Mead receipes

[sugar bandit #2]

I've just completed my second batch of mead. I used (roughly) a 13lbs / 5-gallon that seemed to turn out pretty good on my first batch and went a little crazy on the second batch and used about 22lbs/ 5-gallon. This second batch took much longer to ferment (about 9 weeks) and tuned out very sweet almost like a very lite syrup. Tried this because some say they like a sweeter mead.

I'm new at making (and drinking) mead and was wondering if I've wondered too far out the mead spectrum on making this second batch of mead (w/22lbs)too sweat?
Any thoughts and ideas from the mead connoisseurs out there?
Thank you

[This message has been edited by sugar bandit #2 (edited March 21, 2004).]

[izybo]

Can't help much as I have only made a few batches of mead. My first was probably about 18 lbs. of honey to 5 gal water and turned out very sweet like yours. Too sweet for my taste bur my wife likes it. I did take one gal of this and stopped the fermentation process with 2 camden tablets about a week after i first racked it. This turned out more carbonated less alcohol, kind of like a honey wine cooler. My second batch I used 12lbs of honey to one gal. water. This has been racked for about two months has stopped fermenting and turned clear with a light amber color. I tried some about a week ago it is much dryer but still kind of a slight acidic taste. I am sure this will mellow with age and will be putting it in bottles soon.

[sugar bandit #2]

Thanks for the input izybo. I like the 13lb receipe much better. This next winter I think I'll try a few different receipes using different berries and honey.

[mattoleriver]

Check out the rec.crafts.meadmaking news group. Several of the mead makers there are active on the beer and wine groups also and are very knowledgable about their craft.
George

[txbeeguy]

I've got a few hundred gallons of mead making experience under my belt by now (and sorely need more wine racks!).
--
One word of caution I'd advance to new mead makers is be careful to not use too much honey. Yeast have an upper limit as to how much osmotic pressure their cell walls can handle and if too much honey is used, you'll end up with excessive fermentation times (as has been mentioned) or more likely, "stuck" fermentation [which can be quite a challenge to get going again and still end up with something that's drinkable].
The other idea I'd advance is to let the fermentation absolutely complete in the carboy (demijohn) to eleminate the lees in individual bottles of wine. Or actually stop it with the campden tablets.

[cochran500]

Anybody have a proven chocolate mead recipe they are willing to share?

[sugar bandit #2]

txbeeguy
>I've got a few hundred gallons of mead making experience under my belt by now (and sorely need more wine racks!).

In your experience what would be a reasonable range (usuming your using a 5gal carboy) of honey to use? Do you have any interesting receipes to share?

Thank you

[Brandon Shaw]

Ok meadmakers,

I've heard from a couple of individuals who make mead that dark honey is better. Is this personal preference?

Either way I have about a drums worth in 5 gallon pails that is the darkest strongest honey you can imagine. Any interest out there in it?

[txbeeguy]

sugar bandit,
you can do a 'search' (here at BeeSource) in this forum and search on my name: txbeeguy; and you'll see an older posting of mine that is for a Blackberry Mead - under the topic of Mead Recipes wanted (or some such thing) - you may already have seen this. I've tried many different concoctions but I tend to prefer those with some sort of fruit to "flavor" the mead - of course, this is very much a question personal preference so everyone's tastes (pardon the pun) are different!
I'm not sure there is an answer to your question about how much sugar (honey) can be/should be used. There are a lot of variables, from the type of yeast you use to the additives you use (even fruit brings it's own amount of sugars into play). Even the amount of starter you use can influence how readily your must starts fermenting. I tend to do a two step starter, first getting about 50ml going with a light sugar mixture and then stepping it up to about a quart and then into the 5-gal or 7-gal carboy.
A lot of honey (i.e., more than say, 3.5 lbs per gal) and a low alcohol tolerance yeast is surely flirting with stuck fermentations. A considerable amount of honey can be fermented out (with the right yeast and technique, etc.) and if you know what you're doing, can lead to some really high alcohol content for a normal fermentation (14-15% range) - this makes for a very strong wine!
--
Anything stronger (as in distilling) and I'm sure I wouldn't know what you're talking about![txbeeguy who was born and raised in Kentucky...moonshine country]

[txbeeguy]

Brandon,
Just as "bakers" know, the darker honey probably does have more flavor and may be somewhat less sweet as compared to a light honey (due to having more minerals, trace pollen, etc.), but I, for one, would prefer making my mead out of light honey. The darker honey would certainly influence the outcome of the final mead. I'd say your dark honey is best used as feed for colonies (as long as you know it's safe).
--
You may also not want to give up hope of handing it off to a mead maker: during the 17th century, they used to even put a slab of rancid meat in the oak barrel to "help" the mead age!

[sugar bandit #2]

Thanks for the info everyone!