47 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
47 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
# Apple Honey Butter Mead — 3 Gallon Batch Plan
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A Git-backed project plan for a future **3 gallon apple honey butter mead** fermented in a **6.5 gallon bucket**.
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> **Core idea:** build an apple-cyser style base with preservative-free apple cider/juice + honey, then create the dessert “apple honey butter” profile after fermentation with honey backsweetening, vanilla, cinnamon/warm spice, and tiny butter/butterscotch extract additions by bench trial.
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## Status
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```text
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Planning only — no reminder schedule has been created yet.
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```
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Start reminders only after Jason confirms the actual brew day/pitch time and measured original gravity.
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## Quick recipe summary
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| Field | Target |
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|---|---|
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| Batch size | 3 US gallons, fermented in 6.5 gal bucket |
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| Style | Sweet/semi-sweet apple dessert mead / cyser |
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| Base flavor | Apple cider/juice + honey |
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| Finish flavor | Honey butter, vanilla, warm apple spice, optional butterscotch/butter note |
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| Yeast | Lalvin 71B-1122 recommended |
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| Target OG | ~1.095–1.105 |
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| Expected ABV if fermented dry | ~12.5–13.5% |
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| Flavor timing | After fermentation, stabilization, and bench trials |
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## Start here
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1. Read [`shopping-list.md`](shopping-list.md).
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2. Read [`recipe.md`](recipe.md).
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3. Brew using [`process.md`](process.md) and [`day-1-brew-day.md`](day-1-brew-day.md).
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4. Track readings in [`logs/fermentation-log.md`](logs/fermentation-log.md).
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5. Use [`schedule-template.md`](schedule-template.md) only after brew day is known.
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6. Use [`bench-trial.md`](bench-trial.md) before any full-batch post-fermentation flavoring.
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## Critical rules
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- Use apple juice/cider with **no potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, or other fermentation preservatives**.
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- Ascorbic acid / vitamin C is usually fine.
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- Use pectic enzyme because apple products can cause haze.
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- Do not add butter, dairy, cream, or oily ingredients.
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- Do not add extracts/spices during active fermentation unless intentionally changing the plan.
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- Stabilize before backsweetening/flavoring.
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- Bench trial before full-batch flavoring.
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- No bottling until gravity is stable after backsweetening/flavoring.
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