Mead
- Thread starter john scrivy
- Start date
Mead, sack mead, metheglin, fire wine, honey ale, you name it, I brew it
What do you want to know?
What do you want to know?
Oh yes, though not for years now. I used to make 5 gallons at a time which would last well. To be honest the honey got too expensive.
These days its mostly Cider.
These days its mostly Cider.
Mead is pretty straight forward to make,once you have decent recipe.
its well worth the effort.
You have to be careful what yeast you use, it makes a big difference on the actual taste and time to mature. A good yeast can dramatically shorten the maturing time.
I have had good results with lavin 1116.
its well worth the effort.
You have to be careful what yeast you use, it makes a big difference on the actual taste and time to mature. A good yeast can dramatically shorten the maturing time.
I have had good results with lavin 1116.
Now that would be illegal 
Oddly though exchanges of gifts between friends..............
I'll chuck a sample in with the next soap batch - beware the fire wine though!
Red
Oddly though exchanges of gifts between friends..............
I'll chuck a sample in with the next soap batch - beware the fire wine though!
Red
I (try to) make it also. The first batches were desasterous. I used an first 'open fermentation'. The fermenting went very slow and stopped. Probably also because of a low temperature.
I gave up the open fermentation and the fermentation went better. But I racked it far too late. And there was also a lack of body.
If the temperature rises a bit, I'll give it another try.
Last summer in Prague, I bought the most delicious mead I ever tasted. It was a metheglin 'with herbs and a hint of almonds'. I don't have really much experience with metheglin, but this was like an angel peeing over my tongue. Delicious! It was a bit expensive, approx 14 euro for 0.5 l by an botanicus.
I gave up the open fermentation and the fermentation went better. But I racked it far too late. And there was also a lack of body.
If the temperature rises a bit, I'll give it another try.
Last summer in Prague, I bought the most delicious mead I ever tasted. It was a metheglin 'with herbs and a hint of almonds'. I don't have really much experience with metheglin, but this was like an angel peeing over my tongue. Delicious! It was a bit expensive, approx 14 euro for 0.5 l by an botanicus.
I dont suppose you could post up the recipe for mead please, always wanted to brew some.
Now that would be illegal
Oddly though exchanges of gifts between friends..............
I'll chuck a sample in with the next soap batch - beware the fire wine though!
Red
You are a true Gent!
I'm going to have to learn a craft to repay you!
http://www.gotmead.com.
very useful site.
I'm now sipping at a mead made from heathhoney. A bit spicey taste. But that kind of honey is expensive.
very useful site.
I'm now sipping at a mead made from heathhoney. A bit spicey taste. But that kind of honey is expensive.
hiraeth,
There's dozens of recipes on the net (nowt to it really) but I suggest purchasing "making wild wines and meads" as a handy source of both the basic techniques and dozens of recipes. If you want pictures check out the "Blackcurrant Wine" article I did in the articles section - it shows all the equipment etc.
Red
There's dozens of recipes on the net (nowt to it really) but I suggest purchasing "making wild wines and meads" as a handy source of both the basic techniques and dozens of recipes. If you want pictures check out the "Blackcurrant Wine" article I did in the articles section - it shows all the equipment etc.
Red
Thanks, i will be getting the demi johns out of the attic tonight and will give it a go.
I've made mead a few times, and had varying results - the best bet is to use a honey that has a clean flavour - to test it, take a tablespoon of the honey, heat it up in a glass in a microwave, and taste it while hot - if it tastes chemically, metallic, sickly sweet or anything else that makes you gag, then it won't make good mead. The best bet is to find a local beekeeper who can sell you local honey, or start keeping bees
A general recipe is:
3lb honey
1 gallon water
1 tea bag/1oz raisins
yeast - preferably a specific mead yeast, or a strong white wine or a yeast designed for 'stuck ferments'.
Boil the honey and water together - at least 15 minutes of simmering to ensure the honey and water are well mixed. Cool to body heat, add the other ingredients and proceed as for any wine recipe, but be prepared to allow a few extra weeks (honey takes longer to ferment out than sugar). Make sure once bottled you leave it for at least a year for the flavours to develop fully.
Of course, if you're impatient, you can try making honey beer instead, which is much faster:
Boil 2 gallons of water with 3 lbs of honey and 3.3lbs light malt extract til all dissolved. Make up to 5 gallons with water. Add beer yeast and proceed as for light beer/ale.
Or if you're /really/ impatient - try krupnik liqueur.
A general recipe is:
3lb honey
1 gallon water
1 tea bag/1oz raisins
yeast - preferably a specific mead yeast, or a strong white wine or a yeast designed for 'stuck ferments'.
Boil the honey and water together - at least 15 minutes of simmering to ensure the honey and water are well mixed. Cool to body heat, add the other ingredients and proceed as for any wine recipe, but be prepared to allow a few extra weeks (honey takes longer to ferment out than sugar). Make sure once bottled you leave it for at least a year for the flavours to develop fully.
Of course, if you're impatient, you can try making honey beer instead, which is much faster:
Boil 2 gallons of water with 3 lbs of honey and 3.3lbs light malt extract til all dissolved. Make up to 5 gallons with water. Add beer yeast and proceed as for light beer/ale.
Or if you're /really/ impatient - try krupnik liqueur.
