Mead Making Made Easy

We are making today a standard Dry Show Mead.  By standard I mean that there is no fuss -  no extra bits and pieces - just the pure honey.

The ingredients needed are - wait for it - honey, water, yeast and yeast nutrient.  We only need to add the yeast nutrient as honey is lacking in all the key nutrients that yeast needs to perform properly.

The equipment needed:  one 5L fermenter with bung and airlock, funnel, barmix machine or blender, a 3L jug or bowl for mixing and a hydrometer.

The process:  
After sterilising everything needed, pour the yeast into ½ a cup of warm water and set aside. Into your jug pour half your honey and about 1.5L of water. Using the barmix blend the honey and water together (Start with the barmix about 1/3 of the way down and allow the honey to come up to it,  then slowly work the barmix down to the bottom.) Once this is done pour off into the fermenter and repeat with the rest of the honey and the yeast nutrient.

Top up the fermenter to about 4.5L then take a sample and test the specific gravity (SG). Make a note of your SG so you can calculate your alcohol percentage later.  Pour in the yeast, insert bung and airlock and leave to ferment.

Fermentation will take 2 – 3 months and you will need to rack off the mead every 2 weeks after the first month to help it clear.

Once fermentation is complete it’s time to bottle.  But before bottling we need to take a sample for our final SG reading and also to taste. Do not be surprised if your mead smells like paint stripper at this stage, it will probably be about 11 – 15% alcohol and will need to be aged for a least a year before it’s drinkable (I know, it’s a long time but it is worth it).

We have used single source Leatherwood Honey for this mead and I would encourage you to find single source honey where you can, but in saying that we have also used Beechworth honey from the local supermarket to good effect.

This basic recipe can be jazzed up by adding strawberries, blueberries or most fruits by adding them to the fermenter.  Technically they then become melomel but we wont worry about that.

Now grab some honey and get making.