Honey based Mead

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Kat

I've been making mead for about 10 years.  It is really basic and simple.  The only rule you HAVE to follow is this--never throw a mead down the sink (no matter how bad it is) for at least 3 years.  It will mellow and improve and usually befome delicious---it just takes time.  Now.  Are you looking to make a plain honey mead or a flavored mead??  Two entirely different things.  Truth be told, I've never made a plain mead.  I always add spices, fruits, or wine.  Just what I like.  So,I've got lots or recepies (don't think I spelled that right).  One of my favorites is Cranberry Mead.  Another is Black Mead (if you like tawny port, you'll love this one). I also made a great mead using an ice wine kit. So let me know and I'll send you some (here we go again) recepies.

Gary

 

[kathrynn]

 
Hey Kat

I've been making mead for about 10 years.  It is really basic and simple.  The only rule you HAVE to follow is this--never throw a mead down the sink (no matter how bad it is) for at least 3 years.  It will mellow and improve and usually befome delicious---it just takes time.  Now.  Are you looking to make a plain honey mead or a flavored mead??  Two entirely different things.  Truth be told, I've never made a plain mead.  I always add spices, fruits, or wine.  Just what I like.  So,I've got lots or recepies (don't think I spelled that right).  One of my favorites is Cranberry Mead.  Another is Black Mead (if you like tawny port, you'll love this one). I also made a great mead using an ice wine kit. So let me know and I'll send you some (here we go again) recepies.

Gary

Send them to me...would love to have more to try.  I am going to actually make one that has oranges and raisins in it tomorrow or Monday.  Have a lot of local honey and the champagne yeast...and my 1 gallon glass jug.  Have "spring" water to use for it too.

Kat

 

[GaryHibbert]

I made a raisin mead once.  Didn't like it, but thats just personal taste. I'll dig out the recipes and send them to you.  One thing--I've found over the years that a one gallon jug is great for bottling, but just doesn't cut it for making mead.  Kinda like smoking one chicken wing  LOL

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Kat

Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday--Aniversery dinner night out time.  Anyway, I found all my recipes for mead.  Now lots of space on each one.  Do you want me to just post them or PM you with them?  Naturally, being a dumb truck driver, I have absolutely NO idea how to PM, so let me know

Gary

 

[kathrynn]

 
Hey Kat

Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday--Aniversery dinner night out time.  Anyway, I found all my recipes for mead.  Now lots of space on each one.  Do you want me to just post them or PM you with them?  Naturally, being a dumb truck driver, I have absolutely NO idea how to PM, so let me know

Gary

Happy Anniversary! You can do which ever you want....post them here...others may enjoy them too.  Or send me a pm....which is actually easy.  I will send you one...and you can reply!

Kat

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Kat

Sorry about the delay on getting this info to you.

Basics of mead making

-don't boil the honey

-always add yeast nutrient

-when siphoning from primary to secondary, be gentle--leave all the sediment behind

-always put an air lock on your secondary and keep it full of water--prevents infection

Black Mead

This mead tastes like cross between tawny port and really good sherry--One of my alltime favorites

1 cup (half a bottle) Ribena Black Currant Nector (I get it in the grocery store)

1/2 gal Welches Red grape juice

2.2 lbs honey

1 gal water

1 tsp yeast nutrient (very important--buy it at any wine or beer making store)

2 tsp malic acid

1/2 tsp epson salts

1/2 tsp citric acid (or just add the juice of lemon)

Lavin 212 wine yeast

Makes 1 gal

If you are using farm fresh honey, that's a bonus.  However, you should bring it to a simmer and when the foam/scum forms on top, skim it off.  That will remove the little extras that come with wild honey---wings, stingers, dead bees, etc.  DO NOT boil the honey.  If you do, you will loose a lot of the volatiles ----flavor and aroma.  If it is store bought honey, ignore this, just use it--it is already pasturized

Mix it all up, except the yeast and let it cool down to skin temp. Pour it into your primary (I use 5 gal pails)  Pitch the yeast (sorry--add it).  Stir vigorously--you want lots of bubbles (oxygen) in there.  Cover it with whatever and leave it be until the yeast has clearly stopped working.  Siphon it off into your secondary (the gal jug).  Put your air lock on the jug. Put it away and ignore it for as long as you can.  The last batch I made, got shuffled to the back and never got tried for 4 years. The malic acid, epson salts are not really necessary--I was living in Calgary at the time and the water was very hard.  Use them or not.

Northern Cardinal Mead

3.5 lbs honey (clover, if you have it)

1.5 lbs frozen or fresh cranberries (throw them in the blender and chop them up really well) If you're smart, you'll put them in cheese cloth before adding them to the must (must is the mead or wine mixture)

1/4 tsp tanic acid

1 tsp yeast nutrient

1 gal water

Lalvin 212 yeast

Makes 1 gal

When you siphon the mead from the primary to the secondary, your siphon tube will plug up with cranberries several times. Annoying, but......  Take the left over Cranberries and squeeze the juice out of them and add it to the mead--tons of flavor there.  Again, it was 4 years before I tried this mead---really good.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Great story

Another thing about drinking large amounts of mead by newlyweds is that it will increase the acid ph level.  That supposedly increases the likelyhood that the child being produced will be male--very important back then

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Kat

All my (here we go again) recipes use wine yeast, but there is absolutely no reason not to use champagne yeast.  Each yeast will add a differet flavor profile, but it really is no big deal.  Experiment and decide which you prefer.  If you're like me and wait 3 to 4 years to try it, it really won't matter--lol  As a side note, since I can't spell worth sh***,how do you spell recepes????????????????????

After you make these and try them, if you like them, let me know and I'll send you some more--I have about 100

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey everybody

I must be getting old, because I forgot one VERY important aspect to making mead.  When the mead is finished and you're ready to take the airlock off and cap the jug for aging-----you MUST kill any remaining yeast or it will eventually EXPLODE.  Use a yeast killer like potassium sorbate.  But kill that yeast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sorry for the memory lapse.

Gary

 

[kathrynn]

thank you so very much for posting these Gary!  I am going to get that mead going this weekend for sure.  Lynn (the hubby) is going to watch and see what we have to do to get things done.  I have printed the recipes too for a paper copy for my "SMF cookbook".

Will show pics as I go along.

Kat

 

[kathrynn]

Update on the mead.....bubbles are slowing but there is still action in the mixture below.  Time= 2 weeks on Sunday.  It's still just working away.

Question tho?  After the bubbles stop .....should I put a regular cork on the jug and then hide away...out of sight out of mind for a while?  And how long should "a while be"?

Kat

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Kat

Sounds like your mead is comming along well.  When it quits bubbling, rack (siphon) it off the dead yeast or it will pick up bad flavors.  So, you will need a second jug.  Then stir in a yeast killer and a clearing agent and let everything settle to the bottom of the jug and rack it off again--your mead will then be beautifully clear and brilliant.

Gary   

 

[kathrynn]

I will hit you up again closer to that time Gary H!  Thank you! I do have a few more bottles.

Kat