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Author Topic: Big Red (soda) Mead  (Read 1189 times)

Offline MadDawg

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Big Red (soda) Mead
« on: May 11, 2021, 08:24:29 am »
Any of y'all homebrewers in the south may appreciate this... I'm trying to make a big red mead! Something lightly carbed and sessionable. I have found a cream soda mead recipe online that utilizes flavoring syrup but I want to try and avoid that if at all possible. Here is my recipe idea so far, any critiques are very welcome:

2 Gallon Batch

Half pound hibiscus flower
6lbs orange blossom honey
1 lemon zest and juice (seconday)
2 oranges zest and juice (seconday)
1 vanilla bean (seconday)

Lavin 71b-1122 rehydrated with GoFerm

Pectic Enzyme, bentonite for clearing.

Going to make a hibiscus tea out of 2 gallons of water, complete primary fermentation, rack to secondary on to fruits for a week or so. I did an apple pie mead with just a split and scraped vanilla bean in secondary that turned out to be somewhat of a vanilla bomb that mellowed after aging... would you recommend a vanilla bean tincture instead? Or maybe just half of a bean instead of a whole one.

Hoping the hibiscus imparts that deep red color with minimal flavoring. In my research the flavor has been described as a combo of "lemon and orange oil along with vanilla". Should I add tart cherries as well? I know that will get my color but don't know about the flavor.

Offline erockrph

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Re: Big Red (soda) Mead
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2021, 10:10:50 am »


Any of y'all homebrewers in the south may appreciate this... I'm trying to make a big red mead! Something lightly carbed and sessionable. I have found a cream soda mead recipe online that utilizes flavoring syrup but I want to try and avoid that if at all possible. Here is my recipe idea so far, any critiques are very welcome:

2 Gallon Batch

Half pound hibiscus flower
6lbs orange blossom honey
1 lemon zest and juice (seconday)
2 oranges zest and juice (seconday)
1 vanilla bean (seconday)

Lavin 71b-1122 rehydrated with GoFerm

Pectic Enzyme, bentonite for clearing.

Going to make a hibiscus tea out of 2 gallons of water, complete primary fermentation, rack to secondary on to fruits for a week or so. I did an apple pie mead with just a split and scraped vanilla bean in secondary that turned out to be somewhat of a vanilla bomb that mellowed after aging... would you recommend a vanilla bean tincture instead? Or maybe just half of a bean instead of a whole one.

Hoping the hibiscus imparts that deep red color with minimal flavoring. In my research the flavor has been described as a combo of "lemon and orange oil along with vanilla". Should I add tart cherries as well? I know that will get my color but don't know about the flavor.

Hibiscus has a unique flavor that is not quite citrus, not quite berry, and not quite floral, but I could see any of those used as a descriptor. I use 1 oz/gallon in my Hibiscus saison, and it turns out a vibrant pink. The hibiscus lends some tartness and fruitiness that compliments the saison yeast, but isn't adding a super strong flavor at that usage rate. You're using 4 times that in your mead and I think you will probably get a nice flavor contribution at that level.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer

Offline Drewch

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Re: Big Red (soda) Mead
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2021, 02:21:39 pm »
Any of y'all homebrewers in the south may appreciate this... I'm trying to make a big red mead! Something lightly carbed and sessionable. I have found a cream soda mead recipe online that utilizes flavoring syrup but I want to try and avoid that if at all possible. Here is my recipe idea so far, any critiques are very welcome:

2 Gallon Batch

Half pound hibiscus flower
6lbs orange blossom honey
1 lemon zest and juice (seconday)
2 oranges zest and juice (seconday)
1 vanilla bean (seconday)

Lavin 71b-1122 rehydrated with GoFerm

Pectic Enzyme, bentonite for clearing.

Going to make a hibiscus tea out of 2 gallons of water, complete primary fermentation, rack to secondary on to fruits for a week or so. I did an apple pie mead with just a split and scraped vanilla bean in secondary that turned out to be somewhat of a vanilla bomb that mellowed after aging... would you recommend a vanilla bean tincture instead? Or maybe just half of a bean instead of a whole one.

Hoping the hibiscus imparts that deep red color with minimal flavoring. In my research the flavor has been described as a combo of "lemon and orange oil along with vanilla". Should I add tart cherries as well? I know that will get my color but don't know about the flavor.

Let us know how that turns out. It sounds intriguing.
The Other Drew

Home fermentations since 2019.

Member at large of the Central Alabama Brewers Society and the League of Drews.

Offline MadDawg

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Re: Big Red (soda) Mead
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2021, 05:47:34 am »


Any of y'all homebrewers in the south may appreciate this... I'm trying to make a big red mead! Something lightly carbed and sessionable. I have found a cream soda mead recipe online that utilizes flavoring syrup but I want to try and avoid that if at all possible. Here is my recipe idea so far, any critiques are very welcome:

2 Gallon Batch

Half pound hibiscus flower
6lbs orange blossom honey
1 lemon zest and juice (seconday)
2 oranges zest and juice (seconday)
1 vanilla bean (seconday)

Lavin 71b-1122 rehydrated with GoFerm

Pectic Enzyme, bentonite for clearing.

Going to make a hibiscus tea out of 2 gallons of water, complete primary fermentation, rack to secondary on to fruits for a week or so. I did an apple pie mead with just a split and scraped vanilla bean in secondary that turned out to be somewhat of a vanilla bomb that mellowed after aging... would you recommend a vanilla bean tincture instead? Or maybe just half of a bean instead of a whole one.

Hoping the hibiscus imparts that deep red color with minimal flavoring. In my research the flavor has been described as a combo of "lemon and orange oil along with vanilla". Should I add tart cherries as well? I know that will get my color but don't know about the flavor.

Hibiscus has a unique flavor that is not quite citrus, not quite berry, and not quite floral, but I could see any of those used as a descriptor. I use 1 oz/gallon in my Hibiscus saison, and it turns out a vibrant pink. The hibiscus lends some tartness and fruitiness that compliments the saison yeast, but isn't adding a super strong flavor at that usage rate. You're using 4 times that in your mead and I think you will probably get a nice flavor contribution at that level.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Gotcha, may cut back a bit on the hibiscus, and maybe add a bit of tart cherry for color and flavor. Thanks for the input!