Pineapple-Mango Melomel after 13 days in primary fermentation.
I decided to check the SG on my pineapple-mango melomel (fruit mead), as I have not seen any activity in the airlock for several days. Yeast was pitched about 13 days ago. The hydrometer reads 0.994 @ 74F. With correction to 60F calibration, that puts it at 0.995. The OG was 1.110, so the alcohol content is at 15.09%. That is, by far, the highest ABV I have attained on any of my libations, so far. A tiny drop of a sample definitely had an alcohol “burn” to it.
Color, flavor and aroma are all very nice. The most surprising, is the flavor. Despite the burn, I still get a pretty fresh, tropical flavor. My last pineapple experiment smelled and tasted awful at this point, but improved later. I think this one is ready for secondary. This weekend, I’ll move it to a one gallon carboy, using a siphon with maybe a little filter bag attached to the end. With the fruit not all settling to the bottom, I think this will help the siphon to work without pulp clogs, as well as aiding clarification. I’m very encouraged at this point!
Later…decided to open a bottle of my first all-grain (BIAB) brew, a pale ale. It has been in the bottle for ten days…recipe calls for 30, but I couldn’t wait! It’s very good, I think. I may have overcompensated on the priming sugar reduction…it’s a little under-carbed. Let’s see what another 3 weeks do for it. I would still be happy, if this is it though. The flavor is very nice…bittering hops are very present, but not overpowering. The aroma is great. It’s nicely balanced. I’m happy. And checking back on it in a couple of more weeks.
All-Grain Pale Ale (BIAB)…cheers!
Brewing stuff 