ANY MEAD Recipes?

[stubrew]

I'm looking for a good Raspberry Mead recipe. My wife has been pushing for this mead for a few years now, but I have heard that its not easy because of the honey. I'm now ready to try it.

So I was think of light Ale with Raspberry and honey? Any thought's?

-SB

[mlsuggs]

For simplicity's sake, let's posit the following, based on the fermentable sugars in a brew. (I'm perhaps oversimplifying, but the gist should be accurate.)

Strictly speaking, if it's a mead, it's honey.

A light ale with honey in it is--well, a beer with honey.
If you've got 50% honey, 50% malt, you've got a braggot.

Meads can be further broken down:
melomel = honey + fruit
cyser = honey + apple
pyment = honey + grapes
rhodamel = honey + rose petals/hips
white mead = hopped honey
etc...

So, your wife's Raspberry Mead should contain: raspberries and honey, plus water and yeast (of course).

Beyond that, there're still a few questions to answer. Does she want it to be *RASPBERRY* (with some honey), or raspberryandhoney, or "delightful honey notes, with a hint of raspberry flavor"? Dry, or sweet, or somewhere in-between?

Meads aren't difficult (I generally rate them as the most forgiving of the various brews)--but they require patience. And let's also remember that they behave differently than beers, somewhat. The brewing smells are different; the speed of the fermentation will be different. The jury's out on whether they take significantly longer than beer--it depends, I'd say, on what type of mead you're making.

Anyway, answer the above questions, and I'd be happy to guide you more with recipe suggestions. HTH!

--Misha

[axis714]

To get all technical about it,What youre actually trying to make is a "Melomel", A mead with fruit.
I have made a melomel,so I will substitute Raspberries in it for you..I estimated 2 gals. of raspberries I would freeze and then thaw them before use..

12 lb. light clover honey
2 gallons raspberries
1 oz dried raspberry leaves
4 tsp. citric acid
1 pkg. champagne yeast

Alot of debate has occured recently over the proper technique of boiling or not boiling the honey,primary or secondary fruit additions,chemicals such as sulfites, Ill simply give you a brief run down of what I do and leave it to your interpretation.

Boil the honey,citric acid,raspberry leaves,(and all other added ingredients,herb tea,spices citrus juice etc.)with 1 Gal water. Skim off the white scum that occurs during the brief 15-20 minute boil.

Transfer after cool atop 1# of the raspberries in primary allow "Must" to sit approx.24 hrs then pitch Champagne yeast.
4-5 weeks in Primary and transfer to secondary with the strained juice of the other 1# of Raspberries.
Rack once a month for 6 months(every other month is fine also)
1 Week prior to bottling I Sulfite my batch with 2-3 Campden tablets,Bottle and cellar for as long as I can stand it.

I hope this is somewhere near what you were looking for,

[fatboy570]

Both of Papazians books have mead recipes, including one for a 3 gallon batch of raspberry mead. Some homebrew shops also will have mead kit. I just went today to my local shop and bought a mead kit, my first, just have to wait now and see how it cmes out

[sallad]

i just started a mead over the weekend. i went with about 15lbs clover honey into about 5.5 gallons of filtered water. a few tsp of yeast nutrient, and 1 tsp of acid blend. I pitched a white wine yeast. I didn't boil anything. Instead, I used 6 campen tablets and pitched the yeast the next day.

OG was 1091.

For a raspberry mead, I'd knock a few pounds of honey off, and add a couple pounds of frozen berries. You might not need the acid blend due to the fruit.

[SoxyinMO]

We did the Mead kit from the LHBS down there by you, fatboy and it's gently fermenting down in the basement.

mlsuggs, thanks for the added info on meads & derivatives. I had wondered about adding rosehips since there are thousands of them around here...

What about adding heather flowers? Any suggestions anyone?

[mlsuggs]

Originally posted by SoxyinMO
mlsuggs, thanks for the added info on meads & derivatives. I had wondered about adding rosehips since there are thousands of them around here...

What about adding heather flowers? Any suggestions anyone?

I've heard of it being done, but never done it myself. (I do know a guy who's got a 12-year-old heather honey mead going--and he claims it's got another 12 years to go...)

I can picture the process being similar in essence to doing a dandelion wine, except with honey...

Anyway, I'm always happy to talk mead... Although I'll be a bit slow with my replies for the next 2-1/2 months, 'cuz I'll be overseas. Still surfing the boards, tho, so any questions, ask away!

--Misha

[SoxyinMO]

I've heard of it being done, but never done it myself. (I do know a guy who's got a 12-year-old heather honey mead going--and he claims it's got another 12 years to go...)

Yikes! And I thought 5 years was a lot. I think I'll do the heather; it popped right into my head as soon as I read your post. And now that I have a real plan for them, I'll pick the rosehips next fall (watch, it'll be a bad year for hips) and get that going too. Woo! How exciting!

If I think of any more questions, I'll send them out. Thanks