Has anyone here made mead before? I came across an old book that mentioned how to make it, and am now curious to try. I have found what looks to be a good recipe, and am planning to give it a try tomorrow. If anyone has any tips it would be greatly appreciated.
Yup, knowledge in beer and/or wine making a big plus. Sterility is the key to any home brews, the proper yeast is a must and fresh yeast is the best of all. It’s actually a lot easier to make than most barley brews but pretty expensive. You’re gonna want a couple acids as well for the best flavor. The finished product is like nothing else and worth all the effort.
I’ve never brewed a mead. But having homebrewed beer for years, I’ve tried several meads that friends have made. I wouldn’t jump right into it. Research and prep are crucial. Also, you must sanitize everything. I would recommend a homebrew primer before you get started. Here is a great one by Charlie Papazian: http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Joy-Home-Brewing/dp/0380763664
Never made it but drunk it several times, if you ever get chance to try ‘cornish’ mead you drink the real deal - sweet, strong, thick.
I have a bottle of Bunratty in the cellar waiting for a special occasion. Never tried to brew it, but it sounds fun. Brewed beer a couple of times. I want to start a bee hive this year, so maybe if I have too much honey at some point, I’ll make mead to use it up.
Heard on the radio the other day that an innovative and very effective way of sterilizing home brew gear is to use a UV lamp that you can buy from places like Home Depot. They were not specifically designed for this purpose, but apparently work very well with no noxious fumes of course.
for keeping all tools clean you will need to 1st wash with a kostic soda ( alkaline) the rinse with citric acid ( acid to neutralize) then a third rinse with cold water. Or keep it simple and go to your local " U-brew" and purchase what they use to staralize with. K2 S04, (potassium-meta-by-sulfite) will not kill bacteria, it only creates an uninhabitable environment for them. It will however kill your yeast. Therefore it is recommended to add to your meed AFTER fermentation is complete. this kills off all surviving yeast and prevents and re-fermentation from occurring. I would recommend using a byannus yeast strain such as DV10 or EC1118. Byannus are a stronger yeast, have a low foam fermentation, and can survive in high sugar and alcohol environments. AS for meed recepies, I like to add ginger, cinamon, sometimes burgamont, in small doses. Pure organic honey will work best as it does not have any preservatives that will prevent the yeast from fermenting the sugars. PM me for any fermentation questions. nightcap.
Thanks for the tips. I have brewed beer before, so I do know a little about the sanitation needed, and about fermentation. I’ll be sure to post back when it’s done.
I’ve made lemon mead a few times but it was many years ago. It was dry and effervescent and not any stronger than beer. Very refreshing. I think I used champagne yeast!