Valley Brew Tupelo Vanilla Mead        

18 lbs Tupelo Honey (not heated)

2 tsp Yeast Nutrient

2 tsp Yeast Energizer

6 oz chopped raisins

10oz chopped dates

10 grams Lalvin D-47 yeast

18 Sweet Bourbon Vanilla Beans from Uganda

Water to ~ 6 gals

 OG 1.112; FG 1.005

 Only warm the honey enough to get it out of the jars. Submerge them in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Rinse out jars with warm water in primary

 Use dried fruit with no added sorbate and chop into small pieces

 Mix honey, water, nutrient, and energizer well in 7.9-gallon primary fermenter and stir very well with drill-mounted stirrer

 Check SG and then stir in dried fruit

 Re hydrate per instructions on package and then pitch yeast

 Stirred each day for 3 days with long handled spoon and enjoy the wonderful aromas

 Rack to secondary 6 gal carboy after 28 days and add scraped seeds from split vanilla beans. Stir well to mix in vanilla and also to degas mead then top off carboy well.

 Wait till mead clears (up to 4 months or more) and rack then add sulfite to 30 ppm. Filtering will help with brilliance and then you are ready to bottle.

 Bottle and place in cellar for aging (at least 4 months). Will continue to get better up to 2 years.