A cocktail-inspired mead built on wildflower honey with cold-brew coffee concentrate and vanilla. Inspired by the classic espresso martini. Rich, roasty, and smooth with a semi-sweet finish. Targets 13% ABV. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
13%
Fermentation
4–6 weeks
Conditioning
3–6 months
Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.
Add in secondary. Use high-quality, unsweetened cold brew.
Add in secondary. Taste weekly.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin EC-1118 — 1 packets
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-K | 5 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.098.
Pitch EC-1118. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Fermentation typically completes in 4–6 weeks.
Rack. Add cold-brew concentrate and split vanilla beans. Taste weekly — coffee and vanilla extract at different rates.
Remove vanilla beans after 1–2 weeks. Leave coffee for an additional week if desired. Condition for 3–6 months.
Bottle or keg.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.
Honey and water scale linearly. Coffee and vanilla do NOT scale linearly — adjust to taste. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.
Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.
Target ABV
13%
Original gravity
1.098
Final gravity
1.005
Sweetness
semi sweet
Finished volume
5 gallons
Gross starting volume
5.5 gallons
Expected loss
0.5 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildflower honey | 13 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4 | gallons | |
| Cold-brew coffee concentrate | 16 | oz | ⚠ review |
| Vanilla beans, split | 2 | each | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 9 supplement.
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