making mead

d4v1d

i've just tasted my first ever attempt at brewing mead. i've made five batches so far and the first one has now been bottled. as far as making lots of alcohol cheaply at home goes, it really works. the first batch was really clear and tastes great. not sure how to measure the alchohol content but you certainly know it's there when you taste it.

the recipe i uesd was this..
1,500gm honey (i got the boyne valley stuff on promotion at tescos)
1 large pineapple
4 litres of water
1 sachet of champagne yeast - i was told regular bread yeast would also have worked

it was about 4.5 months ago when this first batch was made.

Sonovagun

can you discribe the method please!

d4v1d

Sonovagun wrote: »

can you discribe the method please!

no problem. it's very straighforward.

i put the water and honey into a large pot, i've got an 8ltr steel pot which is great for brewing, and started to heat it up.

while it was heating i pealed the pineapple. before putting the pineapple in, what i did was to mash it up as much as i could. i didn't use a blender as all i wanted was the juice and not the pulp.

i kept stirring for a while and when it got to about 70 degrees a scum started to form at the surface. i kept skimming this off using a sieve, until no more formed. i didn't let it boil but i did make sure it was above 70 degress for about 30 minutes. then i just turned off the heat and put a lid over it and left it until the next day. this mixture is called 'must'.

a day later the must was at room temperature. i got a starter yeast ready by adding a 7gm sachet of champagne yeast to a half glass of tepid water with some honey mixed in. i left this in the hot press for about two hours.

roughly two/three hours later i poured the must into a demijohn. i used the sieve over a funnel to get any bits of pineapple that may still have been left. then i poured in the yeast starter. stuck a bung in the top and left it in the hot press.

i'm not quite sure when the fermentation finished as i didn't look at it too much for a while but i did rack it for the first time after 2 weeks. there was a healthy amount of crap at the bottom at this stage and the mead itself was still very cloudy.

after that i only racked it twice more about a month or two apart and it got considerably clearer and tasted less sharp each time. the first time i racked it, it was almost fizzy and really tasted like crap.

the most important thing i think was to sterilise everything being used, spoons, sieve, demijohns, glasses, you get the idea.
also just make sure that you don't overfill the demijohn. leave some space at the top, about 3cm below where it starts to narrow otherwise you'll get a mess coming out of the airlock as it ferments. not easy to clean either

good luck if you give it a go.

Sonovagun

So it tasted crap???
whats "rack" Racked"???

d4v1d

Sonovagun wrote: »

So it tasted crap???
whats "rack" Racked"???

as the fermentation process takes place a sediment starts to build up at the bottom of whatever container is being used to hold the mead. racking just means you syphon the liquid from one container to another and in doing so you leave the sediment behind. this helps the liquid clear and supposedly allows the flavour to develop properly.

the first time i racked my mead it tasted foul. but this is expected. leaving the mead for another few weeks/months allows the flavour to mellow out and each time i racked the mead after that it tasted much better.

tolosenc

Made some up last week, but have no idea if it's fermenting or not. Vertainly isn't behaving lke beer, wine or cider...

d4v1d

as fermentation is going on there should be a froth developing at the surface. also there should be signs of a sediment forming at the bottom. i've only ever made seven batches to date but this is normally visible after 2-3 days.

i can't compare to beer, cider or wine as i've not brewed these yet.

if you're fermenting in a demijohn and have a bung and airlock then escaping gas should be obvious as it bubbles up out of the airlock.

arse..biscuits

Very interesting. I might try this. I have my own honey so might use some of that.

osarusan

d4v1d wrote: »

as fermentation is going on there should be a froth developing at the surface. also there should be signs of a sediment forming at the bottom. i've only ever made seven batches to date but this is normally visible after 2-3 days.

i can't compare to beer, cider or wine as i've not brewed these yet.

if you're fermenting in a demijohn and have a bung and airlock then escaping gas should be obvious as it bubbles up out of the airlock.

When you were making the mead, did the bung you used have an airlock or was it just completely blocking the mouth of the demijohn?

d4v1d

osarusan wrote: »

When you were making the mead, did the bung you used have an airlock or was it just completely blocking the mouth of the demijohn?

it had an airlock.

LaBaguette

Now that's really the thread I was looking for.

I'm thinking of brewing mead, and it will be the first time I'm brewing something, although I've been making hippocras for a while.

- What kind of container should/shouldn't I use ?
- I guess I'll start with something like 3-5 liters, it that ok, or will it be too small for the yeasts or whatever else ?
- Any tips about the kind of yeast (to look for/avoid), and ideally where to find them in Dublin
- I have a slow cooker at home, is this relevant for the heating part ?

Thanks for your time reading/answering !

d4v1d

LaBaguette wrote: »

What kind of container should/shouldn't I use ? !

ideally you'll need a container that you can attach a bung and airlock to. i used a demijohn.

really any container will do once you're able to cover it in such a way that any airborne yeasts/bacteria can't get in, and gas is able to escape. i'd say you could even use a 5ltr plastic water bottle once you cover the top with a cloth or something.

LaBaguette wrote: »

I guess I'll start with something like 3-5 liters, it that ok, or will it be too small for the yeasts or whatever else ? !

i used a 5ltr demijohn for my first batch. or slightly less than 5ltr, but yeah, 3-5ltrs is a good quantitiy to start with. on the contrary the smaller containers mean you can use a lot less yeast. i only use about 1/3 or 1/2 a sachet for each new batch.

LaBaguette wrote: »

Any tips about the kind of yeast (to look for/avoid), and ideally where to find them in Dublin !

i've been told that you can use normal bread yeast for making mead but i've not tried it. you do need to use something like a champagne yeast. it seems that the yeasts used for beers are not up to the job for making mead.

haven't a clue about where to get in dublin. i bought mine online from these guys www.noobru.com

LaBaguette wrote: »

I have a slow cooker at home, is this relevant for the heating part ? !

shouuldn't make a difference. it doesn't really matter how long it takes to heat the whole lot up once it reaches the right temp.

guildofevil

d4v1d wrote: »

i'd say you could even use a 5ltr plastic water bottle once you cover the top with a cloth or something.

Covering it with a cap of sanitised tinfoil would be my recommendation.

d4v1d wrote: »

i've been told that you can use normal bread yeast for making mead but i've not tried it.

I would advise against bread yeast as bread strains have been chosen to maximise carbon dioxide production, not for flavour or alcohol. Bread strains are also notorious for not clearing when used in brewing/wine making.

A sachet of wine yeast costs €1.25, so using bread yeast really is a false economy.

d4v1d wrote: »

you do need to use something like a champagne yeast. it seems that the yeasts used for beers are not up to the job for making mead.

haven't a clue about where to get in dublin. i bought mine online from these guys www.noobru.com.

A wine yeast of some sort would be best. Champagne yeast is a nice neutral one, allowing the honey to develop the flavours. Other wine yeasts may contribute flavours of their own.

If you are looking for a shop in Dublin you can drop into, My Beer and Wine 92 Lower Rathmines Road.

LaBaguette

Thanks for your advice !

One last question tho : I know that when making beer, water quality is important, what about mead ? Can I use tap water, or should I buy bottles water ?

LaBaguette

In case it might help someone, I found this incredible website entirely dedicated to mead and filled with very precise (almost scientific) advice on how to make mead.

But then again, it's pretty easy to find, so I'm not sure this will help.

I've a jar of the "noob recipe" fermenting right now, should be ready for christmas.

Mr Benevolent

LaBaguette wrote: »

In case it might help someone, I found this incredible website entirely dedicated to mead and filled with very precise (almost scientific) advice on how to make mead.

But then again, it's pretty easy to find, so I'm not sure this will help.

I've a jar of the "noob recipe" fermenting right now, should be ready for christmas.

Just started a 2L plastic bottle of the noob recipe mead from that website. Only problem is that it takes so long to mature. Think I'll try turbo cider in the meantime. Anybody have any ideas on a brew that'll be ready for New Year celebrations? Other than beer I mean, as I have no proper equipment whatsoever.

LaBaguette

You may want to try Hippocras. It's some sort of spiced wine, very common in southern France in the middle ages.

Basically, you will need a bottle (75cl) of red wine, preferably a rather neutral one. Back in France I used south-west wines, but they are incredibly overpriced here. Anyway, nothing too strong. To that, add :

- 2 teaspoon grounded cinnamon
- 1 tsp. grounded ginger
- 1 tsp grounded cardamom
- 1 tsp grounded cloves, plus a few more whole cloves
- a couple of cinnamon sticks
- 5 tablespoons sugar or honey

Put this stuff in the wine for a day or two, then filter and bottle.

That's the basic recipe, you can add spices to your liking. Not exactly brewing per se, but a nice and original drink anyway.

Mr Benevolent

How did your mead go? Mine's clearing and should be ready in the next two weeks.

LaBaguette

I bottled some around Christmas and, well, I wasnt really happy about it. It was too sweet, and had a strong taste of grape. But then again I may have screwed up with quantities, perhaps not enough water. Anyway, I'll let it get drier for a couple more weeks, and see if it's worth something then.

Mr Benevolent

Just bottled mine the other day, very orangey but very drinkable. Am pleasantly surprised!