Another First Mead Thread

[Trokair]

I recently decided to give mead another try. I had drank some a few years back and thought the stuff was wretched. Turns out, I rather like it now as my tastes have changed so I decided to try out making some of my own. I know I'm doing things wrong and it may turn out horribly but it is an interesting experiment for me.

Recipe:
3lbs cheap honey
1 gallon filtered water
20 raisins
1/2 live starter Munton's Gold Ale Yeast

Put everything in bucket fermenter and wait.

As this cost me all of $7 I'm planning to go the laziest route possible and not add anything in or mess with it outside of racking to a secondary at some point in the future. If it is drinkable I'll be happy.

If anyone has any experience making simple mead like this and has a pointer or two I'm all ears. I read that some people stir it during fermentation which goes against everything engrained in me from brewing beer. Contemplating that.

 

[Kent88]

First, how cheap was the honey? Did you look at the ingredients? I've heard that some places are basically selling honey flavored syrup as honey. Any other sugars in there not made from nectar?

20 raisins, I assume those are in place of yeast nutrient. Are there any preservatives in there? I don't know what kind of impact that would have on it, but it is worth noting.

Did you boil, pasteurize, or use campden tablets? While honey is thought of as being somewhat/somehow anti-microbial, I don't see why spoiling microbes that were dormant in the honey wouldn't wake up and do stuff after the honey is diluted. Anyone out there know anything about that?

I assume you already put everything together and the yeast is at work. At this point, degas it once a day for the first few days. Don't try to introduce a bunch more oxygen, just try to get the CO2 out.

 

[RPh_Guy]

While honey is thought of as being somewhat/somehow anti-microbial, I don't see why spoiling microbes that were dormant in the honey wouldn't wake up and do stuff after the honey is diluted. Anyone out there know anything about that?

Honey by itself is anti-microbial because it contains no water (NOTHING can grow without water); sealed it will never spoil. Once you add water (or expose it to humidity), that all changes.

In the case of mead, the pH drops rapidly and yeast consume nutrients and oxygen quickly to produce alcohol. These 4 factors severely limit the possibility of other microbes taking hold.

Based on what little I know about mead, I'd be surprised if this is drinkable in the first year. :/ Good luck though.

 

[Trokair]

The honey was super cheap. "All Natural Pure Honey USDA Grade A gently strained to preserve the natural pollen" for what that is worth at $6.50 per 3lbs.

Raisins are for nutrient. Regular Sun Maid so preservatives? Probably.

I did not boil. Read that you could but decided to go no heat to start.

Fermenting at day 5. To degas would be open up and stir? It isn't in a jug I can shake if that is even something you should do. I hadn't even heard of degassing mead in the searches I did for recipes until coming back to the forums here.

 

[Trokair]

Based on what little I know about mead, I'd be surprised if this is drinkable in the first year. :/ Good luck though.

I expected something like this. The only wine I've ever tried to make has been bottled for something like 6 years. Every once in a while I grab a bottle and try it. Still terrible and probably won't get better but I made 5 gallons. At least this time I only made 1 and if it is drinkable after a year that is an improvement on my non-beer record.

 

[Baabaad00]

Should have done JAOM if you wanted something set it n forget it easy. I'd recommend that.