my first mead

[labba]

I made some mead a few months ago, but i was not sure how to actually make it. What i did is get some normal honey (the old school bottle shaped in a honey bear) and i added some water to it to thin it some, and shook the crap out of it, then i added my yeast. It tastes like alcohol and it smells like it, but it is not the great of a taste. Should i heat the water up in a pot on the stove then add the honey, then the yeast? What if i didnt even use water, would that work? i Know it would be very sweet, but would it still ferment? If i get enough "i think it would work"s then i will make it my next experiment.
By the way i just stumbled across this site about 30 minutes ago, so im very new, But thanks in advance to any help.

 

[Talon]

Welcome to the forums.

While it sounds like you have the theory of cold mixing down, your process and honey may have some concerns. Please tell us what fermentation vessel you used, how you kept it from oxydizing (airlock) and yeast type you used. Basically recipe and proceedure you followed.

Normally, we won't use the old school bear bottle honey. We go straight to the source, the beekeepr, or apiary. We get it as pure as we can, usually filtered to take out the wax, but after that, it sometimes even includes bee parts in it it's that pure and from the hive. Most only apply heat to the water to mix it in and after that, no other heat is used and we just stir the heck out of the must.

Hope this helps and gives you a few things to ponder.

Talon.

 

[JoeM]

adding yeast directly to honey will not work. most organisms cannot grow in such a concentrated solution. In fact honey itself contains a multitude of organisms including bacteria from the soil and the bees as well as wild yeast from the air. Yet none of these organisms can activly grow in the honey as is.

 

[Jmattioli]

Hi Labba,
Welcome. I would recommend you spend some time reading under the heading mead newbies. It will take you through some Must preparation procedures and give you some needed basics so you might have some more specific questions. I take it your first try was in the bear container and would not be representitive of a good mead. Read through some of the basic recipes and procedures found on this site and then dig in and you will have more favorable results. Welcome aboard again.
Joe

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Welcome Labba,

In addition to everything else that has been recommended, I would also highly recommend that you purchase yourself a copy of The Compleat Meadmaker. It is a great book for a beginner or an expert and will eventually be a part of your library if you continue in meadmaking. It is available through here through a link on the homepage or from Amazon.com.

Best of luck with your brewing!
Pewter

 

[labba]

actually i left some parts out. I actually made it in an empty gallon jug of milk (or orange jiuce. i dont remember the source) And i dont know what type of yeast i used, untill i came to this site, i was unaware there were many different types. And to keep things from getting in to it while fermenting, i used a ziplock bag. I occassionaly let the air out of it. I was going to get a tube and put one side sealed on the jug, and let the other side lay in some water. That way the pressure in the jug would force air into the water then bubble out, but thing could not go into the water and up the tube. Lack of room where i let it sit and i lack of tube long enough kept me from doing that though.

Thanks to all that replied. I thank you all. And thanks the the link to the book. I will roam these posts some more for more info.

 

[GntlKnght]

And to keep things from getting in to it while fermenting, i used a ziplock bag. I occassionaly let the air out of it.

I love your enthusiasm and ingenuity! I have a friend, who uses a condom as the airlock to keep the nasties out. Periodically, she releases the CO2 from the "airlock" to keep it from flying off or bursting.

I don't know what your financial situation is like, but I would make a couple of suggestions that are fairly cheap to come by.
First, I don't know if you are using a glass or plastic container, but a glass one will work best for you. You can find glass gallon jugs at most brew stores or better yet, find one full of Apple Cider and use that once you finish the cider.
Next would be an airlock and stopper. Each cost around a dollar, but it is a wise investment indeed. Especially when your fermentation slows or stops and you don't have all of that CO2 "pushing" everything out of the jug!

Have fun and enjoy! (I'm guessing I didn't need to tell you that part!)

 

[Oskaar]

Trust me, the CO2 output from that batch o mead won't bust that condom. I saw one of the Trojan Marketing VP's pull one completely over his head on TV. Now that's entertainment!

We use them over the barrels of our guns when we hunt to keep out the rain, snow, sleet, sand, etc. They work like champs!

Cheers,

Oskaar