Shimon Swissa 99, Mevasseret Zion, Israel 90805 Ph. 054-638-1102 Fax 02-579-1789
The Winemaker
How To Make Mead
Mead, also called Honey Wine, and Ambrosia, is defined as yeast fermented honey. Many believe that Mead is the World’s oldest fermented beverage, predating both wine and beer.
Mead made from only honey, water, and yeast is called Traditional, or Show Mead. When fruit is added to the recipe, it is called Melomel. When apples are added it is Cyser. When wine is added it is called Pyment. Adding spices and/or herbs creates Metheglin, and if you add malted grains, it is called Braggot. All varieties can be made sweet, semi-sweet, or dry. It can be carbonated like beer, or still, like wine.
There are three different methods by which you can make Mead. Older methods call for boiling the honey. Newer techniques boil some of the water, but not the honey. The third method does not boil anything at all. Most recipes make 19 liters, which will fill 25 wine bottles (750 ml), or 54 beer bottles (333 ml).
The basic equipment to make Mead is:
15 liter Stainless steel pot
Thermometer
Hydrometer
Plastic Fermenter
Demijohn
Airlock
Racking cane/siphon
Measuring cup
Spoon
The ingredients needed to make 19 liters of “Medium/Sweet Orange Blossom Mead” are:
6 kilos Citrus Honey
15 liters water (11 liters chilled)
10 grams yeast nutrient
10 grams yeast
It will take two to three hours to make the 19 liters of Mead, depending on which method is used.
Making Mead involves six steps:
1 Sanitize Equipment
2 Heat the Must
3 Chill the Must
4 Hydrate the yeast
5 Pitch the yeast
6 Oxygenate the Must
SANITIZE EQUIPMENT
It is extremely important that all of your equipment is clean. To sanitize the fermenter and tools, add ¼ cup (50 ml) of household bleach (chlor) to the fermenter and fill with warm water. Soak all equipment in the solution for at least 20 minutes. When removing items, rinse with cold water or place on a clean towel to air dry.
HEAT THE MUST
Place 4 liters of filtered water in the pot and bring to a full boil for ten minutes. Take the pot off of the heat (you don’t want to scorch your honey) add the yeast nutrient, and pour in the honey. Stir until dissolved. Using the thermometer, check the temperature. It should be between 66-70 degrees C. Cover the pot and let it sit for ten minutes. If the temperature is between 55-65 degrees, let it sit for 25 minutes. Be very careful when handling hot liquids.
CHILL THE MUST
Rinse the fermenter and add half of the chilled water. Pour in the honey mixture. Then top up the fermenter to 19 liters with the remaining chilled water.
HYDRATE THE YEAST
The yeast has been dormant in a dry package for some time, so it is best to re-hydrate it before use. To do this, put 100 ml of warm water (35-40 degrees) into a sanitized measuring cup and sprinkle the yeast onto the water. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it sit for 15 minutes, and no longer. After 15 minutes, stir well with a fork or whisk.
PITCH THE YEAST
Put the sanitized hydrometer into the must to check and record the original gravity (OG). It should be between 1.110-1.130. Then give the yeast another stir and pour it into the must.
OXYGENATE THE MUST
The yeast needs lots of oxygen to reproduce and do its work. There are several ways to get large amounts of oxygen into the must. You can stir the must vigorously for five minutes. You can use a sanitized electric mixer. Or, you can simply put the lid on and shake the fermenter for several minutes. After the must is oxygenated, fill the airlock with clean water and place it on the fermenter. Put the fermenter in a cool (ideally 16-24 degrees) dark place for several weeks to run its course.
After about two to three weeks, you will notice that the bubbles in the airlock have slowed significantly, indicating that the fermentation is almost complete. At this time you should “rack” the mead off of the spent yeast. Carefully place the fermenter on a table and a sanitized demijohn on the floor below. Using a racking cane and hose, siphon the clear liquid into the demijohn, leaving the yeast and “trub” at the bottom of the fermenter behind. Fill the demijohn to within 10 cm from the top and place a sanitized cap and airlock. The mead should sit until it is clear (6-9 months), at which time you can proceed to bottle.
You can bottle anytime after complete fermentation. Caution: premature bottling before fermentation is complete could result in exploding bottles. Mead is like wine in that it improves with age, so don’t rush to bottle!
When you are ready to bottle, you will need the following equipment:
Capper/Corker
Bottle brush
Bottle filler
Caps/corks
Sanitizer
You will need to decide if you want carbonated mead, or still mead, like wine. If you want the mead to be still, you can immediately fill 25 sanitized wine bottles with the bottle filler and insert corks with a corker. Let the bottles sit upright for two days, then lay them down for storage in a cool dark place.
If you choose to carbonate your mead, add 125 grams of corn sugar or ½ cup of honey to 200 ml of water and boil for five minutes. Siphon the clear mead into the sanitized plastic fermenter (now used as a bottling bucket). Try to move the liquid a still as possible. Add the 200 ml of sugar water and stir gently. Attach the bottle filler to the spigot (berez) and fill the sanitized bottles. Close the bottles with sanitized caps, and store the bottles at room temperature. Carbonation will take about two to three weeks. Great information website at www.gotmead.com.
Have patience, the mead will improve significantly with age. Enjoy!
