Ingredients
-
15 lb (6.8 kg) honey
-
4 tsp (20 g) yeast nutrient
-
1½ tsp (7.5 g) yeast energizer
-
½ tsp (2.5 g) Irish moss (or other
clarifying agent)
-
2 packages of Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead yeast,
or White Labs 720 Sweet Mead yeast, or your yeast of choice
(If you would rather make a yeast starter, use one package
of yeast in the yeast starter described in the
Procedure below.)
-
3 gallons (11.3 L) pre-boiled and cooled
water
Fruit Additions
If you are unsure of the affect fruit will have
on your mead, remember to err on the lighter side since it is
easy to add more fruit, but very hard to remove it once it is in
the mead. The weighted mesh bag in each of the fruit additions
below can be accomplished by placing sterilized marbles in the
bag with the fruit. I highly recommend the use of mesh bags for
fruit additions, since it prevents fruit from being picked up in
the racking cane, and reduces the amount of mead lost in the
fruit. It also makes your cleanup much easier.
The amount of fruit used should be balanced
against how dry or sweet you would like your mead to end up.
For dry mead, use less fruit. Be aware that fruit additions can
also overpower a delicate honey.
-
Cherries
– Using sweet cherries, you can add 7 to 10 pounds (3.2 to
4.5 kg) of pitted cherries directly or in a weighted,
sterilized mesh bag to the secondary fermenter. Using sour
cherries, add 6 to 9 pounds (2.7 to 4.1 kg) of pitted
fruit. Sample your mead regularly to determine when to
transfer off the cherries.
-
Blueberries
– You can add 7 to 10 pounds (3.2 to 4.5 kg) of blueberries
directly or in a weighted, sterilized mesh bag to the
secondary fermenter. Using fresh blueberries is great, but
blueberry character in mead can be enhanced when the berries
have been frozen and thawed before adding to the must.
Sample your mead regularly to determine when to transfer off
the blueberries.
-
Melons
– Because varieties of melon are distinctly different in
strength of flavor and aroma, you may need to adjust the
amount used in your mead. Use 6 to 9 pounds (2.7 to 4.1 kg)
of cubed melon directly or in a weighted, sterilized mesh
bag to the secondary. Sample your mead regularly to
determine if enough melon character is present, or if it is
time to transfer off the fruit. If more melon character is
needed, you can add 1 pound (454 g) of fruit and continue to
monitor the mead for the melon character you would like.
-
Currants
– Add 5 to 7 pounds (2.3 to 3.2 kg) directly or in a
weighted, sterilized mesh bag to the secondary. Using fresh
currants is great, but the currant character in the mead is
enhanced when the fruit has been frozen and thawed before
adding to the must. Sample your mead regularly to determine
when to transfer off the currants. (Be careful; currants
stain very easily.)
-
Plums
– Use 7 to 9 pounds (3.2 to 4.1 g) of pitted and halved
plums with the skin still on the fruit (for the tannins)
added directly or in a weighted, sterilized mesh bag to the
secondary. Using fresh plums is great, but plum character in
the mead is enhanced when the plums have been frozen and
thawed before adding to the must. Sample your mead
regularly to determine when to transfer off the plums.
Procedure
A couple of days before you make the mead, make
a yeast starter. Sterilize a ½ gallon bottle (a.k.a. growler),
an appropriate stopper with a hole, a funnel, and a fermentation
lock. Boil 6 cups (1.42 L) of water with ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g)
yeast energizer, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) yeast nutrient, and 1
tablespoon (15 g) light dry malt extract (LDME). Boil for 5 to
10 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 cup (236 mL) honey. Cool
the mixture to room temperature and pour the solution into the
sterilized bottle. Add the yeast, cap the bottle and shake the
mixture vigorously for a minute or two. When aeration is
complete, attach the stopper and the fermentation lock with
liquid in it.
On the day you are making the mead, set the
honey containers in a sink with hot water to soften the honey.
Clean and sanitize the funnel and strainer,
carboy/bucket, stopper or lid with hole, and fermentation lock.
Put the Irish moss in a cup with a small amount
of water to hydrate it.
Boil 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water in the stockpot
for 10 minutes (you can add your wort chiller, spoon, and
thermometer during the boil to sterilize them). Turn off the
heat and allow the water to cool to approximately 160 °F (71
°C). Stir in the honey, and then re-apply heat to get it to 160
°F (71 °C) again. Add 1 tsp (5 g) yeast nutrient and ½ tsp (2.5
g) hydrated Irish moss and hold at 160 °F (71 °C) for 20
minutes.
After 20 minutes, use your wort chiller and/or a
sink with cold ice water to quickly cool the must to ~65 to 70
°F (18 to 21 °C). When cooled, pour the must into the sanitized
fermentation vessel (glass carboy or bucket). Add the pre-boiled
and cooled water to the fermenter to bring the volume up to 5
gallons (19 L) and shake the fermenter to mix up the must. Take
an original gravity reading with your hydrometer. If the must is
65 to 70 °F (18 to 21 °C), pitch the yeast and aerate well.
Attach the fermentation lock and add liquid to the lock; cheap
vodka works well, because it’s sterile and won’t taint the mead
if it comes in contact with it.
Yeast Nutrient Schedule (Optional)
If you have 4 or 5 inches (10 or 13 cm) of space
above the liquid in the fermenter, you can safely add yeast
nutrients to the must per this schedule. If you have little room
between the liquid and the top of the fermenter, you may want to
place the fermenter in the bathtub before adding any nutrients
(otherwise it can be somewhat messy).
After 24 hours, add 1 tsp (5 g) yeast nutrient
and ½ tsp (2.5 g) yeast energizer. Use the sterilized end of
your long spoon or a wine degasser to stir the must. Stir gently
at first, and after a bit, stir enough to rouse the yeast, but
not so vigorously as to cause bubbles.
After 48 hours, add 1 tsp (5 g) yeast nutrient
and ½ tsp (2.5 g) yeast energizer. Stir the must gently and then
enough to rouse the yeast, but not so vigorously as to cause
bubbles.
After 72 hours, add 1 tsp (5 g) yeast nutrient
and ½ tsp (2.5 g) yeast energizer. Stir the must gently and then
enough to rouse the yeast, but not so vigorously as to cause
bubbles.
Fermentation
Allow the mead to ferment for about 6 weeks.
When the activity in the fermentation lock has slowed to one
bubble every 30 seconds or more or if the mead has clarified,
take a specific gravity reading and transfer the mead to the
secondary fermenter with your choice of the 5 fruit additions.
We recommend using a bucket for the secondary with the fruit
addition. Be sure to monitor the fruit character of the mead
periodically (weekly or monthly should be good enough). Feel
free to adjust the fruit amounts to your own taste. When the
mead has acquired enough fruit character, transfer the mead into
another fermenter and allow it to bulk age for a few months.
When the mead has cleared and airlock activity has slowed to
about one bubble per minute, it is time to bottle. Take a
specific gravity reading at this time.
Bottling
If the gravity reading is close to the expected
reading (1.030-1.045), there will be a lot of residual sugar in
the mead. If you like how it tastes, you may want to use a
stabilizer such as potassium sorbate to stop any further
fermentation. To do this, add 2½ teaspoons (12.5 g) of potassium
sorbate to the mead and gently stir it in. Wait a day or two
before bottling the mead.
If you prefer not to use potassium sorbate, you
can slow further fermentation by refrigerating the mead. Be
aware that inadequately refrigerated sweet meads can become
carbonated over time.
Be sure to celebrate Mead Day 2012 by opening a
bottle of your 2011 Mead Day Melomel!
Wassail!
