apple-honey-butter-mead/recipe.md

Recipe — 4 Gallon Apple Honey Butter Mead

Target profile

A sweet/semi-sweet apple dessert mead with:

• fermented apple/cyser base
• honey sweetness and body
• vanilla warmth
• cinnamon/apple-pie note
• optional tiny butter/butterscotch impression
• enough acidity/tannin to keep it balanced

Batch targets

Target	Value
Finished volume	4.0 gallons
Primary honey	start with 7.5–8 lb, adjust toward OG
Apple cider/juice	about 2.5 gallons preservative-free apple juice/cider
Top-up water	about 0.8–0.9 gallons, adjusted to final volume after honey is dissolved
Target original gravity	~1.095–1.105
Yeast	1 packet Lalvin 71B-1122
Expected ABV if dry	~12.5–13.5%
Final sweetness	Adjust after stabilization

Primary recipe

1. Add about 2.5 gallons preservative-free cider/juice to sanitized bucket.
2. Dissolve 7.5–8 lb honey thoroughly.
3. Top up with water to 4 gallons total.
4. Mix very thoroughly.
5. Measure gravity.
6. If OG is below target, add honey incrementally and recheck.
7. Add pectic enzyme per label.
8. Rehydrate/pitch 71B.
9. Follow nutrient schedule based on pitch time.

Honey adjustment guide

Honey adds roughly 35 gravity points per pound per gallon.

In a 4 gallon batch:

1 lb honey ≈ +0.008–0.009 SG

Apple juice/cider may already be around 1.045–1.055. With 2.5 gallons of apple juice in a 4 gallon batch, 7.5–8 lb honey should land near the target range. Measure before pitching, then adjust. Do not blindly add all possible honey before measuring.

Nutrient schedule template

Use ~16 g Fermaid O total for 4 gallons, split approximately:

Time	Amount
T+24h	4 g
T+48h	4 g
T+72h	4 g
Day 5 or before 1/3 sugar break	4 g only if appropriate

Before nutrient additions, degas gently first. Nutrient powder can cause a foam-up.

For OG 1.100, 1/3 sugar break is around 1.067.

Post-fermentation flavor direction

After fermentation is complete, gravity is stable, the mead is racked, and it is stabilized:

• backsweeten with honey
• add vanilla by bench trial/contact time
• add cinnamon carefully by contact time or tincture
• test butter/butterscotch extract in 100 ml samples
• consider tiny salt solution
• adjust acid/tannin only if needed
• optional apple concentrate if apple character faded

Do not add these during active fermentation.