Cough Syrup

[Aspera]

Just sampled a batch of black current/black cherry mead I made and it tastes *exactly* like cough syrup. It is too alchoholic to make into vinegar. What is it good for if I can't drink it? (I don't even think its worth mixing).

[Gregory_Naff]

Aspera?

How old is it? I made a black current mead a few years ago. Mine was black current and bing cherry. Terrible for about two years, than began to really come around. The "hotness" settled in and I got a real full body flavor. Mine was a semi-dry.

[Aspera]

Its only about 4 months now, but I just don't have much hope. Its really alcoholic (>17%) and still quite sweet. Rather than fruity I think that the yeast (PDM/1118) made it taste medicinal and thick (it has legs like an elephant).

[nursebee]

Do not throw it away. 4 months? Ha! Ship it to me. Cough and cold season is coming, and that stuff sells for more than mead....

I'd age it much longer.

[Ben Brewcat]

Definitely age it. At 17%, I would try to not even sample it for a year personally. Don't give up on it yet!

[Aspera]

Thanks all for the reassurance. Fortunately I only bottled 1/2 of the batch. I'm going to do the tirage thing on the (highly carbonated, sweet) bottled stuff and try to let the other stuff age out longer. Incidently, I pressed my sniffer up to the air lock of the remaining half and it smells more like bubblegum than cough syrup. Go figure. Mead is a mystery, and I'm not patient. I made the mistake of trying to rush the mead 'cause I needed the carboys for winter lagers. That'll teach me about rushing mead.

[chemistbert]

Personnaly I am rather forgetful so aging mead is not a problem. I am gonna start using FGMO in my airlocks though. Water evaporates in a few weeks and I tend to forget about carboys in the basements for months or more.

[Aspera]

I geuss FGMO would be great so long as it doesn't get suck back into the carboy.

P.S. i envy your basement