Today, I'm going to talk about how to make mead. Not beer, not wine, mead. You know, that stuff Vikings used to drink. Well....TECHNICALLY mead is a honey wine, but lets not split too many hairs. It's really in a class all its own.
When we think about making mead, we have to think about honey. Like all alcoholic beverages, mead has a sweet base. This is because the yeast needed to turn a sweet water into alcohol need sugar as a catalyst. In ancient times, one of the easiest ways of obtaining enough sugar to ferment into an alcohol was from honey.
What You Will Need
3 - 1 gallon plastic jugs
3 - 1 gallon jugs of spring water (tap or well water will work, just NOT distilled. I'll explain why later)
1 - package of ballons
1 - needle
1- hydrometer ( you can get one like This from Amazon.
1 - package of small organic fruit (optional if you can get raw honey. grapes, strawberries and tangerines work well)
1 - package of yeast ( while my very first batch of mead used regular bread yeast, I would suggest eventually using a specialty yeast like This
3lbs - raw honey
1 - food grade siphon hose, like This
I would HIGHLY recommend using raw honey. While pasteurized honey can be easily obtained, it lacks the enzymes needed to catalyze fermentation. Thus the small fruits, preferable organically grown. If you must use pasteurized honey, the fruits are a must.
You need to use well, tap or spring water. This is due to the fact that the yeast needs a slightly mineral (ie :hard) cast to the water in order to begin fermentation.
Step 1. CLEAN!!!!
Clean every surface and object you will be using with a sanitizing agent. THIS CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH! When fermenting, it is very easy to "infect" a batch with an unwanted bacteria. Ensure that, if you plan to touch it or if the mixture is going into it during this process, that it is cleaned and sterilized thoroughly.
Step 2. Prepare the Mixture
Into your 3 empty jugs, pour about 1lb of honey (this is just a guide, you can make higher ABV mead by using specialty yeasts and a higher honey - to - water ratio.)
Fill the jug to approx. 2" from the absolute top with spring water. Replace the cap on the jug.
Shake vigorously for about 5 mins. (this is definitely the hardest part.)
Once the mixture has been shaken well, remove the lid.
At this point, Take a reading with your hydrometer. This will be you OG (Original Gravity)
The place where the liquid crosses the float will be your reading.
If you had to use pasteurized honey, at this point, toss in sliced tangerines w/peel, whole grapes or sliced strawberries.
Pour 1/3 of the package of yeast into each mixed jug.
take a balloon and stretch it over the mouth of the jug. Take the needle and poke a SINGLE hole through one layer of the balloon.This will act as our air-lock.
Place the jugs in a warm (70-80 degrees) dark place. within a few hours ( and it could be as much as 24 hrs) the balloon will inflate. This is your sign that fermentation is happening.
if milk jugs are all you have that's fine, but I would suggest getting glass bottles at some point
Now...it's the waiting game. Mead fermentation is a slow process and can take as long as a month to complete. You will know the end of fermentation is approaching by the fact that the balloon will begin to deflate. Once the balloon has fallen over and is no longer able to support its weight by the gasses escaping, then you will be safe to remove the balloon and transfer the liquid over to another container for clarification, using your food grade siphon hose.
Clarification is where the sediment falls out of the solution (the mead) and to the bottom. When transferring the mead, be VERY careful , as disturbing the sediment at the bottom will make the clarification process longer. You will also need to take another hydrometer reading from each of the mead jugs. This will be our FG (Final Gravity) and will show you just how much alcohol by volume you made.
The formula for determining ABV is :
(FG - OG) x 131.25 = ABV %
This translates to Original Gravity - Final Gravity multiplied by 131.25
Once you have transferred you mead from the original fermentation jug to the clarification just, you must wait....again. Clarification is a process that can take up to 3 months. At any point during this process, even after the first transfer, the mead can be drunk. It will, however gain in quality and taste if allowed to clarify for at least a month before trying it out.
On my very first run with this method, I made 5 bottles of beautifully clear sparkling mead that boasted ABV levels of between 9% and 13%. This was with regular baking yeast from the grocery store.
I do have to warn you, making alcohol, any kind of alcohol, is addictive. You become obsessed with making a better brew or wine. Trust me, I know. It is however a very satisfying hobby, one that I've enjoyed for many years now. I am considering a longer, more in depth series of articles dealing with All-Grain an Extract beer brewing. If this article garners enough interest, I'll see about getting started on them.
Peace