Sacred Blue

First batch was 5.25 gal of 1.112 (18 lbs of my honey added)

• Added Nardone yeast (2 packs, 3 in future) not cooled it down to room temperature after following yeast package. Overly sluggish start, took almost 5 days. Fermentation was sluggish. Fermentation had no airlock activity after 3 weeks. Lots of shaking to degass --> next time I will use the degassing tool that I have. Very sweet when sampled during first rack, but quite delightful.
  
  
  Second batch was 4.5 gal of 1.096 (11 lbs added)
  
• Added half of the yeast (2 packs total) directly to the fermentor and half according to package instructions. Proper start, fermentation activity slowed after 2 weeks. Lots of shaking to degas --> next time I will use the degassing tool that I have. The first rack to secondaries tasted the best it ever had.
  
  Secondaries
  
  5.25 gal Sacred blue (8 lbs blueberries, 1 lb of mulberries) + 1.5 vanilla beans in tertiary (1 week) then add one cinnamon stick for another week (test it often)
  
  2.5 gal of strawberry mead (3 lbs of strawberries and a handful of mulberries for colour) + tequila chips (1 week or so, test it often)
  
  1 gal of lavender mead (2.2g of 3 week air-dried homegrown lavender, 6 days )
  
  1 gal of chamomile mead (1 oz of chamomile from one SFB package, 6 days)
  
  
  Any "left over" mead will become straight mead in a bottle.
  
• ZERO mead leftover. Perfect volumes.
  
  https://www.winning-homebrew.com/melomels.html
  
  future directions on adding nutrients:
  https://www.brewperfect.com/homebrew-recipe-vanilla-cinnamon-mead/
  
  guidelines for spices:
  https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Spices/
  
  other advice:
  
• I was using Lalvin EC - 1118 yeast is I was shooting for about 18% alcohol, but for most dark berry recipes I'd recommend Lalvin 71B-1122 vice D47. D47 is perfect for traditional Meads, 71B-1122 is made to bring out dark berry flavors. Just my opinion.