# Shopping List — Apple Honey Butter Mead

## Equipment

Assumes the 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket is available and clean.

| Item | Need | Notes |
|---|---:|---|
| **Additional 3 gallon glass carboy** | 1 | Needed because the current honey-butter batch is already occupying the first carboy. |
| Bung for 3 gal carboy | 1–2 | Match carboy mouth size. Buy a spare. |
| Airlock | 1–2 | Buy spare; 3-piece airlocks are easy to clean. |
| Auto-siphon + tubing | 1 | For racking without splashing. |
| Hydrometer + test jar | 1 | Required for OG/final gravity. |
| Wine thief or turkey baster | 1 | For samples. |
| Star San / no-rinse sanitizer | enough | Clean first, sanitize second. |
| PBW/OxiClean Free cleaner | enough | For cleaning bucket/carboy/tools. |
| Long spoon/paddle | 1 | For mixing honey/cider. |
| Digital scale | 1 | For honey/nutrients. |
| Small measuring spoons/syringes/pipettes | 1 set | Important for bench trials. |
| 100 ml graduated cylinder/beakers | 1 set | For bench trials and hydrometer samples. |
| Spray bottle | 1 | Filled with sanitizer. |
| Labels/tape/marker | 1 set | Label vessels and bottles. |

## Primary ingredients

| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---:|---|
| Preservative-free apple cider or apple juice | About 3 gal total liquid | Buy at least 3 gallons. Check label: no sorbate/benzoate. |
| Honey | 5.5–6.5 lb primary | Use enough to reach OG ~1.095–1.105. Raw/local/gallberry/clover all good. |
| Extra honey for backsweetening | 1–2 lb | Add only after stabilization. |
| Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast | 1 packet | Buy 2 if you want a backup. |
| Go-Ferm | ~6.25 g | Optional but recommended for yeast rehydration. |
| Fermaid O | ~12 g total | Split nutrients; exact schedule depends on OG. |
| Pectic enzyme | per label | Helps reduce apple haze; typically added before/at pitch or per product instructions. |

## Post-fermentation flavor ingredients

| Item | Amount | Timing |
|---|---:|---|
| Vanilla beans or vanilla extract | 1–3 beans or measured extract | After stabilization, by taste. |
| Cinnamon sticks | 1–2 | Secondary/flavoring contact; taste often. |
| Nutmeg | tiny amount | Bench trial only. |
| Allspice | tiny amount | Bench trial only. |
| Clove | optional microscopic amount | Usually skip or use tincture; very strong. |
| Butter extract | 1 bottle | Optional; bench trial only. |
| Butterscotch extract | 1 bottle | Optional; bench trial only. |
| Sea salt/kosher salt | tiny amount | Dissolve and bench trial; makes dessert notes pop. |
| Acid blend or malic acid | optional | Only if too sweet/flat after bench trials. |
| Wine tannin | optional | Only if too soft/thin after bench trials. |
| Frozen apple juice concentrate | 1–3 cans optional | Post-fermentation apple boost after stabilization. |

## Stabilization

| Item | Need |
|---|---:|
| Potassium metabisulfite or Campden tablets | label dose for 3 gal |
| Potassium sorbate | label dose for 3 gal |

## Label warning for apple juice/cider

Good:

```text
apple juice/cider, ascorbic acid/vitamin C
```

Avoid:

```text
potassium sorbate
sodium benzoate
preservatives that inhibit yeast
```