Doc's Mead

[Batz]

Mead has been something I've been planning to do for years.
This arvo I finally did it.
I've read lots about making mead, from the simple to the advanced methods and was getting more and more confused.
Finally figured it was time to stop procrastinating and just do it.
I've had 3kg of honey sitting here waiting for it for almost as many years.

My plan is to do the bulk of the ferment in a normal plastic pail fermenter, then when fermentation is almost finished transfer to 5 litre glass flagons and add fruit. Probably oranges to one and either lychees, raspberries or grapefruit to the other.

Doc's Virgin Mead
3kg of Honey (unknown type; bought from that sweet shop (Fardoulis??) on the Princess Highway in Kogarah about 3 years ago)
500ml of Grape Juice Concentrate (from Marks Home Brew in Newcastle)
25gr Malic Acid
20gr Tartaric Acid
1 tsp Yeast Energiser (Vits A & B)
~ 9 litres water.
Lalvin EC1118 yeast.

OG ~1.086

Will see how this goes, but I'm tempted to get another going as I have an orange tree laden with fruit about to go to waist.
Farmers markets are on this weekend, so will pickup some more honey then.

Doc

So this is a while ago Doc, how did this mead turn out? Have you done anymore ?

I have a mead on the drawing board, mainly because I'm now the owner of a bee hive. So honey is suddenly in abundance here and a mead looks like a good excuse to use some up.

I'm interested if anyone has had a success brewing one, I'm not interested in wheatie meads for obvious reasons.

Batz

 

[Doc]

It is still sitting in primary.
I put it up on the shelf in the coolroom and pretty much forgot about it.
I did have to refill the airlock about a month ago as it had run dry.
When I get time to scratch myself I'll transfer to two 5 litre glass demijohns I have and add fruit.

Doc

 

[Tyred]

So this is a while ago Doc, how did this mead turn out? Have you done anymore ?

I have a mead on the drawing board, mainly because I'm now the owner of a bee hive. So honey is suddenly in abundance here and a mead looks like a good excuse to use some up.

I'm interested if anyone has had a success brewing one, I'm not interested in wheatie meads for obvious reasons.

Batz

You could always give JAO a try. It's nice and simple to do.

Another thing is you could make a straight mead. Just your honey, yeast and nutrient. If you make up ~20 litres you could split into 4 ~5 litre batches and try with various fruits.

Personally I would make sure that there is one which remains honey, yeast and nutrient. That way you can see what your honey does. If you can keep some you can also see what differences occur between batches of honey you harvest.

 

[Batz]

Orange Clove Mead

I thought that I may give this a shot. Needs a boil to sterilize the ingredients I feel, but otherwise it's a good basic starter.

Batz

Interesting flavor and makes 1 gallon

1 gallon of Spring Water
Yeast: Fleishcmanns (1 packet)
25 Raisins
1 Cinnamon stick
1 whole orange, sliced and peels included
1 pinch of allspice
1 pinch of nutmeg
3 1/2 pounds of clover honey
1 whole clove
Simply mix all the ingredients then pitch your yeast. Caring for this mead? The beautiful thing about this mead is that you can rack it off of all the oranges and raisins any time you want to, or you can just leave it all in there. When the oranges sink to the bottom you are ready to drink it or bottle it.. Simple as that. I recommend you bottle it and let it age for a couple more months. This recipe is just simply delicious.

 

[Doc]

Meads do need time right ??

Finally getting to adding some flavorings to them.
Splitting the 10 litre batch into 2 5 litre glass demijohns.

One demijohn is getting some 100% Pomegranate Juice, and the other a mix of Blackberries, Blueberries and Raspberries.

Doc

 

[Bizier]

I planned on doing a tiny mead last night just for the hell of it (thinking of using hersbruker) but ended up being hassled into something more responsible. Seems like there is mead in the air. Doc, the berries and pomegranate sound great.

 

[Doc]

I planned on doing a tiny mead last night just for the hell of it (thinking of using hersbruker) but ended up being hassled into something more responsible. Seems like there is mead in the air. Doc, the berries and pomegranate sound great.

Just finished adding the fruit.
Smelt great. Even the base mead (down since July '09 tasted pretty good if very alcoholic).
Crappy phone piccy

Doc