Hi, I'd like to try to make my own mead and would like a very simple recipe (i.e. no tools, few ingredients) from the professionals! The submitted recipes for "Basic Mead" on got mead seem incomplete. For example, one recipe doesn't say how much water to use. Can anyone provide me with a simple recipe that would be easy for a first timer?
First Time, Need A Simple Recipe!
- Thread starter Norskersword
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elleRe: First Time, Need A Simple Recipe!
This is well travelled ground, Let me refrence you to some recent discussions. Not trying to brush you off, I Will happily answer questions from these threads. If you read them first we may move more rapidly to more specific questions. Or to different recipes.
http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?op...tMead;action=display;num=1075256911;start=6#6
Also, the following link for sanitation information.
http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?op...&board=JustMead;action=display;num=1075638430
John - self appointed busybody at large
This is well travelled ground, Let me refrence you to some recent discussions. Not trying to brush you off, I Will happily answer questions from these threads. If you read them first we may move more rapidly to more specific questions. Or to different recipes.
http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?op...tMead;action=display;num=1075256911;start=6#6
Also, the following link for sanitation information.
http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?op...&board=JustMead;action=display;num=1075638430
John - self appointed busybody at large
T
TeaTruck
Guest
Guest
Norskersword said:
If the recipe doesn't say how much water, you can usualy assume that it is for a 5 gallon batch. Just add enough to bring your total volume up to that.
Not to be overly fussy,
12 lbs honey ~ 1 gallon
so the recipe with 12-15 pounds of honey and 5 gallons of water will be 6 - 6.25 gallons ... I'm unsure of the volume of grape juice above and beyond that. IIRC blueberry juice was 1/2 gallon per 5 pounds of berries pressed.
When you see an incomplete recipe...
Typical mead recipes are 2.5-3.5 pounds of honey per total gallons must when diluted with water and pitched with 12%-15% wine yeast.
Often times (usually IME) Water is added to hit the final volume or a target OG ... instead of a set amount... for instance water to 5 gallons in the Recipe by JoeM would be < 4 gallons of water. This would be my version of his recipe. JoeM apparently goes for dry meads with less alchohol than I do so he adds 5 gallons if I correctly read his posts.
Cyser recipes using apple juice and no water are 2-2.5 pounds of honey per gallon of Apple juice. And that is what I recomend for your first mead if you followed the link I gave you.
12 lbs honey ~ 1 gallon
so the recipe with 12-15 pounds of honey and 5 gallons of water will be 6 - 6.25 gallons ... I'm unsure of the volume of grape juice above and beyond that. IIRC blueberry juice was 1/2 gallon per 5 pounds of berries pressed.
When you see an incomplete recipe...
Typical mead recipes are 2.5-3.5 pounds of honey per total gallons must when diluted with water and pitched with 12%-15% wine yeast.
Often times (usually IME) Water is added to hit the final volume or a target OG ... instead of a set amount... for instance water to 5 gallons in the Recipe by JoeM would be < 4 gallons of water. This would be my version of his recipe. JoeM apparently goes for dry meads with less alchohol than I do so he adds 5 gallons if I correctly read his posts.
Cyser recipes using apple juice and no water are 2-2.5 pounds of honey per gallon of Apple juice. And that is what I recomend for your first mead if you followed the link I gave you.
R
Rurouni85Samurai
Guest
Guest
That much honey? I'm only using 1 1/2 gallons to 5 gallons of water. Guess when I rack into the carboy I will add some more for that sweeter taste.
P
Phil
Guest
Guest
I think he meant 2.5 to 3.5 pounds per gallon of the total quantity. In other words, for 5 gallons of mead use 12.5-17.5 pounds of honey.
Rurouni85Samurai said:
R
Rurouni85Samurai
Guest
Guest
that was a huge typo, i corrected it. Sleep deprivation will do that some times... yes I meant pounds per gallon of total must.
Simple recipe, practically fool proof called ancient mead. Works every time.
1 gal jug and airlock
Fill 3/4 full with 3 lbs honey and warm water mixture.
Add 10 raisins, 1 cinimmon stick, 1 clove, and 1 orange washed and cut into eights or thin slices rind and all. Add 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. Shake very well. Add airlock and put in dark place at about 68-70 degrees and forget about it.
In 6 - 8 weeks it should be clear and done. Siphon off the clear liquid into a clean bottle and enjoy.
Sure everyone will say:
Don't use bread yeast! You better boil it first. You better rack it before it finishes to get off of the lees or it will spoil! It will be cloudy! Don't put the rind of the orange in, only the juice and zest!
But I say hogwash! The proof is in the pudding! Works every time and is quite good for a first mead without all the equipment and it doesn't get much simpler for the beginner.
1 gal jug and airlock
Fill 3/4 full with 3 lbs honey and warm water mixture.
Add 10 raisins, 1 cinimmon stick, 1 clove, and 1 orange washed and cut into eights or thin slices rind and all. Add 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. Shake very well. Add airlock and put in dark place at about 68-70 degrees and forget about it.
In 6 - 8 weeks it should be clear and done. Siphon off the clear liquid into a clean bottle and enjoy.
Sure everyone will say:
Don't use bread yeast! You better boil it first. You better rack it before it finishes to get off of the lees or it will spoil! It will be cloudy! Don't put the rind of the orange in, only the juice and zest!
But I say hogwash! The proof is in the pudding! Works every time and is quite good for a first mead without all the equipment and it doesn't get much simpler for the beginner.
My reply for simpler recipe that that mass of fruit in a 1 gallon jug is as follows.
1 gallon glass jug of apple cider
2 pounds of honey
yeast (i still recomend wine yeast, you have to get a stopper and airlock anyway)
While I can't comment on the bread-melomel suggested by the previous poster, This recipe has worked for everyone who has tried it since I started teaching people to make mead.
I do recomend starting with a PETE (a type of plastic, PETE will be written under the recycle symbol on the bottom) bucket from Home Depot for initial fermentation.
Edit: Thought I'd finish what I should have posted earlier
Then after Kraussen drops, siphon off one gallon to the Applejuice jug. Place the rest (with sediment) in the Honey jar in the Refrigerator to cold stabalize. When you rack the 1 gallon jug later top off with the cleared must from the jar.
1 gallon glass jug of apple cider
2 pounds of honey
yeast (i still recomend wine yeast, you have to get a stopper and airlock anyway)
While I can't comment on the bread-melomel suggested by the previous poster, This recipe has worked for everyone who has tried it since I started teaching people to make mead.
I do recomend starting with a PETE (a type of plastic, PETE will be written under the recycle symbol on the bottom) bucket from Home Depot for initial fermentation.
Edit: Thought I'd finish what I should have posted earlier
Then after Kraussen drops, siphon off one gallon to the Applejuice jug. Place the rest (with sediment) in the Honey jar in the Refrigerator to cold stabalize. When you rack the 1 gallon jug later top off with the cleared must from the jar.
