Leap Year Mead?

Gavzilla · 02-05-2008, 10:25 AM

Hi all,

I've only been brewing cider until now, but am keen to try my hand at mead.

Purely as a novelty thing, I was hoping to start one off on Feb 29th. But I'm not sure, I know mead takes a good year to properly develop - but how long will it actually keep? Does mead turn bad after a certain time? Or will I get the chance to enjoy the novelty in four years time?

Cheers,
Gav.

**BigKahuna** · 02-05-2008, 02:58 PM

Because I've never actually completed a mead, (several in primary's now, just nothing drinkable yet) I have no real expertise, but I do know that Honey NEVER spoils, and properly bottled wine will almost never go bad, so it stands to reason that your Honey Wine will provide many leap years worth of good times.
Thanks for the idea, I too will work on a Leap Year Mead. Something simple. Honey, water....yeast?

**Jumbo82** · 02-05-2008, 03:07 PM

I also like this idea. I started my first mead last weekend, but now I think I may try to get another one started on the 29th. I've heard that meads with a higher ABV (like in the 20% range) can require a lot of aging to mellow them out (i.e. several years). Since I'm a complete noob, hopefully an experienced brewer can support/refute this off the cuff claim. Thats my two cents.

**Nurmey** · 02-06-2008, 12:39 AM

Lots of folks make mead when their kids are born and keep it to share with the kid on their 21st birthday. Your leap year mead will be just fine for 4 short years.

**BigKahuna** · 02-06-2008, 05:21 AM

I'm all in for this Leap Year Mead. My problem is that I live 100 miles from the brew shop, and I don't know if a store brand honey is sufficient. I have several meads now in fermentors using Store brand raw clover honey, but none of them will be done any time soon. I also have an alternative, still clover, but we do have honey from a local guy available in the grocery store, it's just SUPER expensive... like $10 per pound! I want a big mead, with very few ingredients. Will be a 3 gallon batch, and I will bottle it is 350 ML glass...Maybe I can find something creative for that too. Gavzilla: What are your plans? Someting Simple, SOmeting Fun, Something that resembles cyder?

BuffaloSabresBrewer · 02-06-2008, 05:28 AM

Someone needs to get a recipe for everyone to do and start a new thread because Im in too. Lets do the same type of thing people did with the 888 RIS.

flowerysong · 02-06-2008, 05:24 PM

Well, how do you want to do it?

One option is to have a series of polls; start with one for style, then a couple for ingredients once a style is decided on.

Another is to just do the style poll then have people submit recipes in that style for consideration.

Or you can skip the polls entirely and just have people offer up recipes and hope a consensus is reached.

Gavzilla · 02-06-2008, 09:57 PM

I'm planning to do a couple of batches I think. (Especially now that I've learned how well honey keeps!) I've got a couple of 10L barrels, so I might try something simple and something a bit more fun too.

I've got a good quantity of Orange Blossom honey from a local farm that I'm told should be a good mead honey?

I don't know of any particular recipes, but I'd love to try for something dry. I'm all up for suggestions. A poll sounds fun.

z987k · 02-06-2008, 10:04 PM

I'd be in to. I'd have to go pick up another carboy, since my other 6 are full.... but thats ok. I know we'll have another 5 gallons of honey middle of the month... so I could make a massive 18% one or so and make it semi-dry, then age for four years... or more.

malkore · 02-06-2008, 10:17 PM

I have some bottles that will turn 10 years old in November. They taste AWESOME.