Strawberry Szechuan Short BOMM

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This mead is a fantastic summer short mead. While it is very good straight out of primary, a few months of age really brings the honey sweetness back. I was going for an easy recipe that didn’t require finding fresh fruit (of course, you could use fresh fruit). Since I plan to drink this around the pool, I wanted a nice counter point to give a nice cooling effect to the mead. Szechuan peppercorns have a wonderful cooling effect if done in small doses (large doses cause a numbing effect!). In addition, strawberries and szechuan berries go very well together.

2 pounds orange blossom honey
1.2 ounces Freeze Dried Strawberries
1 teaspoon Red Szechuan peppercorns
0.5 teaspoon Tellicherry Black Peppercorns
1 tablespoon Fermaid O (10 grams)
1/8 teaspoon Potassium Carbonate
1 tsp pectinase (Optional: Cold crashing will work eventually.)
3/4 gallon Ozarka spring water (NOT distilled water)
1 pack Wyeast 1388 (Activate for 1-2 hours)
12 drops Cooper’s Carbonation drops (Add 3 drops per liter at bottling)

1. Add 2 lbs Orange Blossom honey (SG 1.08) to a sanitized carboy.
2. Add the following spices: 1.2 oz Freeze Dried Strawberries, 1 tsp Red Szechuan berries, and 1/2 tsp Tellicherry Black Peppercorns
3. Add 1 TBSP (~10 grams) of Fermaid O.
4. Add 1/8 tsp potassium carbonate and 1 tsp pectinase.
5. Fill halfway with water, cap the jug, and shake until honey is completely dissolved.
6. Fill 1/2 cup shy of 1 gallon with water.
7. A an activated smack pack of Wyeast 1388 and airlock.
8. Ferment until 1.000.
9. Cold crash by sticking in the refrigerator as soon as it hits 1.000.
10. Once clear, bottle with carbonation tabs. Allow 2-4 weeks to carbonate. Protip: Carbonates faster in a warm environment such as a laundry room or on top of the fridge.

BOMM, Mead Recipes, Weirdomel

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Bray Denard

Bray Denard is the inventor of Bray’s One Month Mead (aka “the BOMM”), one of the more popular mead styles among home mead makers. He provides help to mead makers around the world through forums such as Got Mead? and his personal website, www.denardbrewing.com. Research scientist by day, Bray is never afraid to experiment and is always striving to improve mead making through science and innovation. He currently resides in McKinney, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.