BeerSmith™ Recipes and Web Editor

Notes

1. Sanitize your equipment. Before you begin your mead making process, you will start out making sure all your equipment is clean and sanitized. Anything that touches the must (unfermented honey and water mixture) should be sanitized, this will of course include the brew pot. If you are a homebrewer, you may depend on the boil to "sanitize" your brew pot. But with mead, we will not be boiling. So, it is important to clean and sanitize everything. 2. Heat the water. If your honey is crystallized, you can liquify it in a hot water bath. To do this, placed the sealed container in hot water until it liquefies enough to pour out of the container. In your brew pot, heat 2.5 Gallons of water to 170°F. Remove the brew pot and water from the heat source. You will be adding the honey to this water, but you do not want to do that while the brew pot is still on the heat source. The honey will sink to the bottom of the brew pot. If the brew pot is still on the heat source, there is a high risk of the honey scorching to the bottom of the brew pot. 3. Heating the honey to 150°F for about 5 minutes or or to 140°F for about 20 minutes should kill off any present wild yeasts. 4. Add the honey. Pour the honey in the brew pot. The honey will sink to the bottom. If you are as frugal as I am, you will want to get all the honey out of the containers. Use a ladle, (sanitized of course) and remove some of the hot water from the brew pot. Pour the hot water into the honey container, replace the lid and swirl around. Now, pour the remaining honey into the brewpot. You have just created a must. 5. Add 5 campden tablets to the hot water. Stir the mixture into a uniform solution. 6. Take a temperature reading. You should be around 140°F to 150°F. Use caution handling and moving the brew pot at this point. It may not be boiling, but it is very hot. Add 3 gallons of cool water to your sanitized plastic fermenter. You fermenter is now ready to receive the must. Pour the warm must into the fermenter and stir into the water. 7. It is time to add certain additives. 6 tsp Acid Blend, 4 tsp Yeast Nutrient & 2.5 tsp Pectic Enzyme. Add these now. 8. meads are made with fruit and honey. Although fresh fruit may be used, its eaiser to use 6 Pounds of Puree. The benefit to using the Purees, is that they are sanitary and can be added directly to the must. If you are going to use a Puree, it is to be added now. 9. It is time to pitch the yeast. Follow the pitching instructions of your chosen yeast. Typically, the must will need to be below 80°F before the yeast is pitched. Once you pitch the yeast into the must, stir well (with a sanitized spoon) to make sure it is well mixed. Yeast will need oxygen to aid in its reproduction and to get fermentation off to a healthy start. Stir the must vigorously for at least 5 minutes. 10. Take a hydrometer reading at this time to record the Original Gravity. 11. Fermentation temperature should be between 65-75°F for the duration of fermentation. Be sure to keep your fermentor off of cold floors and away from fluctuating temperatures. 12. Stir for 2 minutes twice a day until fermentation begins, usually within 24 to 48 hours. 13. Finishing Gravity : When fermentation is complete, take a hydrometer reading to confirm. This can sometimes take up to a month so do not rush this step. 14. Secondary : After confirming fermentation is complete, transfer to a sanitized 5-6 gallon glass carboy for secondary. Once in secondary, stir vigorously or use a wine whip, until all of the sulfur dioxide is released (rotten eggs) from the mead. Put the airlock in place and let the mead to clear for at least 2-3 months. This can sometimes take longer. Be sure to keep your airlock filled during this time. Once all of the sulfur is released then you can also use Isinglass in the secondary, this will speed up the clarifying process, usually about 3 to 7 days. 15. Before you proceed to the bottling step, ensure fermentation is complete via use of Hydrometer reading. When your mead has cleared, and you have not seen signs of fermentation for two weeks, it is probably time to bottle. Once in the bottle, age 6 to 9 months for best drinkability. Now is the time to decide whether you want a still mead or a sparkling mead. Still Mead : if you do not wish to have carbonation in your mead, you will need to add Potassium Sorbate before proceeding to the bottling process. Sparkling Mead : if a Sparkling Mead is desired, omit the addition of Potassium Sorbate, then follow normal bottling procedures for beer. If your are looking for the proper bottles for Sparkling Mead, you will want Vichy Bottles. Here comes the hard part, letting the mead mature or age in the bottle. Mead will improve dramatically with age. Leaving it sit for 6 months to 1 year before opening is ideal. Be patient and it will really pay off. Enjoy!