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Posted: 11/29/2021 10:38:38 AM EDT
[#1]
Bump so we don't archive.
Currently trying to finish these batches so I can bottle and sell them: Watermelon Punch: Watermelon, Strawberry, Sweet Cherry with California Orange Blossom Honey Balaton: Mead made with Balaton (tart) cherries and clover honey Winter Cranberry: Mead made with Mexican orange blossom honey, Wisconsin cranberries, apple juice, allspice, and cinnamon Also making another batch of Direct Currant (Black Currant Mead) as we are just about sold out of batch one. A lot of people don't know the difference between tart cherry and sweet cherries. Tart cherries are small, usually bright red, and have higher acidity. They are used in pies. Sweet cherries are darker (sometimes called black cherry), juicier, larger, and sweeter. |
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Posted: 11/29/2021 12:26:35 PM EDT
[#2]
Pretty crazy project here. We made 32 gallons.. yes gallons... of cranberry sauce.
I used a 50-gallon kettle and a Blichmann Hellfire burner... only thing beefy enough to handle the weight.  Attached FileReal close to 150 lbs of Wisconsin cranberries. Actually from the 2020 harvest... 2021 was really bad.  Attached FileCooked down  Attached FileThis was spiked with allspice and cinnamon in a 2:1 ratio. It'll go in a mead called Winter Cranberry which I hope to have for sale in about 11 days. I thought the burner was going to be a propane hog but only ended up using 2/3 of a tank in ~6 hours of heating. |
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Posted: 12/2/2021 6:13:55 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So we'll be partnering with a company called Vinoshipper that handles the licensing and legal stuff. They also handle orders with an online store, payments, shipping, and tracking. Fantastic business model and they aren't too outrageously expensive for what they do. The only thing WE had to do is put our labels through the TTB approval process. This can lead to some confusion because they make you put stuff like "made with natural flavors" on the label if you add things like raspberries or vanilla beans after primary fermentation. I hope to be able to put a real statement of composition on the label so people know what the actual ingredients are. Thanks for your post! Edit: if anyone has an idea for Arfcom themed mead I'd definitely give it a listen. It can't be too overt or obvious, but that's part of the fun. Maybe call it five fifty-six or something. Bolt Face  |
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Posted: 12/2/2021 7:14:16 PM EDT
[#4]
OP, I'm so proud for you and your new business!
Your design on the glasses is wonderful, btw. Simple and unique, and very appealing. I would love to come out there, get a glass and taste your meads. Huge congratulations on the awards! 
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Posted: 12/2/2021 8:12:33 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: OP, I'm so proud for you and your new business! Your design on the glasses is wonderful, btw. Simple and unique, and very appealing. I would love to come out there, get a glass and taste your meads. Huge congratulations on the awards! I love your avatar. I am a cat person so it's great haha. |
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Posted: 12/2/2021 8:49:15 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I love your avatar. I am a cat person so it's great haha. I'm in Kentucky. Hopefully you will be able to ship here soon! 
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Posted: 12/3/2021 10:29:56 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I'm in Kentucky. Hopefully you will be able to ship here soon! Oh, we certainly do ship to Kentucky. EDIT: I made an infographic.  Attached File |
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Posted: 12/3/2021 1:33:36 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Once you get a shippable product, I'm game to be the first one to throw some money at you. Been on a mead kick lately and have been running out of things to try locally. We certainly do ship to Tenessee. I have to walk a fine line about promoting our biz because we are not sponsored. Cheers! |
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Posted: 12/3/2021 2:12:08 PM EDT
[#9]
Wow congrats on the awards....unfortunately you just set the bar pretty high for yourself. Considering your passion for this I am betting you're REALLY upset at the idea of having to "experiment for R&D purposes"
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Posted: 12/4/2021 11:59:59 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: We certainly do ship to Tenessee. I have to walk a fine line about promoting our biz because we are not sponsored. Cheers! Just keep sharing your journey and what you do to your Meadery. That will be the defining component of your thread.
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Posted: 12/11/2021 7:37:40 PM EDT
[#11]
Just left there, everything was great, exceeded my expectations. I will definetly be back. Some buddies and myself are trying to to do something similar in albuquerque, we need to step our game up! Great balance of flavors. If you are in the Colorado Springs area check it out. Gun talk and booze, what more can I ask for.
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Posted: 12/12/2021 1:31:37 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Just left there, everything was great, exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be back. Some buddies and myself are trying to to do something similar in albuquerque, we need to step our game up! Great balance of flavors. If you are in the Colorado Springs area check it out. Gun talk and booze, what more can I ask for. It was great meeting you. Good luck with your future plans, and we really do appreciate the support. Fine gentlemen, a pleasure to chat with. Today we are meeting with our first (of hopefully many) liquor store owners. I am very excited. |
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Posted: 12/14/2021 8:27:41 PM EDT
[#13]
I used the fruit press to press the cranberry pulp. I literally scooped the pulp into the press about 24 ounces at a time- 40 gallons.
The press uses water pressure to slowly press the pulp. The wine runs out. The secret here, the actual pulp clogs up the holes and creates a great filter. Eventually, you get completely clear liquid coming out!  Attached FileHere's what's left inside after I drain the water bladder and remove the pressure lid- which is strong enough to handle over 1000 lbs of pressure.  Attached FileAfter it goes into 5 gallon buckets, I seal them for 2 days letting them settle, and then rack the clear mead back into the final blending tank. Here we check pH, sulfites, and gravity. After the final blend, we put this sucker in bottles. Cranberry, Apple, Allspice, Cinnamon. All infusing a Mexican orange blossom honey base mead. It's about 12% ABV and drinks like Christmas kool-aid.  Attached File |
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Posted: 12/14/2021 9:39:12 PM EDT
[#14]
This is amazing.
Is the "mash" good for anything after you take the liquid off? I'm sure it's not actually a mash. I just don't know what to call it. And...it's all mooshed up. |
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Posted: 12/14/2021 10:59:57 PM EDT
[#15]
Must
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Posted: 12/15/2021 10:47:24 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This is amazing. Is the "mash" good for anything after you take the liquid off? I'm sure it's not actually a mash. I just don't know what to call it. And...it's all mooshed up. Quote HistoryQuoted: This is amazing. Is the "mash" good for anything after you take the liquid off? I'm sure it's not actually a mash. I just don't know what to call it. And...it's all mooshed up. You know, it might be. I'd imagine if you wanted to go through the effort you could age a mead on the pressings, and then... press it again? I'm sure there is some flavor there too. I'm also thinking it would probably make decent fertilizer. It's super acidic though. Quoted: Must Yes that is likely the proper term, although usually refers to pre-fermentation fruit. |
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Posted: 12/15/2021 10:47:54 AM EDT
[#17]
And here is the finished product:
 Attached FileThe ingredients weren't especially expensive, but the labor for this batch was pretty high. I can see this being an annual thing. Next year maybe I can bust my tail and get it done before thanksgiving. |
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Posted: 12/15/2021 10:58:21 AM EDT
[#18]
Here's a blending session.
 Attached FileOn the left is 100% Blackberry mead, on the right is 100% Mullberry mead. In between are blends of the two. Blackberry is tannic, deep dark berry flavor, acidic, deep red Mullberry is light, jammy, berry and wine, deep purple The final Blend I settled on is 60% Mullberry, 40% Blackberry. This is going into our Solstice mead coming out on 12/21 - the Winter Solstice. |
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Posted: 12/15/2021 10:40:28 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Here's a blending session. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/144375/BB_blend_jpg-2204866.JPG On the left is 100% Blackberry mead, on the right is 100% Mullberry mead. In between are blends of the two. Blackberry is tannic, deep dark berry flavor, acidic, deep red Mullberry is light, jammy, berry and wine, deep purple The final Blend I settled on is 60% Mullberry, 40% Blackberry. This is going into our Solstice mead coming out on 12/21 - the Winter Solstice. The mulberry is more acidic and dry? Which means the Solstice mead will be not overly sweet? I'm guessing here. I don't have a clue other than your description, because mulberries off the tree are pretty damn sweet, if they're ripe. But this sounds really interesting and I want some.
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Posted: 12/16/2021 12:06:25 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The mulberry is more acidic and dry? [/img] In this case the blackberry is more acidic. The BB had a pH of 3.22 and the MB had a pH of 3.45. The mulberry would tend to taste sweeter due to lower acid and tannins, even at the same gravity. |
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Posted: 12/16/2021 9:22:59 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: In this case the blackberry is more acidic. The BB had a pH of 3.22 and the MB had a pH of 3.45. The mulberry would tend to taste sweeter due to lower acid and tannins, even at the same gravity. Holy shit! Much respect! I use pH for my work. But not like you do! I carry a pH meter in my truck. I bet yours is MUCH more sophisticated. Who knew lawn care and beverage making had something in common?
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Posted: 12/20/2021 9:01:54 AM EDT
[#22]
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Posted: 12/24/2021 2:55:01 AM EDT
[#23]
Well the Solstice party was a huge success, we had our biggest day ever and it was actually reduced to standing room only for about 30 minutes. It was WILD.
We are going to do another Solstice party for sure. Good sales the last two weeks, but I am scared that January / February could be the dead zone. |
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Posted: 1/3/2022 11:05:15 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well the Solstice party was a huge success, we had our biggest day ever and it was actually reduced to standing room only for about 30 minutes. It was WILD. We are going to do another Solstice party for sure. Good sales the last two weeks, but I am scared that January / February could be the dead zone. Follow that solstice celebration up with one for Groundhog Day. Imbolc. It is half way between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. For those of us who grew up on small farms (well, for me anyway) it was an important date. Starting in mid-January, you notice it. When I was a little girl, I would follow my dad out onto the farm to spread hay for the cows. About the second week of January, he would look into the winter-pink sky to the west, and chew on a piece of straw for a bit, and eventually he would say, his breath coming out in puffs of frosty air, "days are gettin' longer." Cuz that's about the time you begin to notice it, if you pay attention. We were "waiting for the light to come" and I once wrote a blog post by that title. On or about February 2nd, groundhogs be damned, the light wins. You could name your Imbolc mead something about the light winning. And you could have another standing room only day. And you could hype it starting NOW. Cuz by the time you get your marketing together, my dad (in spirit) will be standing with me, chewing on the stalk of hay, looking to the west, drawing in a breath of cold January air, and saying, "days are gettin longer."  Oh OH! You could call it "Shadow Day" Or The Brightening Groundhog Half Way There I'm making shit up now.
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Posted: 1/4/2022 5:45:59 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Follow that solstice celebration up with one for Groundhog Day. Imbolc. It is half way between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. For those of us who grew up on small farms (well, for me anyway) it was an important date. Starting in mid-January, you notice it. When I was a little girl, I would follow my dad out onto the farm to spread hay for the cows. About the second week of January, he would look into the winter-pink sky to the west, and chew on a piece of straw for a bit, and eventually he would say, his breath coming out in puffs of frosty air, "days are gettin' longer." Cuz that's about the time you begin to notice it, if you pay attention. We were "waiting for the light to come" and I once wrote a blog post by that title. On or about February 2nd, groundhogs be damned, the light wins. You could name your Imbolc mead something about the light winning. And you could have another standing room only day. And you could hype it starting NOW. Cuz by the time you get your marketing together, my dad (in spirit) will be standing with me, chewing on the stalk of hay, looking to the west, drawing in a breath of cold January air, and saying, "days are gettin longer." Oh OH! You could call it "Shadow Day" Or The Brightening Groundhog Half Way There I'm making shit up now. I like the way you think! We'll be doing a special batch for Valentine's Day.... and the Vernal Equinox in all likelihood. |
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Posted: 1/13/2022 7:47:15 PM EDT
[#26]
Subbed. I gotta see about ordering some from you! I love mead. There's a good meadery pretty close to where I live (I'm in Austin, they're in LaGrange) that makes good stuff. I LOVE their raspberry and blackberry melomels.
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Posted: 1/14/2022 10:32:28 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Subbed. I gotta see about ordering some from you! I love mead. There's a good meadery pretty close to where I live (I'm in Austin, they're in LaGrange) that makes good stuff. I LOVE their raspberry and blackberry melomels. The Solstice we released recently has blackberries and mullberries in it. We are also (going to be) running a sale this weekend for 10% off all Vinoshipper orders. https://anteloperidgemead.com/buy/ |
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Posted: 1/31/2022 12:23:54 PM EDT
[#28]
Another round with the hydro press.
~240 liters of cherries, mead, and yeast. Two full rounds of pressing.  Attached FileLoading it up and free run. Free run is the juice that runs through the press with only gravity pushing it through.  Attached FilePressing at about 1.5 bar with the splash protector in place. The hydro press slowly applies a couple of THOUSAND pounds of even pressure to the fruit. We usually press around 20 PSI, and it's a huge bladder (2 feet high, over 1 foot diameter.)  Attached FileThe aftermath of a 1.5 bar press with the pressure plate removed and some pressure bled off. |
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Posted: 1/31/2022 1:03:00 PM EDT
[#29]
It's too bad you can't ship to Michigan, that stinks.
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Posted: 1/31/2022 1:36:40 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's too bad you can't ship to Michigan, that stinks. Yeah, it's Michigan state laws. I think we ship to every state Michigan touches though. |
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Posted: 1/31/2022 8:38:35 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/144375/tribute_jpg-2070798.JPG We reserved a table to honor those who gave their lives in the Kabul airport terrorist attack. Kinda surprised other breweries in this heavily military town aren't doing the same thing... including two military-themed breweries. have you considered a M.I.A. Table daily display?  |
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Posted: 2/14/2022 1:46:50 PM EDT
[#32]
I met another excellent arfcommer last weekend. I can't remember his screen name but had a great lil family as well. I usually talk people's ear off!
I answered the beans or no beans wrong though, for his tastes.
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Posted: 2/14/2022 1:47:41 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: that's righteous my brother! have you considered a M.I.A. Table daily display? That would be good to do, for like veterans and memorial days and such. We only have 4 tables however, so we don't have a lot of "extra" space if that makes sense. I want to get some big ass flags to hang in the meadery too. |
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Posted: 2/14/2022 1:57:51 PM EDT
[#34]
I have been following this thread, and thank you OP. I enjoy making mead at home in 5-7gal batches. No where near your scale, but enough to keep me tipsy until the next one is ready. Mainly we have been making melomels with either mixed berries, or a citrus twist. I am looking forward to making some fortified mead in the next week.
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Posted: 2/24/2022 1:25:59 PM EDT
[#35]
I busted out the filter again. It's messy, and I typically get a lot of losses when I use it. But the results are pretty awesome. In this case I lost about 15% of my volume to filtration. Smaller batches are worse.
Here I'm using 2-stage filtration on a Lingonberry mead that was fined using chitosan and allowed to settle for 48 hours. Filter Setup  Attached FileHere's the difference - can you see it?  Attached FileThis was filtered down to 1.5 micron average pore size, 3 micron absolute. I have one step lower I can go, but I'm happy with these results. |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 2:28:41 PM EDT
[#36]
Does filtering it like that change the taste?
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Posted: 2/24/2022 4:51:43 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Does filtering it like that change the taste? Inevitably, yes. Mouthfeel, flavor, aroma are all changed. The reason is that when you filter a mead (or wine), you are removing the "large" particulate matter in this case probably small bits of fruit or pectin that were slow to settle. The filtered mead had these attributes: More "sharp" or pronounced flavor Stronger aroma Cleaner taste slightly reduced bitterness Overall a nice improvement to the flavor and aroma, in addition to an improvement to the appearance. In this case I see only benefits to the product. |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 5:11:06 PM EDT
[#38]
Interesting. Maybe I should try a fining agent on some of mine.
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Posted: 3/21/2022 3:11:08 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Interesting. Maybe I should try a fining agent on some of mine. Oh, fining for sure. If nothing else, for a more consistent product. This one was kind of a pain. I fined it twice, but couldn't get rid of the haze. Ended up dragging some tanks into our walk-in cooler and the cold-crashing seems to have done the trick. Watermelon/Strawberry/Sweet Cherry. This one was aged over the winter so that I could release it for the first day of Spring. Once this one is fully bottled, I'll have some empty tanks (which I'll be able to fill up right away). The work never ends!  Attached File |
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Posted: 4/11/2022 12:25:48 PM EDT
[#40]
Well this is exciting:
 Attached FileWe can has barrel. It's a 10-gallon barrel that previously held local award-winning bourbon (291 Distillery). I filled it with "Sangria Azteca" our mead made with Chilean Pinot Noir, Mexican Mesquite honey, and aged on Montmorency and Balaton tart cherries. This is the very beginning of our humble barrel program. Some day I hope to have a room filled floor to ceiling with barrels. We also got this 53-gallon whiskey (bourbon?) barrel from Axe and the Oak, so we are doing a 3-way collab. Making an English Barleywine-style braggot aged in a freshly dumped barrel. Should be around 10% ABV when it's all said and done. I'm wetting the barrel down because it's very dry here and the barrels dry out fast. |
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Posted: 5/4/2022 4:34:01 PM EDT
[#41]
After 8 months and $3500 we finally have our custom mural installed. This is 25' long and 7' high.
 Attached FileWe also did a Dave Chapelle / Prince label on our most recent member batch.  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/5/2022 9:12:04 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This is amazing. Is the "mash" good for anything after you take the liquid off? I'm sure it's not actually a mash. I just don't know what to call it. And...it's all mooshed up. I read Coors recycles their used mash or wort by selling it off as cattle feed. I bet the stock used to make mead would be quite tasty to a cow. |
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Posted: 5/5/2022 9:19:37 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I read Coors recycles their used mash or wort by selling it off as cattle feed. I bet the stock used to make mead would be quite tasty to a cow. Probably the mash, which is grain with the fiber, fat, and protein left behind (carbs mostly removed, and a little residual sugars). Chickens love it also. A mead fruit slurry might be yummy for livestock too, but for pure honey only meads (or juice but no whole fruit), wouldn't be good. |
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Posted: 5/7/2022 2:31:26 AM EDT
[#44]
Well, there are no grains, and there is no mash.
Spent grain isn't really "good" for livestock, but it's cheap. It has much of the carbs removed. Our fruit after fermentation would probably make livestock sick, since it's been steeped in alcohol for a month. It also can taste pretty bad, with much of the sugar and color drained out of it. BUT it's interesting you brought this up, I was thinking about this today as I disposed of 200 lbs of spent blueberries. |
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Posted: 5/11/2022 9:56:09 AM EDT
[#45]
Whoops, I already posted the mural. This is a double-tap.
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Posted: 6/28/2022 12:50:51 PM EDT
[#46]
 Attached FileWe released our first Barrel-aged mead. It was a huge success. It's a pyment (grape mead) aged in a 10-gallon bourbon barrel. It's a boozy 15% ABV and I prefer to drink it at room temp which really accentuates the bourbon character. |
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