A vibrant pyment built on wildflower honey with white grape juice and dried hibiscus flowers. Hibiscus adds a stunning ruby color and tart cranberry-like character. Targets 11% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
11%
Fermentation
3–5 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 in a muslin bag. Taste daily — hibiscus extracts quickly.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 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 white grape juice and remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.082.
Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 60–65°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Fermentation typically completes in 3–5 weeks.
Rack. Add dried hibiscus in a sanitized muslin bag. Taste daily — hibiscus extracts very quickly (1–3 days).
Hibiscus will turn the mead a stunning ruby-red color.
Remove hibiscus bag when desired color and tartness is reached. Condition for 3–6 months.
Bottle or keg.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.
Honey, grape juice, and water scale linearly. Hibiscus does 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
11%
Original gravity
1.082
Final gravity
1.003
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 | 10 | lbs | |
| White grape juice (no preservatives) | 2 | gallons | |
| Filtered water | 2 | gallons | |
| Dried hibiscus flowers | 2 | oz | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 8 supplement.
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