Mead Experiment

Last November (2006) I brewed up a 5 gallon batch of mead. I added 12 lbs. of Clover honey, 4 lbs. of Orange Blossom honey, and about 2 gallons of water into the kettle and brought the whole mixture up to about 160 degrees for 15 minutes. I didn't want to boil it as I've heard that drives off a lot of the aromatics of the honey. Once the 15 minutes were up, I cooled the must, racked into the fermenter, topped off to 5 gallons and pitched yeast (White Labs Sweet Mead/Wine). Fermentation took off as usual (OG = 1.114) and after three weeks (and a few additions of DAP yeast nutrient) I racked the mead into secondary where it sat from December of '06 through August of '07. At the end of August, I racked the mead (FG=1.012) into yet another fermenter with the addition of potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate to prevent any further fermentation. I did not add any clarifying agents but evidently the sorbate and metabisulfite did the job because just 72 hours later, my mead was crystal clear. I let the mead sit for about a month (end of September '07) and then split the batch into 5 separate fermenters. I added the following into the various fermenters:
#1 - 8 fl. oz. of maple syrup
#2 - 1 can of OJ concentrate
#3 - 1/2 lb. of raspberries
#4 - .25 oz of oak cubes soaked in Makers' Mark bourbon (thanks to the Mad Fermentationist for these cubes!)
#5 - The last gallon of mead was left unchanged
Here are a few pictures of the results (still in separate fermenters):

Immediately upon racking:
(Left to right) Bourbon Soaked
Oak Cubes, OJ, Raspberries, Maple Syrup)














After 2 weeks
front row (left to right) Raspberries, Maple Syrup
back row (left to right) OJ, Bourbon Oak Cubes


















The remaining 1 gallon (unchanged)


















I hope to bottle these in the next couple of weeks and perhaps crack a couple with family on Christmas.