I finally started my first batches of mead and wine, here in Sunrise, IN.
The mead is a variant on the “Ancient Orange” recipe, which I will reproduce here because there just can’t bee too many copies of mead recipes on the Internet. The wine was my most basic Spiced Apple Cider wine.
Satyr Magos’ Ancient Orange Mead
4.5 cups local honey (~3.5lbs)
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 whole large navel
1 pkt bread yeast
~3/4 gallon of water blessed at the full moon (oh, yeah: I went there)
I warmed the honey in an equal volume of water, though the recipe didn’t call for it. I find it makes it much easier to get into the bottle without a mess. While that was coming to temperature, I sliced the orange and put it, the cinammon, and the cloves in the bottle. I then poured the hone-water through a funnel into the carboy, added the yeast, and filled the carboy most of the way with water – being certain to leave enough room for froth and sturm und drang – and mixed it by shaking vigorously. I stuffed in the airlock and will call it “done” when it clears … hopefully in time for my birthday in the time of the Prince of Swords.
Satyr Magos Apple Cider Wine
1 gal. apple cider
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1 pk Lavlin DC47 wine yeast
Pour one glass of cider and drink it. Add the spices and the yeast. Shake vigorously and add airlock. Set aside for as long as you can stand to wait, though I recommend at least a year.
I’ll add nutmeg and a few other things as I get my ands on them.