Total newbie, simple advice question.

I'm looking to make my first batch of mead. I picked up a 2gal stainless pot today so I'm looking at 1gal batch recipes. I thought vanilla and a hint of clove sounded good for a mead but can't find any recipes. I figured maybe I'll take a basic recipe and just add some vanilla and a little clove(feel free to suggest amounts). Do you guys think this sounds like it'll taste decent or is this a bad idea and there's a reason I didn't find any recipes?

...Or should I just stick to a simple traditional recipe for my first batch and leave the extra flavoring stuff for later?

firstRWD said:

...Or should I just stick to a simple traditional recipe for my first batch and leave the extra flavoring stuff for later?

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I regret not making a JAOM first, but do whatever your fancy dictates! This is a hobby and you aren't guaranteed one minute in the future to do less than what you want to do.

I think there is something to be said in emulating a well regarded simple recipe from a learning curve standpoint. If you elect to go with a JAOM you'll understand what bread yeast does, how the must goes from a murky opaque mess to crystal clear in about 60 days. You'll see the lees and if you elect to rack, understand what people mean when they say let it settle before you rack (and then, even when you bottle, you'll still possibly have some particulate stubbornly hanging out).

I'm hooked on mead for a lot of reasons but one thing it has taught me is patience. When I read about two week fermentations and then bottling a mead I laugh a little. That has been the furthest from my experience. Even using ec1118 the shortest time I've had a mead in a carboy is about 70 days (and even then I feel like I could have racked it one more time and let it bulk age a bit).

My eyes were really opened by a local mazer who gave me some older meads to try in 187ml bottles. There was actually DUST on some of these bottles (but maybe he just had a really dirty house).

But by all means, experiment. I've not used the same yeast or honey twice yet in over 16 gallons (a handful of 1 gallons, a five gallon first batch --ugh--and two 3 gallons -an apple pie cyser and my leap year bochet)

Man id stay away from jaom or at least modify it a tad. Use an actual mead yeast and zest the oranges and peel the pith off. Just add the zest and orange 'guts' (don't know the real word). I don't see any benefit in adding 2 things that will produce off favors next to your honey.

It's a very basic recipe and will make a very nice first mead.

Also, you won't really need your pot. Maybe warm the jar of honey in a hot water bath, but nothing more. I'm finding that the heating that some people say to do actually takes away from the honey favors in the finished product.

Good luck and make sure and post any questions and maybe photos of your first!

After reading "gotmead's" newbee guide and hundreds of posts it seems not boiling is by far the more popular method. I have a 5 gallon show mead going which is very basic if you don't want to do a JOAM, it's just 18 pounds of honey, water, nutrient, and lalvin 71b yeast. I intend to add stuff to it in secondary but it is a very basic recipe. I also have a JOAM going 3 gallons in fact. They both teach different aspects of mead making. I am also new to this but do far my show mead tests really well.

StitchMySmile said:

After reading "gotmead's" newbee guide and hundreds of posts it seems not boiling is by far the more popular method. I have a 5 gallon show mead going which is very basic if you don't want to do a JOAM, it's just 18 pounds of honey, water, nutrient, and lalvin 71b yeast. I intend to add stuff to it in secondary but it is a very basic recipe. I also have a JOAM going 3 gallons in fact. They both teach different aspects of mead making. I am also new to this but do far my show mead tests really well.

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It can't be a "show mead" with nutrient added. FYI. Still a great beginners mead though.

I don't really like orange, so I doubt I'll ever do a JOAM. Thanks for the advice, though.

Thanks for the correction. I didn't know that. Still in the beginner phase myself.

StitchMySmile said:

Thanks for the correction. I didn't know that. Still in the beginner phase myself.

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That'd be considered a traditional.