Greetings!

[Lost Tyger]

Just a short hello to you all, and a thanks for the site.

Brand new to brewing, although I have a friend who has done some meads. I'm looking for a new hobby, thought one that involved drinking sounded like a good idea.

I'm thankful in advance for all the advice I'll solicit from you; will try to read through the guides and use the searches first.

Cheers.

 

[TDMooney]

Welcome to GOTMEAD? !

 

[Lost Tyger]

I guess I'll throw a question here. If this is the wrong place, advance apologies and please show the newb where the classroom is.

I found a recipe in searching; here is what was provided:

Source: Kevin Karplus (karplus@ararat.ucsc.edu)
Ingredients:
3 gallons, water
16 pounds, honey
1/4 cup, Keemun tea
1/4 cup, oolong tea
2 teaspoons, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon, whole anise seed
18 clusters, cardamom, crushed
20 allspice, crushed
1 inch, Galangal root, crushed yeast
unflavored gelatin (fining)

Procedure:
Boil water, adding tea and spices. Remove from heat and stir in honey. (Some mead makers boil the honey, skimming the scum as it forms). Cover boiled water, and set aside to cool (this usually takes a long time, so start on the next step). Make a yeast starter solution by boiling a cup of water and a tablespoon or two of honey. Add starter to cooled liquid. Cover and ferment using blow tube or fermentation lock. Rack two or three times to get rid of sediment.

This recipe took about 6-1/2 months from brewing to bottling. First rack took place 15 days after brewing. 2nd rack, 3 weeks later. 3rd rack 3 months later. Gelatin added 1 month later. Bottled about 2-1/2 months later. Yield 3.7 gallons.

I admit that I may be amitious in starting with a recipe like this, but I am aiming for sweet meads, as dry is not to my taste at all.

I've been poking around a bit and am now concerned about the 'recipe' as written, as I'm thinking the amount of sugars in there might be too much for the yeast, and therefore lead to a terribly long fermentation stage. Not that I am impatient, in fact, I'm trying to get into mead because my available time matches up with the aging requirements rather well. But I'd like to have something to try out, you know, eventually.

Since a yeast was not specified, I've ordered the Red Star Cotes des Blancs, after seeing a description that it was good for mead.

I've just ordered some supplies and equipment, and so there is still time for me not to mess this up. If there is advice on a different yeast, and on the need for nutrients, I'm all (electronic) ears.

Thanks again!

 

[Medsen Fey]

If you start with the NewBee guide, it will help you get your arms around the process. A link is located in the column to the left.

For a first mead, you might want to consider Joe's Ancient Orange. It is a reliable sweet mead recipe that many folks like, and which requires minimal equipment.

If you want to pursue the recipe you listed, you may certainly do so and it should end sweet, but without taking gravity measurements and without nutrients it could take a while, and I'm not sure you'll end up where you want. If you do want to try such a recipe, I'd strongly encourage you to invest in a hydrometer right away. Otherwise you'll have trouble knowing if it is done or if it is stuck when it stops bubbling.

Welcome to GotMead!

 

[skunkboy]

Welcome to GotMead! ;-)