This recipe may be quoted, borrowed, copied, or stolen by anyone under
two conditions.
The basics of mead brewing should be mastered before performing any advanced projects. This recipe assumes a standard 5 gallon batch of mead using a 4 parts water to 1 part honey mixture (Must).
If you prefer your mead boiled, do so before adding any cocoa from this recipe as the foaming will remove the chocolate from the mix. Boiling is optional in mead and if you would like the pro's and con's, please ask. I personally boil nothing in mead making.
To your standard must, before adding the yeast add 16 oz of Cocoa Powder (Nestles works great). Mix well before adding yeast. You will notice a lag in the start of the yeast, however this is common and due to the oils in cocoa. It will start bubbling madly in a few days, but never as much as a normal mead.
Cocoa contains a number of different very bitter oils that must be given time to break down. After the bubbling slows down, strain the must once, and put your fermenter/carboy away for one full year. Any other method of removing the oils will result in the loss of that little enzyme that the ladies are so fond of.
At the end of that year, sweeten to approx. 1.030 on a hydrometer (semi-sweet) or to taste. Clarify and bottle normally.
Some production notes:
This mead leaves a very light aftertaste of
chocolate that most people will not be able to identify readily.
However the other effects of chocolate, i.e. orgasmic like pleasure is
there. In the original test 1 of the samplers didn't care for it, 1
identified the flavor and tried to steal the bottle, and the other 28
thought it good with comments ranging from "very good" to "OH MY GOD!".
I make 5 gallons each year to share with friends, and that is all due to
space from brewing. I used an apple flower honey, but any light honey
should work. Just avoid heavy flavored honeys that might overpower the
chocolate. In addition brew down only once, a heroic mead would
likewise overpower the delicate flavor.
This mead is best served to the one you love ice cold, in candlelight, with a bowl of fresh strawberries for dipping. And privacy would be recommended.
Comments back to me are most welcome and may be sent to
Capten_Rhys@hotmail.com