Tasting Loki

I tasted my Loki today, it is much more mellow at 2 months that the first one we made, it should be great in another couple months.

Explosion

We had a mini explosion in the second batch of JAO.

Ginger Capsimel

This morning I made a third batch of JAO with doubled spices and 2 cloves. I weighed the orange this time, which was 6.7oz./190g. I stole one eighth of the orange peel for the next mead. OG: 1.104 Temp: 99.4

Then I made Ginger Capsimel that Scout tried a while back. I don't know if she ever bottled hers, but the last time I tasted it, it was just amazing, a little heat, and little sweet, just right. I believe it took about 2.5-3 years to get that way, but I am willing to wait.

I am following her recipe almost exactly. I also googled the original recipe since the link in her post was dead.

Neither recipe says how much yeast, I used 1 teaspoon and hope that works.

Ginger Capsimel

2.5 pounds clover honey
3 serrano peppers, split and seeded (.95oz/26g)
2 jalapeno peppers, split and seeded (1.31oz/37g)
1 inch of fresh ginger (.49oz/14g)
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 grams fresh orange peel (about 1/8th of a medium orange)
1 teaspoon Fleishmann's bread yeast

Set 1/2 Gallon water to boil, then chop the ginger. When the water is boiling add ginger. 

Then split seed and remove the ribs of the peppers.

(:10) After the ginger has boiled for 10 minutes add the peppers.

(:20)After 10 minutes of boiling remove the peppers, but leave the ginger.

(:30) After 10 more minutes remove the pot from the heat. Let cool to about 150*F and add orange peel.

(:45) After 15 more minutes, mix in the honey, and add 1/2 gallon more water and the lemon juice.

When cooled to room temp add yeast and swirl to combine.

OG: 1.105 Temp: 83.4*F

Racking, and 2nd batch of JAO

Today we made a second batch of JAO. A few notes for next time, we tried weighing our spices, but my scale wouldn't register the small amount of weight, so I guess we need the type of scale you get from High Times. We also learned that 4 cups of honey is 3.5 pounds. Brian wants to weigh the orange in the future so we get the most consistent flavor every time. The specific gravity was 1.110.

Next we racked our first JAO from July/12', which means we siphoned the mead from the bottle and left all the fermented fruit and junk. Then we checked the gravity, which came out to 1.049, the original gravity was 1.129, I used an app to figure out the alcohol by volume, and we are currently 10.62 % ABV. Then we had a little taste, it's a little bitey with alcohol, the cinnamon, orange, and honey are the most noticeable flavors. I can't wait for it to mellow out, but it is already delicious.