mead
- Thread starter catweasel
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Pcwizme
Guest
Ahh no you have mentioned my secret word,
Yes i make mead, actually i make several types! what you wanting to know?
Yes i make mead, actually i make several types! what you wanting to know?
genraly how to brew the stuff, i know how it used to be done whey back when (used to wash the honey round their mouth to get it to ferment)
like what kind of yeast do i use?
if you have a recipe for sweat mead that would be exelent
many thanks catweasel
like what kind of yeast do i use?
if you have a recipe for sweat mead that would be exelent
many thanks catweasel
P
Pcwizme
Guest
ok this recipie has done me well for the last couple of years, so I hope it does you well to
4lb of honey
One Tablespoon yeast (Amount depends on Brand) (i get mine from wilkinsons its genral brewing yeast)
Water (Softer the better, Rain water that has been filtered is often cited as the best in books)
What you do!
Put the honey in a large bowl and gradually add water and mix until all the honey has dissolved add water to make it up to 8 pints,
Put this in a large Saucepan and bring to the boil and allow to simmer for exactly 5 minutes
Leave to cool until luke warm,
Strain through a jelly bag or peice of cloth to remove any left over bee parts (i get raw honey from my supplier)
Pour this in to a firmentation Jar (aka a demi-jon)
and add the yeast.
Cover with a clean cloth. and leave for 3 days till the vigouros fermentation dies down.
After the 3 days.
Add an Air lock (i use the bubbler type from wilkinsons)
Keep in a Warm place (Warm room is good mine lives in the dining room)
Wait for fermentaion to cease (can take bettween 3 and 6 months depending on the amount of sugar in the honey)
Move to a cool place (shed is normally fairly good)
Leave another month
Then Syphon from the demi-jon in to clean bottles and cork firmly
And then Enjoy, the longer you leave it the better, the Best mead is supposidly left for 7 years.
Im lucky if mine gets to 7 months!
Hope that helps if you need any other advice feel free to pm or ask.
4lb of honey
One Tablespoon yeast (Amount depends on Brand) (i get mine from wilkinsons its genral brewing yeast)
Water (Softer the better, Rain water that has been filtered is often cited as the best in books)
What you do!
Put the honey in a large bowl and gradually add water and mix until all the honey has dissolved add water to make it up to 8 pints,
Put this in a large Saucepan and bring to the boil and allow to simmer for exactly 5 minutes
Leave to cool until luke warm,
Strain through a jelly bag or peice of cloth to remove any left over bee parts (i get raw honey from my supplier)
Pour this in to a firmentation Jar (aka a demi-jon)
and add the yeast.
Cover with a clean cloth. and leave for 3 days till the vigouros fermentation dies down.
After the 3 days.
Add an Air lock (i use the bubbler type from wilkinsons)
Keep in a Warm place (Warm room is good mine lives in the dining room)
Wait for fermentaion to cease (can take bettween 3 and 6 months depending on the amount of sugar in the honey)
Move to a cool place (shed is normally fairly good)
Leave another month
Then Syphon from the demi-jon in to clean bottles and cork firmly
And then Enjoy, the longer you leave it the better, the Best mead is supposidly left for 7 years.
Im lucky if mine gets to 7 months!
Hope that helps if you need any other advice feel free to pm or ask.
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Hmmm mead, i'll have to post this as a future poss cause i've got so damn much on the cards already heh, however i do love a drop of that golden liquid! shame it gives me the worst hangovers i've ever known...
P
Pcwizme
Guest
Ahh poor you melon! i have found it doesnt give me any hang overs at all (then again i have been drinking it since i legally could)
P
Pcwizme
Guest
Dont get the really expensive stuff, i have made it with the cheapest of the cheap, and its worked ok, not are good as local stuff, i would advise steering clear of imported stuff from south america, the flavours dont come thru very well...
yeah its kind of annoying, however i make up with the ability to drink gallons of cider and wake up fresh as a daisy. go figure
Sorry to jump in but im a mead drinker (Moniack when I can find it) and now that I have a bigger house I have room to try and make some. But one thing I lack is equipment. Where do you buy demi-johns and all the other equipment?
For mead I find messing with a demijohn a waste of time. Less than a bottle a month isn't worth the effort
Try somewhere like art of brewing online for a 5 gallon brewing vessel
The best book I have is "wild wines and meads". Covers everything you need to know
Red
Try somewhere like art of brewing online for a 5 gallon brewing vessel
The best book I have is "wild wines and meads". Covers everything you need to know
Red
Agreed, anything that you make with honey should be made with native honey.
where possible, Mead makers should get thier own bees.
P
Pcwizme
Guest
British Red said:
Red i agree that bigger than a demi john is better (i use a 20 litre brewing container every other month when i can get the honey), Wikinsons do these, infact they do everything you need to brew bar the honey and the water.
And the book is a good one that i have on the shelf.
Locum76 said:
As for getting my own bees Locum I have plans but my parents arnt so convinced at the moment. However my supplier is down the road. In spring its lovely and sented of lavender.
Interesting reading - i too have made mead over the years and would love to have a bee hive! Appart from anything elde buying the honey can work out rather expensive.
Nice to find some other similar minded folkes, the meads i have tried (commercially too) seem to vary massively and have found very different recipies but then i guesse 'honey' covers a multitude of sins. ie from tree pollens to clover to oilseed etc etc.
The Medovin from Praha is a particular favorite served hot hmmmmm..droollll
As for the Demijohns - i fiind them very user friendly and less prone to geting too oxidised as they limit the air intake. It also looks much neater if the other half has an opinion on these matters.... However larger batches are supposed to be more stable.
Also once you have a few demijohns youd be suprised what you find to brew!
A slightly random selection of 'hedgerow' fruits last year has turned out quite spectacularly! (blackberry, haw, elder & rowan in that order) better than the blackbery alone infact...
Cant wait for the spring to get the elder champagne going.
Sorry turned into a rather boozy post..and made me thirsty!
Nice to find some other similar minded folkes, the meads i have tried (commercially too) seem to vary massively and have found very different recipies but then i guesse 'honey' covers a multitude of sins. ie from tree pollens to clover to oilseed etc etc.
The Medovin from Praha is a particular favorite served hot hmmmmm..droollll
As for the Demijohns - i fiind them very user friendly and less prone to geting too oxidised as they limit the air intake. It also looks much neater if the other half has an opinion on these matters.... However larger batches are supposed to be more stable.
Also once you have a few demijohns youd be suprised what you find to brew!
A slightly random selection of 'hedgerow' fruits last year has turned out quite spectacularly! (blackberry, haw, elder & rowan in that order) better than the blackbery alone infact...
Cant wait for the spring to get the elder champagne going.
Sorry turned into a rather boozy post..and made me thirsty!
I know what i will be doin this weekend if the rain down here sets in like its starting to do all ready, okenest:
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