Initial apple honey butter mead plan

bench-trial.md

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+# Bench Trial Guide — Apple Honey Butter Flavoring
+
+The full batch is not the testing ground. Use 100 ml samples first.
+
+## Scaling
+
+3 gallons is about 11,356 ml.
+
+For a 100 ml sample:
+
+```text
+full batch amount = sample amount × 113.56
+```
+
+For potent extracts/spices, start lower than the math-scaled dose if uncertain.
+
+## Suggested sample matrix
+
+| Sample | Honey | Apple concentrate | Vanilla | Cinnamon/spice | Butter/butterscotch | Salt/acid/tannin |
+|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|
+| A | none | none | none | none | none | none |
+| B | low | none | tiny | none | none | none |
+| C | medium | low | tiny | none | none | none |
+| D | medium | low | tiny | tiny cinnamon | none | none |
+| E | medium | low | tiny | tiny cinnamon | tiny butter | none |
+| F | medium | low | tiny | tiny cinnamon | tiny butterscotch | tiny salt |
+
+## What to look for
+
+- Enough sweetness to carry dessert flavor.
+- Apple still present.
+- Honey still present.
+- Butter/butterscotch not fake or popcorn-like.
+- Cinnamon warm but not hot/woody.
+- Finish not flat or cloying.
+
+## Rule
+
+You can always add more. You cannot remove too much extract/spice.