Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

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mannye
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Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by mannye »

I know that the mash shouldn't really be anything above 8% and that 6-8% is the ticket. But I have a mead I made I just don't like and I've let age for over three years now and frankly, I need the carboy to make more mead.

It's roughly 15% right now and while it doesn't taste terrible and in fact, a few people like it, all I can see right now is 10 gallons of very nice honey mash (5 gallons of mead diluted with another 5 gallons of water = 10 gallons of 7.5% honey mash.

So far I've used malted barley and corn etc to make proper mash, but I wonder if maybe this will work well. I make a lot of mead, but I end up drinking it because, hey, mead is awesome. So I don't often have the opportunity to use a honey ferment.

What do you guys think?

The first time I tried this I was using 9% mead and now looking back I think it may have even been higher than 9% and well, the result sucked. It was also my first try and I had much to learn. Now I'm better at the whole distilling process even though I haven't really had enough practice. This will be the first time in a year that I pull out the still. It will be maybe my 5th or 6th run. So I'm still a novice, but my last couple of times even my friends liked the result BEFORE we had any "real booze" :)
seamusm53
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Re: Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by seamusm53 »

Kinda depends on what you mean by 'work well'. It is certainly safe to distill a 15% mead but whether the result will be much more than a sugar mash or rum distillate depends on a lot of unpredictables (till you have a series of such for experience).

I say go for it.

Two years ago I did this with some mead I didn't care to drink. The stripping run was unpleasant but the spirit run ended up okay.
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firewater69
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Re: Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by firewater69 »

The mead has already been fermented so cutting it isn't gonna make much difference, go ahead and strip it and see what ya get. I would go to the tried and true section, find something you like and focus on getting your ferments down, you'll get a better product with a proven recipe.
edit: or continue with your grain recipe if that's working for you, I must have read past that in your original post.
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Antler24
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Re: Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by Antler24 »

firewater69 wrote:The mead has already been fermented so cutting it isn't gonna make much difference, go ahead and strip it and see what ya get. I would go to the tried and true section, find something you like and focus on getting your ferments down, you'll get a better product with a proven recipe.
edit: or continue with your grain recipe if that's working for you, I must have read past that in your original post.

Firewater nailed it. The reason it's not recommended to go over 10% abv is because it stresses the yeast resulting in off flavours. Your ferment is long finished, so too little too late to worry about that.

I'd run it through the still and then play around with mixing it with some panty droppers and whiskey.
Swedish Pride wrote:
get a brix reading on said ball bearings and then you can find out how much fermentables are in there
Pikey
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Re: Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by Pikey »

Hi,

As you say we can go way over 10% when making wine without "stressing any yeast".

If you don't like it, try distilling it - Maybe it'll taste better, maybe it won't, but it Will taste different and if you don't like it then, run it again. Sooner or later you should get to something you can either drink, or use as a base for a fruit liqueur as stated above.

(Dried apricots will mask a lot of flavour and comes out nice )
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: Diluting a high ABV mash? Is it OK?

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I had about 10 gallons of a strong mead with berries and cider that I ran and love the distilled product. Put it on some oak and have pulled bottles for testing with friends. This stuff ain't gettin much age because it's so smooth and yummy!

I started another batch for distillation using apples, cider, malted barley, and honey... Have almost 20 gallons from OG 1.070. 13 of those were cider and had I think 25# of barley which I mashed in the cider and a gallon of honey. Topped it all up w/water to get SG to 1.070. Really looking forward to running this one and just may bottle a couple for longer term mead ageing but the cider / mead / plus ?? is a fav here so will keep making it :)

I was going to use the product to jack up some meads above 18% and I did try blending some but almost prefer it straight up now - neat or rocks:)

Cheers and good luck w/it!
-j
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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