NewBee Hello and Introduction…

[Smokin' Gun]

Hello, everyone…my name is John, and I am a Mead Drinker!

This is my first post here, as I have been thinking about posting for quite a while, I guess like all of you, I am search of the perfect mead (especially since my local class IV at MacDill AFB, stopped carrying it)…

I am looking for good mead to drink, I would love to learn how to make it, but don’t know if I can, if I made it...it would probably be a 3/1 Mead (if this is even correct), and since I am single, I would brew it right in the center of my living room!

I hope to learn as much as I can from those of you willing to share, such as brands of good Mead (bottled), as I am sure that each of you has your favorite brew recipe, some secrets to make it better, or add some flavors, although to be honest, I like it plain, however, it never hurts to try new things…and everything else I can learn!

Regards,

John

 

[fatbloke]

Hello, everyone…my name is John, and I am a Mead Drinker!

This is my first post here, as I have been thinking about posting for quite a while, I guess like all of you, I am search of the perfect mead (especially since my local class IV at MacDill AFB, stopped carrying it)…

I am looking for good mead to drink, I would love to learn how to make it, but don’t know if I can, if I made it...it would probably be a 3/1 Mead (if this is even correct), and since I am single, I would brew it right in the center of my living room!

I hope to learn as much as I can from those of you willing to share, such as brands of good Mead (bottled), as I am sure that each of you has your favorite brew recipe, some secrets to make it better, or add some flavors, although to be honest, I like it plain, however, it never hurts to try new things…and everything else I can learn!

Regards,

John

Welcome.

The only way you're gonna find the perfect mead, it probably to brew it yourself.

But you'll probably have to work out what type of mead is to your taste, as there's about a million and one combinations of ingredients.....

Give it a go, it's not really that hard, and if you make smaller batches you can have lots of different types on the go at once...

regards

fatbloke

 

[mmclean]

Hi John,

Welcome to GOTMEAD?

Try http://www.bnektar.com/ to start.

I recommend you make your own though. Start with a JAO and read the newbee guide, link found to your left. Go from there. We're here to help.

Did some work at MacDill AFB after Andrew took out Homestead. Man that place was hopping.

 

[Smokin' Gun]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the welcome, and thank you for the links, they are much appreciated!

I took a quick look, and looks like I have a lot to learn, but at least I know where to get some mead now!

I used to drink “English Mead”. Originally made by Lurgashall Winery…but by the original owner, but they stopped importing it after he sold the place, and the only place I could get it, locally, was the Class VI, I have two bottles left, and cannot bring myself to drink them, as they are “open in case of emergency” only! LOL!

I have even gone as far as trying to find importers for the new owner (she stated the recipe has not changed), but I have yet to get any assistance from her at all, so…it is somewhat disheartening.

MacDill AFB is more of a hopping place now, that CENTCOM, SOCOM, and a few other COM’s are based there…parking is difficult as every General and Colonel takes up all the parking spaces to include the disabled ones, and they are on active duty! LOL!

Both are you are right, I am probably going to start having to make my own mead, I guess, I would like to learn to make the “old style”, if there is such a thing, just a lot of honey some water, and yeast, and let it go from there, I hope it better than that wine…I tried to make once…years ago, that was a disaster!

Thanks and Regards,

John

 

[Chevette Girl]

Welcome aboard, John.

If you like sweeter wines and meads, I highly recommend starting with JAO (Joe's Ancient Orange Mead), it's a really easy recipe and a very good start to figure out what you like. I don't even particularly like orange and I still make this at least once a year.

 

[Smokin' Gun]

Hello Chevette Girl

Thanks for the welcome, it is much appreciated and thank you for the tip!

Me, I like a good table wine, and prefer Belgium Beer over that, but really love mead, I actually prefer what I had when I was in Europe, it wasn’t too sweet nor was it bitter, and when I came back, all they had was “English Mead” at the Class VI, so I became used to it.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I bet all of you know what it is, but the best way to say it, is Old School Mead, European style…I don’t know how to explain it any better. Sorry for my lack of mead, Knowles and etiquette.

I found the recipe...

“Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Bread yeast
Yeast Starter: nope
Batch Size (Gallons): 1
Original Gravity: 1.100????
Final Gravity: 1.030?????
Boiling Time (Minutes): 1
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 2 months

Ancient Orange Mead (by Joe Mattioli)
1 gallon batch

3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet)
1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove ( or 2 if you like - these are potent critters)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice )( very small )
1 teaspoon of Fleishmann’s bread yeast ( now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then)
Balance water to one gallon

Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon carboy
Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy
Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- its ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)

Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water. ( need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy)

Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.

When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. ( No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not)(The yeast can fight for their own territory)

Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)( Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to smell every once in a while.

Racking --- Don't you dare
additional feeding --- NO NO
More stirring or shaking -- Your not listening, don't touch

After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away) . If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be, then enjoy your mead. When you get ready to make different mead you will probably have to unlearn some of these practices I have taught you, but hey--- This recipe and procedure works with these ingredients so don't knock it. It was your first mead. It was my tenth. Sometimes, even the experts can forget all they know and make good ancient mead.”​

I am going to give it a try, I hope it works…

Regards,

John

 

[fatbloke]

Lurgashall winery? Hum! Well IMO there's no accounting for taste ;-D

I'd guess that the owner is concentrating on the wine, as there's a lot of sparkling white made around here. The kind of stuff that passes the french off as it wins the awards that "should" have been for a champagne :-D the mead would just be a sideline.....

If you like your meads like that, then the JAO recipe will do you fine. Actually I find JAO not quite as sweet. But you can always make it up as a 1 US gallon batch, then a 1 imperial gallon batch and a 5 litre batch and see which you prefer. The only difference is the water, just under 4 litres, 4.55 litres and a 5.

If you follow the JAO instructions, it works well. You only need a basic kit and the rest of the ingredients are grocery store stuff.

 

[Smokin' Gun]

Lurgashall winery? Hum! Well IMO there's no accounting for taste ;-D

I'd guess that the owner is concentrating on the wine, as there's a lot of sparkling white made around here. The kind of stuff that passes the french off as it wins the awards that "should" have been for a champagne :-D the mead would just be a sideline.....

If you like your meads like that, then the JAO recipe will do you fine. Actually I find JAO not quite as sweet. But you can always make it up as a 1 US gallon batch, then a 1 imperial gallon batch and a 5 litre batch and see which you prefer. The only difference is the water, just under 4 litres, 4.55 litres and a 5.

If you follow the JAO instructions, it works well. You only need a basic kit and the rest of the ingredients are grocery store stuff.

ROTL! Ya, no taste here…good call…LOL!

I had to make do with what I had…ok, No Excuses, I should have joined earlier (as soon as I learned about it), and learned, but it is never too late! I can admit my faults! LOL!

I used to go to the FLA State Fair, here every year, and talk to the Orange Blossom bee keepers, and even the Department Head that regulates Bee Keeping (I was amazed they had one)…and they all promised they knew someone that made good mead, and I would give them my number, and get theirs, but no matter what I did, it never seemed to pan out.

So, I take it you live close to Sarah, that is the new owner, she seems nice, but she said the prior owner was an American, and she didn’t get much from him as far as exporting, so I offered to help, as she said she was doing everything the same.

I am going to give JAO, a go, and see how it pans out...any suggestions or tips on how I should really start, the proper way?

I will try the US gallon first, and see how that goes, and then if can try the imperial!

Regards,

John

 

[mmclean]

John,

If your looking for tips, start here.

Just follow the recipe.

 

[Loadnabox]

Both are you are right, I am probably going to start having to make my own mead, I guess, I would like to learn to make the “old style”, if there is such a thing, just a lot of honey some water, and yeast, and let it go from there, I hope it better than that wine…I tried to make once…years ago, that was a disaster!

This is referred to as a "show mead" around here. This type is generally made fairly dry and is meant to showcase the flavor in a particular variety of honey.

Show meads are the hardest to make, requiring lots of attention in the form of stirring, degassing, aeration and nutrient additions.

If you're going to go for it, make a number of small batches all from the same must then make minor changes like temp, aeration, feeding, or yeast while keeping the rest of the variables the same. This kind of experimentation will help you narrow down how to come up with the show mead that you will like.

Be sure to read as thoroughly as possible through the forums, there's lots of good things to learn before you mix your first batch.

Oh... and it never hurts to make a batch of JAO

 

[mmclean]

A show mead is made with only honey, water and yeast. Add nutrients but no other flavorings and you have a traditional.

There is really no reason to make a show mead other than to "show" that you can.

 

[Loadnabox]

A show mead is made with only honey, water and yeast. Add nutrients but no other flavorings and you have a traditional.

There is really no reason to make a show mead other than to "show" that you can.

good point, thanks for the correction MM

 

[Smokin' Gun]

John,

If your looking for tips, start here.

Just follow the recipe.

Hello Mmclean,

Thank you the tip, and the link, it is appreciated! Now I have to purchase all the items and start, seems simple enough, although the specific gravity thing has me, but I don’t think I need, it, if I am wrong correct me!

Thanks and Regards,

John

 

[AToE]

If you'd also like a recipe for a simple "traditional" mead with just honey, water, yeast and nutrients (and possibly some wonderful oaking) let me know and I'll tell you a dead easy one to do. The only thing is figuring out how sweet/dry you'll want it.

 

[Smokin' Gun]

This is referred to as a "show mead" around here. This type is generally made fairly dry and is meant to showcase the flavor in a particular variety of honey.

Show meads are the hardest to make, requiring lots of attention in the form of stirring, degassing, aeration and nutrient additions.

If you're going to go for it, make a number of small batches all from the same must then make minor changes like temp, aeration, feeding, or yeast while keeping the rest of the variables the same. This kind of experimentation will help you narrow down how to come up with the show mead that you will like.

Be sure to read as thoroughly as possible through the forums, there's lots of good things to learn before you mix your first batch.

Oh... and it never hurts to make a batch of JAO

Hello Loadnabox,

Thank you for the name of it, I never knew it was called “show mead”, and I didn’t know it was the hardest to make!

I am going to go with your advice and everyone else and make the JOA, as that seems doable for my skill level!

If I ever get good at it, I will try just plain old “Show Mead”

I am very excited, now to purchase all the stuff, mix and wait…LOL!

Thanks and Regards,

John

 

[AToE]

It should be mentioned that while a traditional and a show mead can end up being essentially the same thing in regards to the finished product, show meads are hard to make, traditionals aren't hard (making a great one is, but making a great anything when you start can be tough!), because traditionals can use nutrients, making your life waaaaay easier!

 

[Smokin' Gun]

If you'd also like a recipe for a simple "traditional" mead with just honey, water, yeast and nutrients (and possibly some wonderful oaking) let me know and I'll tell you a dead easy one to do. The only thing is figuring out how sweet/dry you'll want it.

Hello AToE,

I would love a simple Honey Water and Yeast Recipe, I didn’t learn about the nutrients until today, but if it is easy, I would love to try it, which one should be my first try the JOA, or your simple recipe?

Not too sweet, not too dry, a little more sweet than dry I guess.

I know I like traditional Mead, the question is can I pull it off correctly or at least make a good batch my first go.

Thanks and Regards,

John

 

[kudapucat]

Definitely the JAO.
It will be ready quicker, so you'll learn faster.

If you can, get a hold of a book or two, and read the newbee guide from front to back. Ken Schramm's 'The Compleat Meadmaker' was very helpul for me, (and plugged gotmead I think, so was instrumental in me being here )

 

[TheAlchemist]

Ken Schramm is good for science, Pam Spence is good for Alchemy and history.

 

[commonsenseman]

Welcome to the forum Mr Gun!

Be sure to start a brewlog for us to follow once you get some stuff going!