four weeks. After fermentation, rack to soda keg, and submerge mint leaves (in a muslin bag) for two days. Remove mint and fine the mead with Sparkolloid, racking off of the settlings after three weeks. There should be at least two rackings after fining and prior to bottling. Note that 20 ppm SO2 is added at each racking after the end of fermentation, and 30 ppm at bottling.
Judges' Comments
"Clean, well-fermented. Pure honey flavor, medium sweetness. Mint in balance. Lime is a nice addition-adds a crispness in finish and balances sweetness. Clover not apparent. Fairly sweet for medium. Wonderful. Clean flavors. Perfect foundation."
"Quite pleasant. The lime and mint are both easily identifiable and work well together. I've got a nice idea for my mint julep recipes."