From the previous thread the responses were a bit mixed, with everything getting a bit of support. I want to do the Molasses Mead, so that's what I am going to run with.

I would LOVE to do a repeat of that blueberry "heffe" as a braggot. If someone would like to take point on that putting together a good hop/malt pairing for it we could totally do it for January. I don't have enough braggots under my belt to make a run at it.

Molasses 1 (by /u/stormbeforedawn)

Total Volume: 1 gallon

Style: Metheglin

Carbonation: No

Starting Gravity: 1.070

Theoretical Starting Gravity: 1.189

1. Take honey and mix with warm water to form must.

2. Follow SNA, rehydrate yeast.

3. Stagger sugars, adding each third when gravity reaches 1.050

4. At FG when stable add in molasses, beans and extracts to taste. This is not a proven recipe.

5. After 1 month rack and add 1 medium toast oak spiral.

6. Rack in 1 more month, or when clear. Honey | 5.25 pounds Molasses | 1/4 cup | Vanilla bean | 2 | Whole Rum extract | 1/4 tsp | Almond extract | 1/4 tsp | Yeast | Lavin 1118 Med Toast American Oak | 1 Spiral |

7. Take honey and mix with warm water to form must.

8. Follow SNA, rehydrate yeast.

9. Stagger sugars, adding each third when gravity reaches 1.050

10. At FG when stable add in molasses, beans and extracts to taste. This is not a proven recipe.

11. After 1 month rack and add 1 medium toast oak spiral.

12. Rack in 1 more month, or when clear.

The above is what I am running. There are a lot of ways I think to get to something fun with this. Consider a hydromel for a fast turn around, a regular strength mead or different yeasts. Keep in mind molasses might need to be backsweetened to taste right. Acid balance is going to be a big one on this with so many heavy flavors like molasses and the extracts.

Links to older challenges. Whoever hosts these should link this list and add the last month, it will help build the history for this project. Please post a comment if you have a recipe that you thought was really great or you want to talk about. I am trying to find some good ones to add to the wiki.

June Mango Butterfly Pea

July Bochet with Fruit

August High Grav Trad

September Flowers and Beer Yeast

October Cyser

November Spiced Cranberry Melomel

For my previous ones, My mango butterfly pea either turned to vinegar or 5 lbs mango/gallon was the wrong move. Not sure yet on it. Pretty frustrated with it as a whole with only getting 1/2 gallon of mead due to fruit loses and issues with the pea blossom. It did stay purple after a second dosage.

My July bochet is aging, Too heavy of a toast for early consumption. Trad tastes fine, using it as a filler for some projects that ended a little too hot. That plus a few of my pepper meads are great to have around to blend with. I skipped the Sept and Oct meads, and my cranberry I chickened out on and put into a 5 gal. It's going fine. Still a slow fermenter, but at least it hit FG.