Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums! |
Straight-up Mead |
Post Reply |
Author | |
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: 11 October 2017 at 10:42 |
The batch of "Joe's Ancient Orange Mead" that I started a few weeks ago seems to be going well:
http://www.baitshopboyz.com/joe-mattiolis-ancient-orange-mead_topic25726.html So, I started a batch of plain, ol' mead tonight; no fruits, no extras...just honey. It is a 1-gallon batch of mead with 3 pounds of clover honey, spring water and Lalvin D47 yeast, which is reputed to be very good for mead. I also added 1 teaspoon each of yeast nutrient and yeast energizer (available at any home-brew supply store, or on Amazon). If I would have thought of it, I would have staggered the addition of the nutrient and energizer; but I didn't, so we will just have to hope that Odin was looking over my shoulder and that things will turn out alright. It was a very easy procedure, which is outlined with photos here: http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/brew-1-gallon-of-honey-wine-mead.htm It was so easy that it seems like it took less time to do it than it will to read about it, but here is what I did: To make this mead, I warmed the honey in a sink of hot water, to make it easy to pour. While the honey was warming in the sink, I put about 2 cups of water in the bottom of my fermenter, added the nutrient and energizer, then agitated and shook it around in order to dissolve them. I then heated another 2 cups of water in the microwave. While the water was heating, I poured the honey into the fermenter through a large funnel. When the honey containers were empty, I put a little of the heated water in each; shook them to capture any residual honey, then poured them through the funnel. I then ran the last of the heated water down the funnel in order to catch any honey that might be clinging to the sides. I capped the fermenter, shook and agitated it for a few minutes to aerate and completely dissolve the honey, then added the last of the water to just a hair over a gallon. I then capped the fermenter and shook/agitated it again. Finally, I pitched the yeast and shook/agitated the fermenter for a final 5 minutes before fitting the airlock. I did experience one potential glitch in making this mead. My fermenter has a sticky thermometer on it, and in the poor light of the room I was in, I thought that the temperature read 68 when I pitched the yeast. Unfortunately, once the yeast was pitched and agitated, I discovered to my dismay that the thermometer was actually reading 79. It cooled fairly quickly, but I did worry for a while. I looked in the back of my refrigerator and discovered another package of D47, but it expired a year or so ago. I almost pitched it anyway in desperation, but then I did notice the first tentative signs of fermentation in the fermenter as the yeast was beginning to build a bubbly cap. Watching for a while longer, it did indeed appear that the cap was continuing to build, so I will leave it alone and let it go. That's all I have for now, but there will be more as it happens, etc. & c.... Ron |
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
Sponsored Links | |
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
A slight update on this:
I've been checking on my mead each evening, and it looks as though it is fermenting normally and with no issues; the air-lock is chugging along, the fermentation in the mead itself is actively visible and as far as I can tell, things are going quite well. |
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
GarethM
Cook's Assistant Joined: 19 March 2010 Location: Newcastle Status: Offline Points: 83 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Watch out for the hangover Ron, it can be quite dangerous stuff (especially if you start "quaffing" it) ;)
|
|
Gareth
|
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Good advice, Gareth - I'll be sure to exercise appropriate caution ~
|
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I bottled this first batch of mead on Monday evening, 26 February. I am ashamed to admit that I did let it sit on the yeast longer than intended, and failed to rack it before bottling. I should have racked it at least once between when I started it and now; twice might even have been better.
The good news is that I didn't damage it too much. There is a whiff of an off-smell in it that will hopefully go away, but that is most likely wishful thinking. Beneath that bit of off-aroma is something really nice, that makes up for it; it's like the essence of honey, with a little something extra. The colour is absolutely, unequivocally beautiful, a sunny, magical gold that one can read the fine print of a contract through. I could probably stare at that all day long. The taste? Well, it is very young, still - at least by mead standards (or so I hear). Having said that, I like it already. It is hard for me to describe, so I won't try; however, the honey itself came through much, much better than I thought it would, and there is something at the back end that really is nice. A person could drink a lot of this before realizing that s/he should have stopped a while ago. I was able to get 5 bottles, but one was from the bottom just above the yeast cake, so I split that with my father and #2 son. The other four will sit for at least a couple of months before I try another one; after that, I intend to hold onto the remaining three bottles at least until winter. I should probably get my second batch started, and soon.... |
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
gunhaus
Cook's Assistant Joined: 01 February 2018 Location: Just north of t Status: Offline Points: 25 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Yep - time to start another for sure! I do a number of meads, and have been trading ideas with Bernard on the other forum about quick meads/short meads of late. On a pretty straight up mead like the one you just did, might i suggest adding a half a whole clove, a cinnamon stick, a couple allspice berries, a small chunk of nutmeg (1/8 or so) and a couple black pepper corns. Put them in right at the onset with everything else. I then like to rack the first time at 14-21 days. After that, I probably won't even look at it again for 2-3 months. Then i may rack again, or may bottle at that point depending on clarity and how i feel about it all. By that time the honey usually shows through, and the spice is just a subtle hint in the back ground you can't quite finger. Another 3-6 months in the bottle and it really starts to get fine.
I love playing with mead - partly because it is one of those beverages i don;t take "too seriously" I like to play around with it a bit and there is so much you can do with the "base". As you just discovered , it can be a good bit more forgiving that many would like us to think!
|
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Those sound like some good additions, John - like you say, just a hint of something in the background that keeps you interested. ~
I am about ready to bottle a batch of the "Joe's Ancient Orange Mead," possibly this weekend. I made it about the same time as this; but as you know, the yeast called for with that one has a flocculation issue, so I've been cold-crashing in the hopes that it will stay tamed long enough to bottle. |
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
gunhaus
Cook's Assistant Joined: 01 February 2018 Location: Just north of t Status: Offline Points: 25 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Oh heck, it'll come out fine! I do a redneck cyser with evil ole bread yeasties all the time, and it always ends up plenty clear, and tasty.
|
|
TasunkaWitko
Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9356 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
|
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
|
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |