Mead?

[BigIndieBeerMan]

Anybody ever try to make mead? Anybody have any luck? I can't seem to get Mead anywhere here in my local area, so I figure I'll just have to make it myself.

[Beer Nazi]

I made a batch this past spring. It came out pretty good. Tastes like wine with honey (go figure). I have a few bottles left which I plan on drinking sparingly. It tastes better with age.

13 lbs of honey, top the fermenter off with water to 5 gallons, add some champaign yeast and wait.

[Beer Nazi]

I'd think someplace that carries finer wines or even your local specialty beer carriers could get mead for you if they don't already have it.

[BREWERDLUX]

I HAVE MADE TWO ATTEMPTS AT MEAD AND I WAS NOT IMPRESSED WTH EITHER. I MADE A STILL DRY MEAD AND A MELOMEL WITH APRICOTS. THE DRY MEAD WAS KIND OF VINEGARY AND THE LATER WAS JUST TWO STONG IN ALCOHOL CONTENT. VERY OVERPOWERING.

I WILL PROBABLY TRY AGAIN NOW THAT I HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND BREWS UNDER MY BELT.

I COULD USE A GOOD RECIPE IF ANYBODY HAS ONE.

[Beer Nazi]

Well, here's what I did;

13 lbs. Guajillo honey, combine with two gallons water in your brew pot & pasteurize for ten minutes, do not boil.

Let wort cool to room temperature, pour it into fermenter, top off to 5 gallons, add yeast, aerate, lock it down and let ferment.

I waited 1 month (active fermentation lasted about one week) before transfering into secondary fermentor (glass carboy). I let it sit for two weeks before transferring it again to another carboy. I transferred one more time and let it sit two more weeks before bottling. I kept it at room temperatures (73 - 78) and away from light.

It came out nicely. Just a plain-jane recipe.

Here's a link to give you some ideas; http://www.stpats.com/mead.htm#honey%20info

[YamahaXS]

I have made two batches of Mead, one of which came out very nice. The other wasn't so good, but I neglected it for too long.

like others have said:
10-15 pounds of honey.
champagne yeast, or some other alcohol tolerant yeast.

its a quick wort, but ferments slow.

[Glarus]

Originally posted by BigIndieBeerMan
Anybody ever try to make mead? Anybody have any luck? I can't seem to get Mead anywhere here in my local area, so I figure I'll just have to make it myself.

Just what is your local area? If you let us know, we might be able to help you find a local source of mead :)

[toneyc]

The only commercial mead that I've found around Austin is Chaucer's and I'm not very fond of it. So I make my own! I followed pretty much the same recipe as BeerNazi for my first two batches, except that I let mine sit for about 6 months with monthly rackings, and made a very dry sparkling mead. Excellent stuff! My wife loves it and she rarely drinks any alcohol. Very high alcohol level, though, and producer of the mother of all hangovers. For my third batch, I used about half as much honey and a different kind, too. A local honey that I can't remember the name of. It is much darker than the Huajillo was. But it smells good. Can't wait to try it. Mead takes forever!

:) Toney.