Mead Blogging.

It started on the first large batch weekend before last.

20# Dutch Gold honey.
4# Buckwheat honey (stuff looked like road tar, it was that dark and thick).
1.5# Turbinado sugar
5 gallons worth yeast nutrient
1.5 tbsp Mixed Acids, Malic, Citric, and Tartaric
Water to make up 5 gallons, with 1/2 gallon batches added to aerate at later times to make up 6 gallons.

I first pitched some Red Star Pasteur Champagne I had left from other batches, as well as salvaged yeast from other brews. Evidently, it's time was passed, as N O T H I N G happened for the first 36 hours, although the date was DEC08. Slightly panicked, I went and got some Lalvin EC-1118.

Following the directions exactly, I pitched that into the still must. Twenty four hours later, I was concerned the water in the lock might leave it...

A first taste sees a very sweet, yeasty but in all ways promising batch.

Next is racking to two other carboys, and raising the volume to 8 gallons total.

I'm shooting for a sweet wine with lots of oak and whiskey notes, and a bit sparkling, most likely by dry ice addition (3 to 5 grams) after stabilizing the wine.