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Mead: First Production Run - Day 2
12 years ago
August 3:
Yesterday, August 2, i put together 1 gallon of my first batch of what will eventually (and i hope) become Mead; a wine made from honey. Today, i checked up on the concoction, and fermentation IS occurring, however slowly. This is fine, as the fermentation will take about a month. After about a month, i will go on to first racking, and wait about 6-8 months.
Mead is incredibly easy. All it takes is Water, Honey, Yeast and most importantly, Patience. Before you do anything, sanitize EVERYTHING. Bring the Water to a simmer, but no boiling, and add the honey. A good rule of thumb for mead is around 3 Lbs. of honey per 1 gallon of water. Be sure to stir the honey in with he water, or it will settle.
Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, and at the same time, activate your yeast in a bowl of warm water (80-95 F). Bring the honey water down to room temperature. This can be easily accomplished by submerging the pot in a sink full of cold water.
Fill the jug with the must (the name for the honey-water) halfway, and add your yeast, and any nutrients and/or flavorings you want to add. That's the best part of mead; it's a blank slate for you to do with what ever you please. Adding fruits and spices to the must will add a unique flavor. Experiment, and find what you like.
Fill the jug up with more must, leaving enough room for the yeast to ferment. Stop it up with a plug, and shake the jug for about 10 minutes. Stop it with a drilled stopper, fill your air lock, and leave in a dark, quiet, and warm place so the yeast can do its thing.
Yesterday, August 2, i put together 1 gallon of my first batch of what will eventually (and i hope) become Mead; a wine made from honey. Today, i checked up on the concoction, and fermentation IS occurring, however slowly. This is fine, as the fermentation will take about a month. After about a month, i will go on to first racking, and wait about 6-8 months.
Mead is incredibly easy. All it takes is Water, Honey, Yeast and most importantly, Patience. Before you do anything, sanitize EVERYTHING. Bring the Water to a simmer, but no boiling, and add the honey. A good rule of thumb for mead is around 3 Lbs. of honey per 1 gallon of water. Be sure to stir the honey in with he water, or it will settle.
Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, and at the same time, activate your yeast in a bowl of warm water (80-95 F). Bring the honey water down to room temperature. This can be easily accomplished by submerging the pot in a sink full of cold water.
Fill the jug with the must (the name for the honey-water) halfway, and add your yeast, and any nutrients and/or flavorings you want to add. That's the best part of mead; it's a blank slate for you to do with what ever you please. Adding fruits and spices to the must will add a unique flavor. Experiment, and find what you like.
Fill the jug up with more must, leaving enough room for the yeast to ferment. Stop it up with a plug, and shake the jug for about 10 minutes. Stop it with a drilled stopper, fill your air lock, and leave in a dark, quiet, and warm place so the yeast can do its thing.
