Quick "Mead" to keg. Need help formulating recipe.

I just got my kegging setup up and running and would like to have a mead on tap. I know patience is a virtue when it comes to mead (I have a gallon of orange blossom mead that I am not in any hurry to drink), however, I am interested in having some sort of honey alcohol on tap sooner than later (I had a mead on tap when I was in New England and my mouth still waters when I think about it)

I was thinking that if I used less honey (maybe 10# for 5 gal), a yeast that will give me a lower alcohol, and backsweeten to taste, I would be able to produce a quick fermenting honey beverage (I know this is probably not a mead in the truest sense).

Does anyone have any experience in this realm? Subsequent batches will be more traditional meads, but I love the taste of honey and would like to try something to tide me over!

The Joe's Ancient Orange Mead is quick, and I think some others have experimented with doing it with blueberries instead of orange, and with some grape juice. It's pretty good, and I bet it would be good on tap.

I've made this 'No-Age' Pyment that I got from the same guy that formulated the incredibly popular JAO recipe at www.gotmead.com a couple times and it is a good one. Here is the recipe and notes from my mead-making log - keep in mind that this was for a 12 gallon batch. Also, keep in mind that even the so-called 'Quick-Meads' need at least 3 months and preferably 6 months before they are really good. Not that their not good earlier, it's just that they are much better after some aging. This batch that I made is actually bordering on 'almost outstanding' after almost 14 months. YMMV

02/25/2007 – No-Age Pyment


I’m doubling-up a batch on this one - 12 gallons for my nephew's wedding on 08/25/2007 – 6 months to the day from today!

Here is the ingredient list:

• 24 pounds of Raw Wildflower honey
• 12 ounces of Buckwheat honey
• 1 ½ teaspoons Pectin Enzyme
• 6 gallons of Newman’s Own Grape Juice from Costco
• Water to 12 gallon mark on fermenter
• 25 grams Lalvin EC-1118

Additionally, after initial fermentation is complete the following items are needed:

• 6 teaspoons Potassium Sorbate
• 2 teaspoon Sodium Bimetasulphate
• 96 ounces of Newman’s Own Grape Juice (for back-flavoring)
• 4 pounds of Raw Wildflower honey (for back-sweetening)

Procedure / process:

• Mixed heated honey (so as to pour easier - NOT boiling), Pectin Enzyme and about 4 gallons of warm water vigorously with lees stirrer.
• Added 6 gallons of Grape Juice and stirred with lees stirrer.
• Rehydrated yeast and used1 tablespoon of GoFerm.
• Pitched yeast.
• Used O2 system for 1 ½ minutes.
• Covered fermenter with lid.

02/25/2007 – OG Brix = 25. SG = 1.105. I will add 1 tablespoon of DAP at the 1/3 sugar break, or 17 Brix.

02/26/2007 – Aerated for 1 minute with pure O2 in the AM, and stirred with my lees stirrer in the PM. Brix = 21.

02/27/2007 – Aerated for 1 minute with pure O2 in the AM, and stirred with my lees stirrer in the PM. Brix = 18. Added 1 tablespoon of DAP and mixed well.


02/28/2007 – Aerated for 1 minute with pure O2 in the AM, and stirred with my lees stirrer in the PM. Brix = 12

03/04/2007 – Brix = 10

03/11/2007 – Brix = 10 - Added 6 teaspoons of Potassium Sorbate and 2 teaspoons of Sodium Bimetasulphate. Gently stirred with my lees stirrer.

03/18/2007 – Racked from the 20 gallon fermenter into two 6 ½ gallon carboys in which was added 2 pounds raw wildflower honey, 48 ounces of grape juice, 1 ½ ounces of medium toast American Oak, and 1 ½ ounces of heavy toast French Oak. Finishing Hydrometer reading = 1.020 - ABV = 14.2%

06/09/2007 – Bottled 62 750 ml bottles. The oak gave this no-age mead a very interesting character.

- GL63

keep the ABV low (like 13% or less) and not too dry a yeast strain.
fermentis S-33 works well, as does wyeast sweet mead yeast. i'd really avoid the bread yeast in JOAM, and really dry stuff like champagne yeast.

yer still going to have to age it a bit, but it would probably be fairly drinkable in 3-4 months from brew-date, if all conditions are optimal.

and of course, it will continue to mellow in the keg. my advice is to just get it as clear as possible before kegging so you can dispense nice, clear nectar.

I am completely clueless when it comes to making mead but the guys at my LHBS make it fairly frequently using standard ale yeast (SafAle 05 I think) and it turns into a nice sweet mead in 4-6 weeks.

I've been thinking about trying to put one together but don't have the patience to do a long-term batch either. I'd love to make a batch that would be ready in a few weeks rather than a few months. Any ideas on the specifics?