One Gallon Mead Recipe Anyone??

Hey all mead fans, I am a Mead brewing virgin and want to take a small crack at it anyone have a good "easyish" mead recipe. I am planing on just fermenting it in two half gallon growlers corked and airlocks. I have never even tried Mead before so this is a 100% total experiment. But I am excited so help me out if you can?

Search Joe's Ancient Orange Mead (JAOM) on this forum. Can't go wrong. Don't mean to get carried away recommending other sites, but Joe Mattoli (the "J" in JAOM) also has some other quick and easy mead recipes over on gotmead.com. Only problem with JAOM and your growlers is the recipe calls for orange wedges and raisins. You might have to substitute OJ for the wedges. But that will work too--good luck!

3 lbs honey
3/4 of a gallon water
1/2 tsp energizer
aerate by shaking several minutes
add pack of yeast
if you want add spices
let it sit under air lock till it's done

thorson138 said:

3 lbs honey
3/4 of a gallon water
1/2 tsp energizer
aerate by shaking several minutes
add pack of yeast
if you want add spices
let it sit under air lock till it's done

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You will want to rack that to a secondary. Mead is 2.5lbs to 3lbs per gallon of water. Also do not forget to heat the honey (to about 150F) and skim off the wax before you brew it.

Torg said:

Mead is 2.5lbs to 3lbs per gallon of water.

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well, it entirely depends on what type of mead is being made - uber dry to sweet. you could do 2 to 4+ lbs per gallon.

Torg said:

Also do not forget to heat the honey (to about 150F) and skim off the wax before you brew it.

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what wax? I never heat the honey - I just heat the water to about 115, which is usally enough to dissolve the honey.

AZ_IPA said:

well, it entirely depends on what type of mead is being made - uber dry to sweet. you could do 2 to 4+ lbs per gallon.



what wax? I never heat the honey - I just heat the water to about 115, which is usally enough to dissolve the honey.

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When you heat it a yellowish foam will develop. This is wax. If you are using commercial honey then it probably will not be an issue. Just like you can get away with not hydrating your yeast. With local honey this step is almost imperative.

Torg said:

With local honey this step is almost imperative.

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What happens if you don't skim it? wouldn't it just become part of the lees? I would also think that it may (the wax) provide some nutrients.

Then again, I'm a mead hack that has only used store bought clover - although I'm prepping for a big batch of cherry melamel with wild orange blossom honey, so I'm eager to learn.

AZ_IPA said:

What happens if you don't skim it? wouldn't it just become part of the lees? I would also think that it may (the wax) provide some nutrients.

Then again, I'm a mead hack that has only used store bought clover - although I'm prepping for a big batch of cherry melamel with wild orange blossom honey, so I'm eager to learn.

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I have never tired after I was shown a bottle with what looked like lumps in it. I believe it was pectin with wax. Separating it has always just been part of my brewing mead. As for nutrients I am almost sure it does not, as it does not dissolve.

I think you will find making melomel to be very rewarding. You might want to think of using pectic enzyme too, especially if you are using raw fruit. Go luck.

huh, interesting. Something I might need to consider with my upcoming wild honey batch.

I've used local honey and didn't heat at all. My mead is crystal clear and I didn't run into any issues. I have often heard if you heat the honey you are driving off some of the more delicate aromatics. At this point I believe that either will produce a fine mead; however, I will continue to do it without heat because I am lazy, not to mention the "delicate aromatic" issue.

Obviously, YMMV.

Been making mead for years using wild honey and I never heat. I've never had and problems with wax or anything else. Racking takes care of anything that may be suspended in the honey. Mine too turns out crystal clear:

Just brewed (mixed and put together) the recipe mentioned here. I think I pitched WAY to hot though. We'll see in the morning how it worked out... Then I'll report back when it's done..

It isn't wax, but pectin, at least as I understand it.

I was pretty lazy making this - I have to admit.

I put the bottle on the scale and zeroed it out. Weighed in 3 lbs and 1 half ounce of store bought clover honey. Heated some spring water on the stove to roughly 115F and poured it in. Added the 1/2 teaspoon of Wyeast nutrient, placed the top on and shook like hell for about 5 minutes to dissolve the honey.

Then I walked up and grabbed the Red Star Montrachet (1 pack) yeast I re-hydrated in some warm water and pitched it in - ignoring the fact that the brew was still between 100 and 105F.

All seems to be ok - as it is bubbling along happily about 6 hours later.

Ok I'm drunk and didn't read any of this thread but I have to say this.. mead is amazing why one gallon?? Is that all yo9u can ferment at this time or ar e yo9i worried that you won't like it??
From my experience with mead 3+ lbs a gallon = sweet mead... lower is dry but dont gi too low or you will lose abv

Joe's Anicent Orange Mead would be a very good choice...but, GO BY THE RECIPE!!! It is designed to work AS IS. Once you vary something in the recipe you have voided the warranty and it is no longer JAOM but "something else". JAOM breaks some rules in mead making but it gets a newbee on their way to making mead and will give the maker something to start sipping on way before a traditional is getting close to ready. Once mixed correctly, interaction by the maker can only harm it...let it do it's own thing, follow Joe's directions!

An interesting point about JAOM is that it everything needed to make it can be found at the grocery store...or already in the kitchen.

Ed

Go to the recipe section of this website and go to the mead section (here). You'll find a bunch of 1 gallon recipes.

You'll also see a lot of feedback on the making and the progress of these recipes, not only from OP, but from others who have tried it.

I got to give it a try. Two quick questions. Can I use Nottingham Ale yeast? Do I prime the same as I do for cider or is it best still?