First mead and first thread, long time lurker.

My 6 month old mead was bottled yesterday and I am so excited that I cant sit still! I cannot even count how many times I checked this forum to ensure the maximum probability for success. I am happy to report that everything went well, and now I an trying to decide what I should try to make next.
I prefer dry mead, I like to brew with fresh ingredients; I guess I am a mead "purist". I don't add anything to clarify my mead, I don't add extra water or fillers after I do all of my racking.... I suppose what I am trying to ask is for any recipe suggestions for a beginner with my mead making preferences. The amount of recipes out there is sort of intimidating. Anyone out there willing to help a lady out?

There is nothing wrong with topping up that would make someone not a purist, that is kind of a silly idea on how to make mead, but now you have some mead bottled up and you can use that as a topper and remain pure You can also make 6 gallon batches to start out with and rack to smaller carboys as you go, but really, topping off is a valid winemaking/mead making step. Congrats on your mead! Also, you might want to fill the bottles up just a tiny bit more next time.

WVMJ

Now I am not a fan of dry meads but I recently bottled one that inadvertently went dry on me. This stuff is great! It started as a pumpkin mead and as the brew process went along the recipe changed slightly bit by bit. Now I would consider it a spiced pumpkin cyser and damn is it tasty. Here is the revised recipe in 1 gallon form. I think I am making this one each fall to be ready by the following year’s holidays.

1 gallon

2.5 lb honey
15oz pumpkin puree or 1 ¾ cups of fresh shredded pumpkin from pie pumpkins
15oz more pumpkin to be added to secondary only
7/8 cup of cooked and mashed sweet potato (Just about half as much pumpkin)
¼ Gallon Apple juice
3 tea bags of stash premium Chai spiced tea
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
1tsp of yeast nutrients
Add water to a gallon
Yeast (London ESB 1968)

At first start your smack pack of yeast to have it ready. Take 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add in tea packets along with the spices. Boil for 15min then cool to room temp for 30 min. Pour liquid over Pumpkin, sweet potato & honey in carboy. Make sure to remove tea bags but leave the spices. Shake the carboy a lot. Add yeast nutrients, apple juice and top off the carboy with water. Mix well again and then let it rest until at room temp. Finally pitch yeast. Rack after 2 – 4 weeks and add additional pumpkin to secondary. Let sit 2 - 3 months, rack and sulfite then repeat monthly until clear. Bottle or bulk age as preferred. Tastes great after 6 months.

I will have to try the pumpkin mead out. Sounds awesome for the fall/winter. I love seasonal brew :3