I'm looking for some suggestions/links to some mead recipes. I've tried making the Joe's Ancient Orange Mead but found it too dry for my taste so I'm specifically looking for sweet meads and some tips on how to achieve that.
I'm fond of banquet type meads, a particular favourite is Moniack but I've not found much on the internet that might help me get there. I'm aware of the gotmead website but as it's something I will rarely brew I grudge spending the money to gain access to the bulk of their recipes.
Any help will be appreciated!
Mead Recipes
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Cpt.Frederickson
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:54 pm
- Location: BIAB in the Shed, Maidstone, Kent
Re: Mead Recipes
You've got two basic options to get something on the sweeter side;
1. Back sweeten
2. High gravity, and hope the yeast poop out early
To my mind, recipe composition for basic traditional mead (honey, water, yeast and nutrients only) is pretty easy. The nutrient stuff can be complicated (but doesn't have to be), but the amount of honey to use is pretty easy. Gotmead have a calculator for working this out for a set volume/gravity etc.
Most important of all...age.
How old was you JAOM? Did you stick to the exact recipe?
Mead is a drink for very patient people. I made my first meads just after my daughter was born and they're starting to show good character now. She's two years old in about a fortnight
Would recommend at least 12 months aging, more is better. Perception of 'sweetness' can become more prominent in well aged mead, even if it finishes dry.
Hope all that makes sense.
1. Back sweeten
2. High gravity, and hope the yeast poop out early
To my mind, recipe composition for basic traditional mead (honey, water, yeast and nutrients only) is pretty easy. The nutrient stuff can be complicated (but doesn't have to be), but the amount of honey to use is pretty easy. Gotmead have a calculator for working this out for a set volume/gravity etc.
Most important of all...age.
How old was you JAOM? Did you stick to the exact recipe?
Mead is a drink for very patient people. I made my first meads just after my daughter was born and they're starting to show good character now. She's two years old in about a fortnight
Would recommend at least 12 months aging, more is better. Perception of 'sweetness' can become more prominent in well aged mead, even if it finishes dry.
Hope all that makes sense.
The Hand of Doom Brewery and Meadery
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
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Caddarn
Re: Mead Recipes
Hi Cpt.
I stuck to the JOAM recipe as exactly as I could while converting the measurements to metric. It fermented out around 4-6 weeks and that's when I bottled it. I left it to condition for 6 months but when I tried it, it tasted more like a dry white wine. I'll take my time planning this out and read more of what I have access to on Gotmead before I try again. Thanks for the reply!
I stuck to the JOAM recipe as exactly as I could while converting the measurements to metric. It fermented out around 4-6 weeks and that's when I bottled it. I left it to condition for 6 months but when I tried it, it tasted more like a dry white wine. I'll take my time planning this out and read more of what I have access to on Gotmead before I try again. Thanks for the reply!
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Cpt.Frederickson
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:54 pm
- Location: BIAB in the Shed, Maidstone, Kent
Re: Mead Recipes
No worries mate. Personally I bulk age my stuff and bottle eventually (reminds me, I need to get some bottles...) which pretty much guarantees no bottle bombs and saves the need for faffing around with finings etc.
As an rough example recipe (this is my favourite mead thus far) here's a ginger metheglyn I made.
1 gallon batch:
Honey to 1.120 (approx. 1700g/3.75lbs)
80g peeled ginger, finely sliced
250mls Assam tea (stteped and cooled)
'Nutrient' and 'energiser' (look up staggered nutrient additions if you like your life complicated!)
Lalvin D47 (Lallemand/Lalvin is the preffered yeast, I recommend D47 if you can control temp or K1V-1116 if you can't)
Water to 1 gallon (Imperial)
Recipe formulation is easy with mead (to my mind); work out what strength you're aiming for and calculate the honey addition then decide if you want additional flavourings. Adjust if these contain additional sugars. Then work out a feeding schedule. Simple! (yeah, right!)
As an rough example recipe (this is my favourite mead thus far) here's a ginger metheglyn I made.
1 gallon batch:
Honey to 1.120 (approx. 1700g/3.75lbs)
80g peeled ginger, finely sliced
250mls Assam tea (stteped and cooled)
'Nutrient' and 'energiser' (look up staggered nutrient additions if you like your life complicated!)
Lalvin D47 (Lallemand/Lalvin is the preffered yeast, I recommend D47 if you can control temp or K1V-1116 if you can't)
Water to 1 gallon (Imperial)
Recipe formulation is easy with mead (to my mind); work out what strength you're aiming for and calculate the honey addition then decide if you want additional flavourings. Adjust if these contain additional sugars. Then work out a feeding schedule. Simple! (yeah, right!)
The Hand of Doom Brewery and Meadery
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
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fatbloke
Re: Mead Recipes
JAO dry ? Not a hope in hell. I make mine to the same numbers but as an imp gallon not US so 20% larger but with the same honey etc and it still doesn't come out dry......
its a bad dry recipe anyway as it focuses the flavour on the pithy bitterness which is usually masked by the sweetness.
you didnt use wine yeast by chance did you ?
its a bad dry recipe anyway as it focuses the flavour on the pithy bitterness which is usually masked by the sweetness.
you didnt use wine yeast by chance did you ?
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Caddarn
Re: Mead Recipes
Hi fatbloke,
Definitely didn't use wine yeast, Allinsons bread yeast, it's still in the cupboard and will likely stay there forever. It was nowhere near as sweet as any commercial Mead I've tried, and I try them at every opportunity. As I was left drawing my cheeks in after a sip I'd say it was definitely on the dry side!
Definitely didn't use wine yeast, Allinsons bread yeast, it's still in the cupboard and will likely stay there forever. It was nowhere near as sweet as any commercial Mead I've tried, and I try them at every opportunity. As I was left drawing my cheeks in after a sip I'd say it was definitely on the dry side!
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Cpt.Frederickson
- Hollow Legs
- Posts: 454
- Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:54 pm
- Location: BIAB in the Shed, Maidstone, Kent
Re: Mead Recipes
6 months is still pretty young for most meads. Its disappointing when you try and your high hopes come crashing down in flames, but I hope you have some left. Long aging is the key!
But fatbloke is right, it is unlikely to be genuinely dry with bread east. Do you know what your initial and final gravity figures were? Also, most commercial meads are VERY sweet so they're more palatable without needing significant aging.
But fatbloke is right, it is unlikely to be genuinely dry with bread east. Do you know what your initial and final gravity figures were? Also, most commercial meads are VERY sweet so they're more palatable without needing significant aging.
The Hand of Doom Brewery and Meadery
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
Fermenting -
Conditioning - Meads - Raspberry Melomel yeast test, Vanilla Cinnamon Metheglyn, Orange Melomel.
Drinking - Youngs AAA Kit; Leatherwood Traditional Mead, Cyser, Ginger Metheglyn.
Planning - Some kits until I can get back to AG, then a hoppy porter, Jim's ESB, some American Red.
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JKaranka
Re: Mead Recipes
The ones I've made that worked for me where mainly braggots and they didn't need much aging:
- 4% pale braggot 50/50 honey and pale malt with late addition of Citra hops
- 6.5% dark braggot with 50% honey, rest pale malt, special B, crystal and roast barley. Flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla
- pink sparkly mead, around 1.3kg of honey and 200g blackcurrants to the gallon. Prime in bottle
- Sima, which uses bakers' yeast and is ready in a week (but also sweet and less than 2%abv)
- 4% pale braggot 50/50 honey and pale malt with late addition of Citra hops
- 6.5% dark braggot with 50% honey, rest pale malt, special B, crystal and roast barley. Flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla
- pink sparkly mead, around 1.3kg of honey and 200g blackcurrants to the gallon. Prime in bottle
- Sima, which uses bakers' yeast and is ready in a week (but also sweet and less than 2%abv)
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fatbloke
Re: Mead Recipes
Well that's unusual, but feasible......Caddarn wrote:Hi fatbloke,
Definitely didn't use wine yeast, Allinsons bread yeast, it's still in the cupboard and will likely stay there forever. It was nowhere near as sweet as any commercial Mead I've tried, and I try them at every opportunity. As I was left drawing my cheeks in after a sip I'd say it was definitely on the dry side!
not had that with Allinsons, or Tesco/Co-op/Asda/Hovis etc.......
it usually is about 1.135 or so SG and finishes about 1.025/1.035 sort of area. If it does come out dry, you can always just stabilise it and back sweeten.....
I was sent some Fleischmann's from a mate in the US so I'm gonna start 2 with that. 1 as a 1 US gallon size batch and 1 as 1 imp gallon size........
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Caddarn
Re: Mead Recipes
Cpt. & fatbloke,
I was still fairly new to homebrewing when I attempted the JOAM and had neglected to think ahead enough on how to take a sample from the demijohn to measure gravity so I didn't take any readings...
But in the spirit of homebrewing I decided to learn from my mistakes and try again when I was more experienced. I'm hoping to try again in the next few months so I'm planning ahead this time!
I was still fairly new to homebrewing when I attempted the JOAM and had neglected to think ahead enough on how to take a sample from the demijohn to measure gravity so I didn't take any readings...
But in the spirit of homebrewing I decided to learn from my mistakes and try again when I was more experienced. I'm hoping to try again in the next few months so I'm planning ahead this time!