Another solera mead: we've been meaning to try a mead with coffee for a while. This is called Coffee-Coffee-Coffee-Coffee-Coffee Chameleon because it contains Chameleon-brand cold-brewed coffee. (And, of course, after that song, as you probably expected.)

Ingredients in this batch

  • Approx. ¾ gallon fermented solera mead.
  • 32 fl. oz. Chameleon organic cold-brew black coffee concentrate.
  • 1 lb. wildflower honey from Georgia Honey Farm.
  • ½ vanilla bean, sliced vertically and dropped into the carboy on 2 August 2020.</span>

Procedure

Sanitized a one-gallon carboy. Poured coffee concentrate into the carboy, added one pound of honey, and agitated to mix thoroughly. Pumped mead to fill the carboy to approx. 1 gallon. Popped in a stopper and airlock, then filled the airlock with vodka.

Secondary fermentation began: 30 June 2020.
Bottling date: 16 August 2020. (Thanks for bottling, Xenia!)

Yield:

  • 7 x 12 oz beer bottles
  • 1 x 500mL beer bottles

Total: Approx. 101 fl. oz., or just over three-quarters of a gallon.

Observations

  • 2020-07-08: There seems to be some slow carbox generation, since there are still bubbles on the top, and it's hard to believe they're still from agitating ten days ago. Still, I haven't seen the airlock leak a bubble yet.
  • 2020-08-06: Added half a vanilla bean to the carboy.
  • 2020-08-16: Xenia helpfully bottled while I was out of town.