A week wherein Ricky discusses his attempt to get all of the mead canned and the tanks completely drained (something we haven't done in years) and the ongoing sport of "clean the freakin' Meadery."
10/17
Kicked both the test batches of Varangian and Shieldmaiden today! That means I only have one tank of mead still full! I don't know if I'm going to successfully get all of my tanks empty at the same time, but it would be pretty neat (and weird).
We need a new name for Shieldmaiden, as it turns out.
It is also an open question as to when we'll finally all learn deep in our hearts that waiting until the slip sheet catcher fills up to empty it is a terrible idea.
10/18
It's Bryce and Kelly's big cleaning day! I made classic Mead Hall Fare for everyone.
I also got the old dishwasher working and washed all of the buckets. Time to bring back the policy where we wash every bucket as soon as we're done using it. Good lord. I also fixed that solenoid valve by hitting it with the butt end of a screwdriver. That's a pretty standard practice in HVAC.
Chiller seems to be cycling properly, though at a higher temperature than I'd like.
10/19
Work from home is going well. This is the first time in years that poor Jake is all by himself at the meadery, but there's no one I'd trust more to get 'er done than that boy.
Working hard on a new name for Shieldmaiden.
10/20
I can finally see the floor in parts of the Mead Hall in the back!
10/21
Another big Jelly day! I can't believe how much people are loving it! Maybe I'll change my legal name from Ricky the Meadmaker to Ricky Jellyman.
These are all of Ricky’s actual notes on our meadery operation and the mead we make. There might be profanity, usually of the late 19th Century variety. The only redactions are to remove the names of people and businesses when deemed appropriate. Footnotes provided by Jess and Kelly.
I love Nordic Farmhouse so much I would marry it! My favorite flavor profiles are sour and sweet, and this festive mead is very refreshingly tart! I especially love to drink it and serve it to my guests at the cranberry holidays (ie. Thanksgiving and Solstice/Christmas)!
Lovely golden color.No off smell to this one. Definitely notice the cinnamon flavor. Very refreshing.
I’m not getting the snickerdoodle/fall notes others do, but to be fair my palate is not the most refined. It’s a brisk lightly flavored mead to me, but I can’t pick out any particular flavor(s). It did help me through a good portion of the latest crossword, however. Going to let the rest of the pack sit awhile - sometimes aging is the secret formula to mind blowing mead. Will update down the road.
I didn’t care for early batches but with age this one is pleasant. Crisp, heavy vanilla forward (if you don’t like vanilla, this may not be for you). Balanced without being tart. I don’t pick up much on the apple, but not being a big apple fan that works for me. It would probably make a tasty mead bread!
BIG difference from last batch. Tasty up front mild oak taste that’s lighter than more mouthful meads like Wayfarer/Nordic Farmhouse/Psychopomp, richer than Buckland. I like to do a hard pour to release more of the carbon and let it sit a few minutes before drinking. I think it’s going to be AMAZING in a few months (assuming I am willing to let it age that long).
