Want to make mead!

[waxteeth]

Is there a beginner recipe? Would like to try to make it though, much of a beginner with making mead.

[Gregory_Naff]

Quick Recipe for a medium mead:

20 lbs honey
3.5 gallons warm water
1 packet Pasteur Champagne yeast

Combine warm water and honey in a large sanitized container (bucket with lid or carboy) make sure temp is below about 85 degrees and add yeast. Place air-lock cover (lid or plug) on top of container. Leave alone for several weeks.

This will give you a mead that is not real sweet and not real dry. If you use a varietal honey, it will give you different flavors.

[Gregory_Naff]

Also check www.gotmead.com (http://www.gotmead.com) for more resources.

[Aspera]

I strongly recommend Charlie Papazian's Ginger Mead as a begginer recipe. Its all over the net and in "The Joy of Homebrewing" which can be had from most bookstores, new and used. In addition to ginger, I also add some dried lemon zest strips. Also, adding a pack of Montrechet yeast to your champagne yeast (no starter culture necessary) will give you a quicker start and a rounder flavor. I like my meads to have about the consistancy and flavor of a dessert wine. For me, 20 lbs of honey (or about 1.6 gal) is a bit much for a 5 gal batches. Good sanitation is also key, but beyound the scope of this site.

[Ben Brewcat]

Good recommendations. Might consider with the 20 lbs in 3.5 gals recipe adding the honey in two additions a few weeks apart; a starting gravity of over 1.2 has a high "stuck" potential, and at (likely) over 18% alc will need some substantial aging. Also see the Intro to meadmaking (http://www.bee-l.com/bulletinboard/meadintro.htm).

[Aspera]

I just reread my post.....believe it or not, I really did have a subjects called "spelling" and "grammer" in elementary school. Too much mead I suppose.

[Anthony]

Hello waxteeth,

This is a simple, straight foreward recipe. It should ferment dry and clear in 6 to 8 weeks.

Unlike a lot of recipe's, this one requires very little if any aging, making it's my favorite for new mazers.

15 lb. Clover honey
water to make 5 gal.
Superfood Plus (as per instruction on package)
Irish Moss, aids in clearing (as per instruction on package)
Red Start Champagne Yeast,

Yeast starter, make this 2 days before making the must (honey in water); 400 ml water, 100 ml honey & 1/2 t. Super Food Plus, mix this together, while yeast is rehydrating as per instructions on the packet. When yeast has been rehydrated, add it to this mixture in a sanitized glass jar, covering it with cheese cloth.

Pasturize must @ 170° for 20 minutes. Add Irish Moss after removing from heat, add super food once the must is cooled to pitching temp 60° - 80°. Aerate with a balloon whisk, drain to glass carboy, pitch the starter and fit with airlock.

Anthony

[nursebee]

Yo A,
What the flip is superfood plus?
A google search was inconclusive.

[Anthony]

Hey Joe,

Vintessential Laboratories

Red Star Superfood is a complex yeast nutrient containing yeast extracts, yeast hulls, DAP, vitamins and minerals. Superfood addition benefits most juices, helping to prevent stuck fermentations and H2S production. Recommended dosage 500g/kL (500 ppm). Should not be added to stuck ferments.

Same company that makes Red Star yeast.

It's what the owner of the HBS near me, sells and uses at his winery.

Anthony

[waxteeth]

Thanks everyone for you replies. I see I have a little more research to do.

Waxteeth

[MeadMan]

Waxteeth, mead making is easy in fact i just made 5 gallons today. Number on rule of mead AGING, If you make something you don't like when you first taste it just remeber in a year it will be a different product. I would recomend Ken Schrams The complete meadmaker

[Anthony]

Hey Joe,

Superfood is the product from Vintessential Laboratories.

Superfood Plus, is the mixture of Superfood with added DAP and Vitamix, the owner of the LHBS, blends for use at his winery.

Anthony