Hit me with a simple, well proven recipe

**Soperbrew** · 05-01-2008, 02:57 PM

Going to brew my 1st mead sometime this summer. I already have the honey & just need a basic mead recipe that people swear by for my 1st batch. I plan on about a one year turnaround before drinking.

The honey I have is a light style from a local source in Montana.

z987k · 05-01-2008, 03:22 PM

what kind of mead do you want though, as far as sweetness goes?

Tusch · 05-01-2008, 03:45 PM

Do you want it sweet or dry. Do you want fruit? Do you want spices?

homebrewer_99 · 05-01-2008, 03:58 PM

If you like the ingredients I highly recommend the Barkshack Ginger Mead in Papazian's TCJOHB.

**Soperbrew** · 05-01-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tusch

Do you want it sweet or dry. Do you want fruit? Do you want spices?

Sorry to answer a question with a question...

Is it possible to have a balance between sweet & dry? I guess I'd lean more towards the dry side.

Fruit? Spices? Are these necessary? Without them is Mead just a boring drink? Probably not interested in fruit, but spices maybe....for my 1st ever batch would spices be recommended?

homebrewer_99 · 05-01-2008, 04:06 PM

If you make the ginger mead with champagne yeast it will come out white and dry. A lot like ginger ale (the soda/pop).

Tusch · 05-01-2008, 04:14 PM

Sorry, I didn't mean those were you're only options.

You can have very dry, dry, semi-sweet, sweet, dessert sweet etc. You can have a traditional mead, just honey, water, yeast. Or you can have additives, like fruits, juices, spices etc.

A simple mead would be 2-3 lbs of honey per gallon of water. Yeast, you can use almost any kind, but your desired sweetness level should be considered when you pick a yeast strain. You can get a good idea if you like mead from a simple recipe like this. But the best part (or is it the reason for it?) of home brewing is experimentation. Make a simple basic mead, then just keep changing it with each batch so you find new things you like.

Enjoy the home brew obsession!

**Soperbrew** · 05-01-2008, 07:06 PM

Yeah, that's what I'm looking for...something standard & middle of the road for my 1st ever batch. Nothing too special. However, I would prefer for it not to be too plain & boring. Just something to give me that "mead experience".

**Soperbrew** · 05-01-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

If you like the ingredients I highly recommend the Barkshack Ginger Mead in Papazian's TCJOHB.

I will look that one up when my book arrives from Amazon...I ordered it a couple days ago.

Thanks.

janzik · 05-02-2008, 11:57 PM

I'd like to do a middle of the road one too, just to get my feet wet. I think though I would probably like to do something sweet, with a maple syrup flavor to it. Any thoughts?