For my Marine friend returning home: Viking Blood Mead!!!

**Teufel Hunden** · 9th June 12, 12:50 PM

My good friend is in Europe somewhere right now on his last deployment. We became friends about midway through my career, and deployed together to Iraq in 2006. For his triumphant return in a few months, I figured what better than mead?!

I picked Viking Blood because it sounded delicious, and is fitting given his heritage from that part of the world and his personal interests.

Pitched the yeast about 5 minutes before this pic.

I used a recipe I found on a different forum from a very friendly fellow from Norway.

12 Liter Cherry Juice
4 Liter good Water
1 Kilo Cherrys
2 Kilo Sugar
2 Kilo Woodhoney
20ml Antigel Enzym
8 gr.yeastnutrisal
1 Päk. Burgund Yeast

I managed to get some Forest Honey on Amazon... it's fairly dark and has a very interesting flavor.. very unlike the usual honey varieties I use for mead. I made a few changes to the recipe besides dividing it down for a 1 gallon batch. I used all cherry juice and no water, I used a little extra honey and a little less sugar (500g honey, 300g sugar, instead of equal parts), and I left the cherries for the secondary... though I'm not sure if he intended them to be in the primary or what. OG was ~1.120

The yeast I used was Lalvin RC 212.. the first time I've used this type, and the first time I've used a Burgundy yeast at all.

Here she is 5 days later, coming along quite well.

Hopefully it's a bit of a deeper red once it clears and all that. If not, as long as it's delicious I'm happy.

I'll rack it onto some sweet cherries a couple days before the fermentation stops, so the flavors there will be a bit more subtle in the end. By then it'll be somewhat dry from the low OG and and the 16% ABV tolerance of that yeast, so I'll back sweeten it with a little more forest honey.

**Andy Ternay** · 9th June 12, 04:14 PM

Looks quite lovely; cheers to you and your friend!

**Joshua** · 9th June 12, 04:26 PM

I thought you were referring to the commercial Viking Blod. I was going to warn you to stay well away from such a sweet, hangover-inducing libation.

Seriously, the stoneware bottle is awesome and all, but I've had epic hangovers from just a 5oz glass of the stuff. I've also been dumb enough to think it was the "batch" - so I have two empty bottles of the stuff.

**Teufel Hunden** · 9th June 12, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Joshua

I thought you were referring to the commercial Viking Blod. I was going to warn you to stay well away from such a sweet, hangover-inducing libation.

Seriously, the stoneware bottle is awesome and all, but I've had epic hangovers from just a 5oz glass of the stuff. I've also been dumb enough to think it was the "batch" - so I have two empty bottles of the stuff.

If that's the same thing I'm remembering, the ABV is around 19% right? It comes highly recommended by a few people, I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

I'll see about getting some this month.

**Redhawk** · 10th June 12, 05:00 PM

Sounds really good!

**Oddern** · 11th June 12, 02:02 AM

That is quite an interesting recipe for mead (mjød). Most Norwegian / Scandinavian recipe on mead (mjød) consist basicly of honey, water and yeast, and seasoned with hops, cloves or/and ginger.
It will be very interesting to see how this mead will turn out. Keep us inform.
Skål!

**jkane** · 11th June 12, 05:53 AM

Just finished my second bottle of Danske Viking Blod this weekend. Yes, 19%. I think it's hibiscus. The Ginger version is GI Danske or something like that. Recently finished a bottle of that too. And the other 2 Danske sells in the US. Had to give them all a chance.

The cherry sounds yummy too! Good luck with it.

**Joshua** · 11th June 12, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by Teufel Hunden

If that's the same thing I'm remembering, the ABV is around 19% right? It comes highly recommended by a few people, I just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

I'll see about getting some this month.

I can't say I'm a fan, frankly. It is more cloying than anything I've tasted before. Think RC Cola with extra sugar and marichino cherry syrup.

**Teufel Hunden** · 16th August 12, 06:39 PM

A little belated update in case anyone was interested:

Still coming along, she gained almost all of the color back in the secondary when I added the cherries.

I took this pic after I back sweetened it with a little more forest honey, as it was just a tad dry before. In a few months it should be ready for a taste.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, this stuff smells EXACTLY like cherry pez.

Of the various types of alcohol I've made, this is the only one to ever smell like candy. Of course, it won't be that sweet, but just the smell alone will keep it memorable.

**Spartan Tartan** · 16th August 12, 08:03 PM

I am intrigued by the process.

so....you add the previously mentioned ingredients to a large jug and then what? Just let it sit for four months? What is the primary and secondary you mention? How do you know when it is done? How do you stop the fermentation pricess?