Made my first mead - Few photos.

[floydmeddler]

I've been meaning to make mead for ages. The only thing that put me off was that it takes a year or two conditioning before it can be enjoyed. I have heard of people drinking their mead within 6 months though. God knows when it'll be ready...

Anyway, here are the ingredients. The honey cost me near enough £10. I know it's not the 'bees knees' but i've always considered Rowse to be pretty good stuff and have had success when using it in beers in the past.

I actually added the juice from 2 lemons in the end.



I added the honey, orange and lemon juice to a pan along with 1L of Sainsbury's Caledonian Spring Water. I kept the heat as low as possible and very gradually brought the honey up to 80c whilst stirring every few mins. It took around 30 mins (perhaps even more) to reach 80c.



Then I let it pasteurise for 20 mins.



When the pasteurisation process was complete, I plonked the pot into freeing cold water and brought the temperature down to 20c. This was then transferred into a 5L water bottle and topped up with Sainsbury's Caledonian Spring Water before adding the yeast. OG was 1098.

Here it is nearly a day later fermenting away nicely in my conditioning cupboard. Temp is set at 20c.



Plan is to let it sit there for a month then rack into a glass demijohn and forget about it for as long as I can.

[lancsSteve]

Nice - and super simple. Mead is on my list 'to make' but never get round to it in winter - want to make it Boxing day then give it away as Xmas presents !

[Tony01]

My mead is usually ok after about 8 months. Can drink it before that but better to wait. I've found an online seller of honey for fairly reasonable prices as I usually make 20 ltrs at a time. I'll get the web addy for you when I get home!

What yeast did you use? I've tried it with champagne yeast, but this time I got brewlabs to sort me some more 'traditional' yeast!

[awalker]

Oooh that looks nice, good luck

Cannot wait to give it a try, the wife is getting two bee hives this year
Might have to go and buy some honey on teh way home.

[floydmeddler]

My mead is usually ok after about 8 months. Can drink it before that but better to wait. I've found an online seller of honey for fairly reasonable prices as I usually make 20 ltrs at a time. I'll get the web addy for you when I get home!

What yeast did you use? I've tried it with champagne yeast, but this time I got brewlabs to sort me some more 'traditional' yeast!

8 months? That's reassuring. Might keep it as an Xmas drink then! Embarrassingly, I used Young's all purpose wine yeast. Hoping this was not a stupid move.

I'd love that honey supplier link. Cheers!

[floydmeddler]

Oooh that looks nice, good luck

Cannot wait to give it a try, the wife is getting two bee hives this year
Might have to go and buy some honey on teh way home.

Your own honey bees? Aren't you lucky! Now that would be satisfying - brewing with your own honey.

[Wolfy]

I've been meaning to make mead for ages. The only thing that put me off was that it takes a year or two conditioning before it can be enjoyed. I have heard of people drinking their mead within 6 months though.

I feel much the same, but the main reason that mead takes so long is that it's nutrient deficient, traditionally mead makers did not know any better and simply left it for long periods to fully ferment.
With some understanding of yeast, nutrients and appropriate additions it should be possible to make mead on much the same time-scale as beer.

[Old Speckled Ben]

With some understanding of yeast, nutrients and appropriate additions it should be possible to make mead on much the same time-scale as beer.

Hmmmm <strokes chin>

I'd hope so

[Tony01]

Here's the honey supplier I use ... reasonable prices but it can still work out on the high side with postage
http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/store/Ho ... c-323.html

I've found using good yeast and nutrient can speed up the process but I allow mine to drop clear naturally and don't prime .. there's something weird about fizzy mead!

[simco999]

sounds good - must do one of these!!!

[phial]

8 months? That's reassuring. Might keep it as an Xmas drink then! Embarrassingly, I used Young's all purpose wine yeast. Hoping this was not a stupid move.

I quite often use Youngs but you have to ensure you don't leave it on the lees too long. If I've managed to get some good quality honey I tend to go for a Gervin No 6 High Alcohol yeast. I use nutrient with both.

Additionally there are a number of quick (short) mead recipes with extremely short maturation times, some stronger than others. Joes quick mead is an example of using bread yeast (honest!!) for an ultra quick but weak mead.

[Wolfy]

Joes quick mead is an example of using bread yeast (honest!!) for an ultra quick but weak mead.

I didn't have much luck with the JAO recipe, I put it down to the fact that the bread yeast we have here is different to the one that the recipe is designed for.

[floydmeddler]

I'm happy to wait to be honest. I'm in no rush for it and like the idea of it taking time; I think I'll appreciate it more and not rush it when it is ready.

[phial]

I didn't have much luck with the JAO recipe, I put it down to the fact that the bread yeast we have here is different to the one that the recipe is designed for.

Once you start looking though there's more methods than you can believe. This is one of the ancient ones I may have to give a go sometime -
Take nine pints of warm fountain water, and dissolve in it one point of pure white honey, by laving it therein , till it be dissolved. Then boil it gently , skimming it all the while, till all the scum be perfectly scummed off; and after that boil it a little longer, peradventure a quarter of ah hour. In all it will require two or three hours boiling, so at least one third part may be consumed. About a quarter of an hour before you cease boiling, and take it from the fire, put to it a little spoonful of cleansed and sliced Ginger; and almost half as much of the thin yellow rind of Orange, when you are even ready t take it from the fire, so as the Orange boil only one walm in it. Then pour it into a well glassed strong deep great Gally-pot, and let it stand so, till it be almost cold, that it be scarce Luke-warm. Then put into it a little silver spoonful of pure Ale-yeast and work it together with a Ladle to make it ferment: as soon as it beginneth to do so, cover it close with a fit cover, and put a thick dubbled woollen cloth about it. Cast all things so that this may be done when you are going to bed.

Next morning when you rise, you will find the barm gathered all together in the middle; scum it clen off with a silver spoon and a feather, and bottle up the Liquor, stopping it very close. It will be ready to drink in two or three days, but is will keep well a month or two. It will from the first, very quick and pleasant.

*edit* Sorry Floyd, didn't mean to hijack your thread. I'm glad you've got the patience.......if you could keep a bottle back and leave it for a couple of years you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[awalker]

Oooh that looks nice, good luck

Cannot wait to give it a try, the wife is getting two bee hives this year
Might have to go and buy some honey on teh way home.

Your own honey bees? Aren't you lucky! Now that would be satisfying - brewing with your own honey.

Yes looking forward to it.
Will be asking lots of questions of you all.
So will be keeping an eye on your progress.

Looking forward to a few honey beers as well.