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Mead

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    Posted: 21 November 2012 at 09:42
Has anyone made mead? I have some honey I'd like to use for mead or for other uses--I've made baklava and potica. Any ideas?
Do I need specialized equipment for mead?
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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 09:51
Great idea, Feather!
 
My oldest son, Joe, is very interested in the idea of making mead, and has done quite a bit of reading on it.
 
If I recall correctly, you really don't need much at all; mead is of course on of the oldest fermented beverages in the world, and as such it is bound to be pretty basic. My guess is that it can be as easy or complicated as you want it to be - the only thing I can think of off the top of my head that might be "specialised" is getting the "right" yeast, and even then, I've learned from experience that "regular" bread yeast can work for making things like wine - there is a bit fo a characteristic taste there from using bread yeast, but nothing terrrible.
 
I'll see if I can get Joe to type up some introductory information for you as a reply to this post.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 10:58
 Bottled Empire Brand.
 
 
 
 
 
Photo Courtesy: D. Mead Hotel.
 
Homemade Mead - Honey Wine.
 
 
 
 
Feather, Good Evening,
 
 
 
Firstly, I had some Mead, or Honey Wine in Greece last summer. It is quite lovely as a cordial, digestif.
 
Here are a couple of websites which could assist you:
 
 
 
 
 
Have a lovely Thanksgiving,
Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rod Franklin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 15:04
I found this on the internet years ago. I've made it a couple of times and it always worked well for me. However it's a little too late this years holidays, but would be perfect for next year. It's real easy and real good.

Spiced Orange Mead

1 gallon batch:

3 1/2 lbs of honey
1 Large orange
25 raisins
1 stick of cinnamon
2 whole cloves
A very small pinch each of nutmeg and allspice
1 package of Fleishmann’s bread yeast
Balance filtered non-chlorinated water to one gallon

Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon jug.
>Dissolve honey in a little warm water in the jug.
>Wash orange well, cut into eight pieces, peel and all -- add orange to jug.
>Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and fill to a little more than ¾ full with water. You must leave room for some foaming.
>Shake the heck out of the jug for 5 timed minutes, with top on, of course.
>When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in bread yeast. Don’t stir it in; just let it float on the surface.
>Pinch some tin foil over the top.
>Place it on a pan to catch overflow and into a dark, quiet place in your kitchen. 75 to 80°F is best. Try not to watch it. Check it once a day.
>After major foaming stops in a few days – if there is gonna be a mess it will have happened now. Clean it up now -- add water to fill jug into the neck, replace the tin foil and then keep your hands off of it.


Don't mess with it!
Don't shake it!
Don’t rack it!
Don’t feed the yeast!
Don’t stir it!

After at least 2 months it will clear all by itself. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom. Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the discharge end into the clear part and siphon it off into another clean container. Wash out the jug and refill with the mead. Add water to fill jug well into the neck. Tin foil the top because it will still be fermenting but real slow. After several more months you should be able to cap it. Try to wait a year. If you waited, then carefully rack again into bottles.

You can drink it as soon as it clears, but waiting makes it better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 16:26
interesting... bread yeast huh? I'm surprised that the yeast survives long enough to get decent alcohol content. I would think you'd be much better off with a wine or ale specific yeast. 
Mike
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rod Franklin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 17:09
What do you consider decent alcohol content? Bakers yeast should survive till it's sitting in approximately 12% alcohol.

And yes, plain old yeast from the grocery store is what the original creator of this recipe suggests to use. I believe his name is Joe Mattiola. I probably spelled his name wrong, even if I remembered his name right. And no, the mead doesn't taste like bread if you use bakers yeast.

This stuff is real good just the way it's written, and just gets better the longer you stay away from it.
Hungry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Melissa Mead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 November 2012 at 18:33
You called? Oh, you meant the beverage. Never mind.
;)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 November 2012 at 08:54
Feather - I forgot about this traditional mead from Finland:
 
 
I've made it a few times and the results are very good; very interesting as well. It starts out pretty nice, but gets even better as it gets older (up to a point, I am sure).
 
It's really easy, and I've got a step-by-step pictorial there for you, if you want to give it a try. If you make it soon, it will be ready in time for the Vappu festival next year!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 December 2012 at 13:02
Feather,
 
I am quite positive, if you have not already found a www.ehow.com on Honey Mead; to look for Greek Recipes for Honey Liquor Mead.
 
Greece is an enormous Honey producer in the Mediterranean, and there would be some recipes coming from Greek or Greek Aussies, or Greek American bloggers.
 
Hope this assists.
Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 September 2017 at 21:17
Originally posted by Rod Franklin Rod Franklin wrote:

I found this on the internet years ago. I've made it a couple of times and it always worked well for me. However it's a little too late this years holidays, but would be perfect for next year. It's real easy and real good.

Spiced Orange Mead

1 gallon batch:

3 1/2 lbs of honey
1 Large orange
25 raisins
1 stick of cinnamon
2 whole cloves
A very small pinch each of nutmeg and allspice
1 package of Fleishmann’s bread yeast
Balance filtered non-chlorinated water to one gallon

Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon jug.
>Dissolve honey in a little warm water in the jug.
>Wash orange well, cut into eight pieces, peel and all -- add orange to jug.
>Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and fill to a little more than ¾ full with water. You must leave room for some foaming.
>Shake the heck out of the jug for 5 timed minutes, with top on, of course.
>When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in bread yeast. Don’t stir it in; just let it float on the surface.
>Pinch some tin foil over the top.
>Place it on a pan to catch overflow and into a dark, quiet place in your kitchen. 75 to 80°F is best. Try not to watch it. Check it once a day.
>After major foaming stops in a few days – if there is gonna be a mess it will have happened now. Clean it up now -- add water to fill jug into the neck, replace the tin foil and then keep your hands off of it.


Don't mess with it!
Don't shake it!
Don’t rack it!
Don’t feed the yeast!
Don’t stir it!

After at least 2 months it will clear all by itself. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom. Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the discharge end into the clear part and siphon it off into another clean container. Wash out the jug and refill with the mead. Add water to fill jug well into the neck. Tin foil the top because it will still be fermenting but real slow. After several more months you should be able to cap it. Try to wait a year. If you waited, then carefully rack again into bottles.

You can drink it as soon as it clears, but waiting makes it better.


I started a batch of this tonight; I have seen the same recipe on a couple of forums and finally decided that - given the time frame involving mead - I am not getting any younger. Everything went well, and I think it will turn out quite good.

A couple of deviations, more from necessity than anything else:

The amount of honey I used was probably an ounce or three shy of 3.5 pounds, but I am sure it will be fine. The biggest share of it was raw, unfiltered Montana honey, while half a pound of it was a blend of Montana honey and Montana huckleberry, just because that is what I had on hand.

I grated what looked like a pinch of nutmeg off of a whole...nugget? Nut? I am not sure what it is called. It might have been a bit more, but I am sure this will be fine, too.

I wanted to zest and then juice the orange, but couldn't find one part of my juicer that was needed; so, I zested it, then peeled it (pulling off any substantial "strings" of pith), then cut the segments into chunks and tossed everything in. My logic was that this would be much easier to remove from the fermenter, and also would eliminate any potential bitterness from the pith. My son, who has made this before, said that he noticed no bitterness when he made his (pith and all), but by then I had already done it, so we will see how it goes. It will be fine, I am sure.

Having no Fleischmann's yeast, I used a generous teaspoon of "Western Family" yeast, which is distributed by a regional grocery chain. As with everything else above, I am willing to bet that this will be fine.

Between the honey and about half a gallon of water (i used a local spring water that makes great beer), I had about 3/4 of the fermenter filled by the time I was finished. I will leave this alone for 3 days or so until the most active period of fermentation is complete, then will top up to a gallon.

More as it happens, etc. &c...

Ron
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 September 2017 at 13:39


Tas, 

Sounds fabulous ..  Good luck !  

The only thing is, you should have begun the Mead, just in time for the Xmas holidays .. With all those wonderful aromas, it would of been perfect .. 

Next year, begin it earlier !!!  


Where do you put this ?  In a cool dark pantry, wine closet  ?  

Have  a  lovely evening ..  (it is 21.40 here Sunday ) .. 




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 September 2017 at 09:12
Hi, Margi -

I agree, this would be a wonderful Christmas drink, or anytime during the long, cold months. I am guessing that by next holiday season, I will have at least one more batch - possibly two - in anticipation of years to come.

The mead is fermenting in our bedroom closet, which is the one place in the house that is consistently dark, has a reliably consistent temperature that I can maintain at about 65 to 68 degrees. It is also away from our various pets, so it "should" be safe here, I hope!

I decided to start a new thread for my project; here is the link if anyone wants to follow along:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/joe-mattiolis-ancient-orange-mead_topic4852.html
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 September 2017 at 16:09


Tas, 

Thank you. I shall read tomorrow your link and full history and thread ..

It is 12am and I must get to bed  !!  

I like the profile .. and  your hiding place !!!!!!   
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