Official 2005 Mead Day Recipe
Steve Schmitt of Anchorage, AK
Morning Wood Oak-Aged Mead
Medium Sweet, Still, Standard Strength
Ingredients for 5 U.S. gal (19 L)
13 lb orange blossom honey
4 gal water (top up to 5 gal total must)
1 oz medium toast American oak chips
1 vial (1.5 oz) Wyeast Yeast Nutrient
Wyeast 3783 Rüdesheimer Yeast
O.G.: 1.104 F.G.: 1.020
Make a one-quart yeast starter a day or
two in advance. Thoroughly mix honey
and yeast nutrient with enough water to
make five gallons of mead (approx. four
gallons of water). Pitch yeast starter and
aerate well. Ferment at 65º F for two
weeks. Rack to secondary and ferment
two more weeks. Rack to a tertiary
fermenter with oak chips added (oak
chips can be sanitized by steaming in a
steamer basket for 10-15 minutes).
Sample after one week, and once every
week after that until you achieve the level
of oakiness you desire, then rack to anoth-
er fermenter and age six months before
bottling.*
*Steve aged the original version of this
mead for six months in a medium toast
American oak cask, which had been used
previously to age Barleywines and Imperial
Stouts.
