Thread: Got Mead?

I tried my hand at a basic mead about 10 years ago. by basic I mean no other flavors just honey. it came out slightly on the dry side. I dont really drink that often and I made 5 gallons of the stuff so I still have 2 bottles left. I have noticed that when bottled and aged like wine it really gets good. I'm waiting for a really special occasion to open the two bottles I have left because I know they are going to blow my socks off.

OK... third batch on the shelf...

1/3 Gallon Spring Water
1 pkg. Yeast
3 Lbs. Honey
25 Rasins
1/3 Juicy Juicy Cherry (100%)

I'm shooting for a Sweeter Brew this time...

Originally Posted by NoseWarmer

OK... third batch on the shelf...

1/3 Gallon Spring Water
1 pkg. Yeast
3 Lbs. Honey
25 Raisins
1/3 Juicy Juicy Cherry (100%)

I'm shooting for a Sweeter Brew this time...

OK... I got this batch racked and "jarred"...

The color looks great but the flavor still needs some age... 4 more months...

I did try my had at distilling the other day... That is some, ummmmm... Potent S**T!

MY brew started with:

1 gallon of spring water
1.5 large bottles of corn syrup
25 raisins
1 pkg of yeast and about 45 days

This was only an experiment...

I'm taking some vials to the ethanol plant in the AM so they can tell me what proof it is...

I talked to a process manager today at the plant and he was guessing about 190 proof...

That's pretty scary for a "do it yourself" in the kitchen kind of thing.

I've been brewing for a while. I just bottled a strawberry mead:

17 Lbs Strawberries
17 lbs honey
water to six gal
KV-1116 Yeast + Fermax starter

I started it in Jan and bottled a few weeks ago. It should sit for another month but it is really, really good and might not survive that long. Very sweet and smells strongly of strawberry.

Originally Posted by NoseWarmer

I'm taking some vials to the ethanol plant in the AM so they can tell me what proof it is...

Invest in a hydrometer, that way you can do it yourself. They are a brewing necessity.

Wow.....Phil,you're turning into a mad Scientist here ! You go man !!

Wont be long an dyou will be running your vehicles on the stuff you don't like to drink.

Next you need to make Schnapps, I ahd a friend in college that made some very good batches of this.

When people get handovers it is from two things, well really only one, resulting in the other two. The first is drinking too much, it results in the sulphate issue or the loss of vitamin b from your system. If you read about it you can remedy both quite easily.

On the Gluten free beer, My wife is a celiac aswell. I have made 5 different 5 gal batches and I like the sorghum based beer best. It can end up being a dry beer on the order of beer that is like champange. Also do some reading on the celiac forum, there are recipes.



Dispense with the use of baking yeast, use a real brewing yeast and you will have a better tasting mead or beer.

Originally Posted by NoseWarmer

OK... I got this batch racked and "jarred"...

The color looks great but the flavor still needs some age... 4 more months...

I did try my had at distilling the other day... That is some, ummmmm... Potent S**T!

MY brew started with:

1 gallon of spring water
1.5 large bottles of corn syrup
25 raisins
1 pkg of yeast and about 45 days

This was only an experiment...

I'm taking some vials to the ethanol plant in the AM so they can tell me what proof it is...

I talked to a process manager today at the plant and he was guessing about 190 proof...

That's pretty scary for a "do it yourself" in the kitchen kind of thing.

Well here is my percentage/proof on my Ethanol... 98.78 percent or 197.56 proof... You should have seen everybody's eyes when they saw the computer read out...

NOW... Back to mead...

Originally Posted by JohnJ

I've been brewing for a while. I just bottled a strawberry mead:

17 Lbs Strawberries
17 lbs honey
water to six gal
KV-1116 Yeast + Fermax starter

I started it in Jan and bottled a few weeks ago. It should sit for another month but it is really, really good and might not survive that long. Very sweet and smells strongly of strawberry.

I just racked a similar batch of this strawberry mead after 8 months. I put it back on 5# of frozen strawberries and WOW! The dry strawberry flavor is wonderful. Do yourself a favor and set a couple of bottles for long-term aging

I was inspired by this thread and started my own mead!
I kinda pieced together my own recipe. I hope it turns out well.
Recipe went a little like this:
4.5lb honey
1lb strawberries
1tsp yeast nutrients
3tbsp of very strong black tea

For the yeast I used Red Star Montrachet.

So.. Does this sound like it will be successful?
This is the first time I have tried anything like this so the only real knowledge I have is what I picked up here and what I have read over the past week.