Tsuyako

Recipes 

So I have this really basic recipe

5lbs honey
1gl water
1 pkt champanege yeast

and I was thinking of adding pomegranite concetrate. Would I need to lessen the amount of water to compencate for the Con. or is okay to add as is?

The other question is when would I add the concentrate?

Thanks
tsuya (first time mead maker)

Tusch

Recipes 

5lbs is a ton for 1 gallon. Are you talking water to 1 gallon, as in 1 gallon minus the volume of the honey, or 5lbs honey + 1 full gallon of water. Either way you will have a VERY high OG. I have used that much in a mead once, but that is because I was intending of getting 18-19% alcohol. My OG was 1.155 and it makes for a very difficult fermentation.

Especially if you are adding pomegranate concentrate, try using like 3lbs of honey plus 1 can of concentrate. I'm not sure how high of an OG that would give you, but it would be much more manageable then 1.155 + concentrate.

How much water depends on what you are fermenting it in. If you are racking it to a one gallon jug, you are going to want to do 1 gallon total volume, including honey, water and the concentrate. I would say do a primary of 3lbs of honey and water to make a total of 1 gallon. And then rack this to secondary, but first add one can of thawed concentrate to your secondary carboy and add your mead on top of this. I saw to start with one full gallon before the concentrate because you will lose some due to racking.

Adding it in secondary will preserve more of the flavor and color.

__________________
Meads: Leap Year, MAOM, Habanero/Serrano Capsicumel \m/ Oo \m/, Show Mead for Berry Melomel and Cinnamon Vanilla Metheglin
Ciders:3 Ciders with differing additives TBD, Strawberry/Apple Cider
Wine: Trader Joe's Triple Berry Wine for SWMBO, Cherry Port, planning my Black Currant Vanilla Wine, Banana Wine

Tsuyako

Recipes 

The recipe does call for 1 gallon water + the honey. I planned on using a 1gall fermenting bucket and then just letting it sit for 6 months, bottling then let it sit for a month or so.

Tusch

Recipes 

if you ferment that dry and it is a full 18+% you will need a lot more then 7 months of aging before it is even approachable. That will be super super hot, as in alcohol hot. Its going to need some serious aging time to mellow.

__________________
Meads: Leap Year, MAOM, Habanero/Serrano Capsicumel \m/ Oo \m/, Show Mead for Berry Melomel and Cinnamon Vanilla Metheglin
Ciders:3 Ciders with differing additives TBD, Strawberry/Apple Cider
Wine: Trader Joe's Triple Berry Wine for SWMBO, Cherry Port, planning my Black Currant Vanilla Wine, Banana Wine

Tsuyako

Recipes 

I am begining to think this recipe is not that great...

anyway pushing past that I am thinking let it sit for 3 months before racking into a secondary with the concentrate then let it sit for 4-6 months more. will that work?

newhomebrewer

Recipes 

hmmm... I'll post my results once I am done

Kauai_Kahuna

Recipes 

I would say 3.5 lbs of honey, topped off to one gallon with water is as strong as I would want to go without making rocket fuel. Unless you are going for a very sweet wine then maybe 4 gallons but you need to care and feed the yeast to work through all of that.
Nothing wrong a sweet mead, just not my taste, so maybe if you describe what your trying to go for we could be more help, or:
Down load hightest spreadsheet from the sticky FAQ above and do the numbers, then make what you want.

__________________
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In Primary: Belgium Chimay clones.
In Secondary: Braggot, pale ale, end of the world white.
Conditioning: Mead, Cider, braggot, Belgium Wheat.
On Tap: Clones, Chimay Blue, Red, Porter, malted cider.
Bottles: Far, far, too many to list.