I'm looking for a nice mead recipe

[TK Spirits]

I'm looking for a nice recipe to make a nice sweet mead, I have a 5L container to use for this batch, and I was wondering if any of you wise fellas had a good recipe and set of step by step instructions for me to re-create your batch. Any tips, offers, or recipes will be highly appreciated

[ArkyJ]

Go down the list of posts and see. "I joined the mead club" and also go to the site. "GOT MEAD" they have several receipes.
ArkyJ

[Dnderhead]

the problem is there are sweet mead,dry mead,melomel (mead with fruit) pyment (mead with wine)
and mead with spices or combinations. then there is 100 or so recipes for each.
I dont make much mead as it gits rather expensive. and save it for something special.mead by its self
is rather lite in flavor,so if you add any thing you also want it lite.or it will cover up the flavor of the honey.
it also a slow fermenter (you want this),so have a spare glass carboy that you dont mind tying up for several months.
mead by its self is rather easy to make,hot water (dont boil honey,if recipe calls for boiling skip it) honey (from 2-4 lbs per gal) (1-2Kg per 4l)
nutrients (needed) and yeast.(3lb will make about 14%/more will make sweet)
any one that has favorite recipes will have to know witch type/flavor you want.

[TK Spirits]

Thanks fellas, you are always great helps The reason behind this post is that my brother is out in Scotland for 6 months and I'm wanting to make a special mead to welcome him home.

Would you all recommend a better drink rather than a mead? He likes Knob Creek, if that helps narrow anything down?

[Dnderhead]

big difference between the two. knob creek a bourbon and mead a honey wine.
a "braggot" (honey and malt) mite be closer but iv never made one. there are many to choose from.

[TK Spirits]

So should I ditch the Mead idea, and try and make a Bourbon type drink?

[Dnderhead]

mead is a honey wine,it will taste like wine with the "nose" of honey. many add flavors from fruits to spices.
bourbon is distilled from 50+% corn and other grains. either one takes time, about 1 year or more.this is no
short cut hobby.for the most part the longer time,the more patience you have the better the product.

[TK Spirits]

haha that is the truth, is there any like 5-6 month pre or post distilled drinks that you have heard of that my brother may like?

[oldnbroke]

Make him some Skeeter Pee. Its fun to make, fun to share with friends, and ready to drink in a couple of months easy. A shot of Knob Creek chased with a bottle of ice cold Skeeter Pee x 3 and it will be a party.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 10&t=23416

[WalkingWolf]

I thought I'd post a pic of a braggot/melomel (blackberry) combo I made back in Jan. '11. IMO it looks impressive in a glass. The taste is unique to say the least. It is supposed to age for a minimum of 18 months before a fair evaluation should be made. I think it tasted decent but was made better with a touch of sugar.

[Prairiepiss]

Looks tasty WW . I can't wait till my 2 mulberrie melomels are done. They are only 6 months young. But the last racking it tasted wonderfull. But I'm going to wait as long as I probably can. I sweetened mine with honey instead of sugar.

[NC_Brewer1965]

Can I recommend making Joe's Ancient Orange Cinnamon Clove Mead it is ready in two months and will be ready before your brother gets here and is a good starter mead. I have made it several times and enjoy it.

http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option ... ipe_id=118" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[WalkingWolf]

Can I recommend making Joe's Ancient Orange Cinnamon Clove Mead it is ready in two months and will be ready before your brother gets here and is a good starter mead. I have made it several times and enjoy it.

That was actually the first mead I made back in Nov or Dec of '09. I have three bottles of it left. It is drinkable after a couple of months but it really changes (for the better) after a year in the bottle. We'll probably finish off what's left over the holidays this year.

[Marshwalker]

Definitly on the to do list!!!

[Dnderhead]

i have a spiced apple melomel.that i have to keep hidden..
i want to try a maple mead/wine?
right now busy with garden and no time...well I could git off this light box..

[frozenthunderbolt]

take any good honey wine recipie and add about 6 years and a couple of passes through filterpaper to remove sediment. Thats nice mead.

[SIXFOOTER]

+1 on the JOAM, its an excellent recipe, try tossing 3 or 4 cerrano peppers for a couple months, adds a nice heat to the mead, way high on the tasty scale

[TK Spirits]

I appreciate all the advice gentlemen. You always are a great help to me.

[Roundyround]

2nd on the Ancient Orange mead. easy to make, mine was quite sweet though. Good starter recipe.

[madmace]

If your bro likes knob creek do a nchooch bourbon.Iv done like 4 gallons .its really smooth and have had a lot of compliments on it.1 half sprial amer oak light or med toast .1/2 sprial amer oak heavy toast.1/2 sprial aligator char .I use a torch to get deep char.That is for a gallon.Do a few stripping runs then a sprit run low and slow .only collect 80- 70% abv for the bourbon look under tried and true youll find the recipe there and its quite easy.
good luck

[Selvagem]

New here, so I just saw this thread. The patience required for good mead fits very well with this hobby....2-3 years is a minimum in my experience. Once you've done enough straight meads to determine whether you prefer them dry, sweet or medium, then you can go crazy experimenting with other ingredients. I won a few awards some years back for a lime mead; it was dry, and just before bottling at 18 months, I added the juice and zest of 3 limes (5 gal batch), plus zest only (no juice) of 2 more limes. It came out really tasty and refreshing when served slightly chilled.

[NZChris]

10lb of unwanted honey arrived on my doorstep today. What to do??? so much choice.... To complicate things, all of my suitable fermenters are full, or have been requisitioned for other purposes. I could do a trial run of Joe's Orange in empty juice bottles to get some experience.

Someone else has promised to drop off another 22lb of the stuff this week.

Never tasted mead myself. My grandfather used to make it and a stash was found under his apiary after he died. The family swilled that down before I was born. They reckon it was superb, but they also thought tripe was a delicacy.

[frozenthunderbolt]

10lb of unwanted honey arrived on my doorstep today. What to do??? so much choice.... To complicate things, all of my suitable fermenters are full, or have been requisitioned for other purposes. I could do a trial run of Joe's Orange in empty juice bottles to get some experience.

Someone else has promised to drop off another 22lb of the stuff this week.

Never tasted mead myself. My grandfather used to make it and a stash was found under his apiary after he died. The family swilled that down before I was born. They reckon it was superb, but they also thought tripe was a delicacy.

Any chance you're in Auckland Chris?
I'm desperately trying to find a beekeeper who will sell me a bunch of cappings cheap so i can make more mead's without breaking the bank - buying honey at the supermarket (even the cheap clover stuff on special) is killing me.
+ I KNOW that the better the honey the better the mead. . . I want good mead dammit!

[NZChris]

Tauranga. A drop off could be arranged if you're not far from SH1 to Whangarei. This honey smells wonderful. Some of it is a bit waxy. Not saleable because it's been on the floor. I'm sure that's not a problem to us.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Tauranga. A drop off could be arranged if you're not far from SH1 to Whangarei. This honey smells wonderful. Some of it is a bit waxy. Not saleable because it's been on the floor. I'm sure that's not a problem to us.

I'm in helensville - i could meet you in silverdale or orewa perhaps?

[NZChris]

Check your PMs, frozenthunderbolt

[Medtwin]

My standard recipe for 5 gal is 16 lbs of raw, unfiltered honey, and 1 lb brown sugar.
Simmer, don't hardboil, the honey in 4 gals of water for about 10-15 minutes.
I aerate with 02, pitch a healthy yeast starter with vitamin nutrient added.
The red star champagne or white wine yeast strains all work great. I'd avoid the White Labs 'sweet mead' strain, it didn't ferment fully for me a few yrs ago.
Long ferments are in order, so be patient. Add whatever fruit or spices to the above basic recipe to enhance your drink.
I currently have a batch in the fermenter, and am about to add fresh spearmint to the carboy.
Fruit works great, but watch out for pectin haze and nasty bacteria. Keep your bubble airlock refreshed as fermentation proceeds, don't let it go dry.
When bottling, if you want any carbonation fizz, you might have to add more sugar and another live yeast culture, as at the end of 1 or 1 1/2 yrs in fermenter, most of the yeast is gone.
This stuff is always a hit with the ladies, you'll be a popular guy.
After two bottles, I'm gone. Rarely gives me a hangover, but something from those bees
gives me a great buzz.
Very expensive to make, nowadays.

[grnsteelhead]

I have a dry mead going right now. I am ready to rack it. I started this batch on 10/21/13, and it is coming right along. I had a taste on 11/8/13. The honey is local from a friend who has several bee hives. Great stuff! I wanted to make a dry mead, so I used 10 pounds of honey, and I figured I could sweeten it with a simple syrup before bottling. I have not tried to spice it at all.

My wife's aunt and uncle have made a lot of wine, and they said I should age it for up to 5 years. I am a bit leery about that because I don't want to tie up a carboy that long (and I want to drink it).

Like I said, I am about to rack it, and I am wondering: does anyone de-gas mead?

[NZChris]

My 'Joe's Orange' has just cleared, as he predicted. I won't be racking as it is clear enough already. I'll bottle using saved CO2 to exclude oxygen and prime half of them with simple syrup for comparison.

There is still plenty of honey, so I'll taste this one when bottling then put down more batches with adjustments. I have more glass fermenters now, so I'm not restricted to one gallon at a time.

[Axdelmar]

Hey all!
Just made the Orange Mead above...Made one with the original recipe and did a second one mixing a Champagne yeast + nutrients and 1 pinch of bakers yeast.

The original is cooking away within an hour. The other is not, 4 hours later. I did re-hydrate the yeast for 30 mins in 100 degree water.(Not the Fleshmans). Since this is a different yeast, will it cook off slower? It is Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast. I used 1 gram yeast for a gallon jug. Maybe a 1/3 gram of the other yeast. 1 tsp of nutrients. My temps were very close. What will my experiment create? Should I just pitch in more fleshman's and let it roll? Or be patient...( Not my strong suit). I'm hoping this 2nd mix will be higher ABV. I have somewhat acidic well water as well...any suggestions will be helpful.