# Capping wax mead



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

It was in the nineties a week ago and now it struggles to get into the fifties. Time to rinse all the sticky bucket and to, reheating the wash water as required. The volumn of water will increase as neccessary. There is about four gallons of sticky wax and cappings that will add their sticky to the water which will be reheated one more time then almost hot dumped into the stainless settling tank which has its own unwashed cappings that escaped skimming. 

I will increase water to at leat a dozen gallons to fill two brew buckets with room left for an unknown volume of melter honey to bring the Specific gravity to an appropriate range for whatever yeasts I choose. One brew bucket will be brought to.1.125 and fed to EC-1118. After moving that to a 6 1/2 gallon carboy that started life bringing industrial strength H2So4 to a copper smelter. That tradition continues as I step feed slowly mild alfalfa honey to maximum potency. Yeast nutrient and energizer provided by a half pound of my collected pollen. This will not be fit to drink for at least two years. Then it will be very rich in honey and not to be toyed with. When I am 70, it will be perfect.

The remainder will be annointed with D47 and fermented in the coolest corner until it stabilizes, then will be fed lots of wild plums for ten days. Then into a carboy under air lock and key for a couple years or I am out of its predecessor.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Will you have any problems with clearing on the wild plum recipe? I've had mixed success using various fruits. They seem hazy although they taste good.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

After a couple years in bulk aging, it is usually pretty clear but I do not much care about a little haze. Chunks yes, haze no.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

vance
Are you saying that pollen has yeast in it and that is all that you are using?
Thanks
gww


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

He aid he used Lalvin EC-118 and D-47 years, the pollen simply adds to the body during ferment and subsequent aging!


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

tenbears
Thanks for adressing my question. I have been reading some of the mead threads but I can't keep up due to lack of experiance in the process.
I did not put together in my mind that d47 and such was yeast.
Thanks
gww


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Using a mead calculator from gotmead.com my mead has been step fed up over 20 ABV. It is aging as it will for at least two years and by past experience will be undrinkable for at least a year and a half. After that sip with moderation. Good good stuff but take time.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

:thumbsup: Nothing of real quality comes without time! Especially a mead. A good mead at one year will be great at 2 and superb at 3. Especially if the proper cork is used.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I tend to bulk age for years then bottle with 02 absorbing caps in beer bottles. Two glasses of this is a maximum load for me.


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