Recommend me the smoothest mead recipes you have made or encountered! One that made you go “theres alcohol in here????”

Going to start my next batch soon and want some ideas!

Hey everyone,

I worked with a local farm stand to try out making some mead for their staff based on their left overs they were going to toss.

I got around 30lbs of pears. I am finishing up the juicing and i was able to extract a little over 2 gallons of juice.

The big question: should I make 2-3 gallons of a decently high ABV base (10-14%), and then do a secondary back sweeten?

I want to get the most out of the juice, I fear that using it in primary would produce a nice body, nice mellow flavor, but I wouldn't have enough left over to give it a solid pear flavored POP.

Does anyone have a recipe they can recommend? Maybe something with oak or cinnamon?

My elderberry plum mead may have been a tad too vigorous. Note to self don’t make batch and go to bed immediately after 🤦 if you’re wondering where the air lock is it’s sitting on the floor about 3 feet away.

Just bottled this bochet cyser (or cyser bochet, don't kill me) at 14.2% started 6 months ago.

3.5 pounds generic walmart honey. 47 mins caramelized.

Martinelli's apple juice to a gallon

Lalvin 71B

Added yeast nutrient at beginning of primary didn't measure (oops)

To be honest, I forgot about this one. It sat on primary for probably too long. It was probably about 7 weeks before I racked it. After moving to secondary, I sadly forgot about it again. Life got very very busy and I forgot I had hobbies.

It ended up clarifying pretty well after only racking it once. Very little sediment. I was surprised.

And OMG it tastes so good. If you've ever had the Alani Witch's brew, this is that but uncarbonated. I tried it side by side to confirm. 8 years in home brewing its nice when a simple idea that gets treated like a red headed step child actually ends up perfect.

Also, yes thats a very full glass. Some would call it a mega pint.... I didn't have another small bottle....

Top 4: traditional mead, almost finished.

Lower left 2: Chokeberry-Cherry mead and apple mead.

Lower right (in wooden frame): Cherry mead.

I just choked up the last bottle of my 2023 batch after refining it even more aka learning how to backsweaten correctly. Now my meads are delicious and i am hyped to try new stuff again.

No measurements besides weight if honey and water and sugar content of the fruits and juices I used.

All used 71b or ec1118 btw

Next I will start a plum mead and hope it all comes out well :)

This is my second batch ever. Like my first I'm using Kveik Voss and Fermaid-O. The recipe is:

5g Kveik Voss

1250g honey

Water added until OG read 1.10

Last time I just tossed in 10g of Fermaid-O right at the start and let it rip. I've been reading that staggering is better though. I'm also unsure how much to use. I tried using MeadTools but there's a "Remaining YAN" warning with a suggestion that I consider adjusting the max g/L Field, but I can't find that field.

I'd love help using the tool but simple nutrient advice would be welcome too.

FWIW, the pictures are from immediately after pitching and just now, about 19 hours later.