Beginner looking for guidance in the world of mead

[N.Zgonjanin]

Hello, I've attempted to make mead and it turned out awful, followed some recipe that a friend linked. It said 12-18 pounds of honey to 4.5 gallons of water and 8 grams of wine yeast, mix them up and leave them to ferment for a couple of months, now this sounded like it's to simple and gave it a go, but now 3 months after leaving them there, it's really carbonated, and there is some sweetness but it's just a wrong taste, and the smell is awful.

Does anyone have good tips to follow, also what basic equipment I should get, and could anyone give me a mead recipe that they know it works, and that it goes to a little bit more detail. Thanks!

 

[cmac62]

NZ, good mead takes a bit more. Do you know what the gravity was going into the fermenter? I suggest you check out this thread: Bray's One Month Mead lots of info on how to make quick meads that are drinkable in a month. There are 7 day meads now with Kveik yeast. Anyway, Bray's website also has tons of stuff on there. I don't remember the link, but it is all over in the thread. Good luck

 

[Dan O]

Joe's Ancient Orange Mead (JAOM). One of, if not the EASIEST & arguably one of the most tasty meads to make, (In my opinion, & a lot of other people's, too). Set it & forget it, it does all the work for you, as long as you follow the recipe. Follow it, & you'll be sipping on this in about 2 months time.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/joes-ancient-orange-mead.49106/
Equipment...

Get yourself a hydrometer...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirec...5337215&id=4462466739440166&widgetName=sp_mtf
And a racking cane...(auto syphon)...

https://www.amazon.com/Fermtech-Reg...&keywords=racking+cane&qid=1615337276&sr=8-17
And some sanitizer....

Amazon.com

And a funnel....

https://www.amazon.com/PEMOTech-Sta...stainless+steel+funnels&qid=1615337629&sr=8-5
And some carboy brushes....

https://www.amazon.com/27inch-Clean...5338024&sprefix=carboy+brushes,aps,190&sr=8-2

 

[Dan O]

NZ, good mead takes a bit more. Do you know what the gravity was going into the fermenter? I suggest you check out this thread: Bray's One Month Mead lots of info on how to make quick meads that are drinkable in a month. There are 7 day meads now with Kveik yeast. Anyway, Bray's website also has tons of stuff on there. I don't remember the link, but it is all over in the thread. Good luck

Bray Denard's website is LOADED with recipes & information to learn from. This link goes to the BOMM recipe.

https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/brays-one-month-mead/

 

[Dan O]

Hello, I've attempted to make mead and it turned out awful, followed some recipe that a friend linked. It said 12-18 pounds of honey to 4.5 gallons of water and 8 grams of wine yeast, mix them up and leave them to ferment for a couple of months, now this sounded like it's to simple and gave it a go, but now 3 months after leaving them there, it's really carbonated, and there is some sweetness but it's just a wrong taste, and the smell is awful.

Does anyone have good tips to follow, also what basic equipment I should get, and could anyone give me a mead recipe that they know it works, and that it goes to a little bit more detail. Thanks!

You should also look into TONSA...
https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna-calculatorScattered nutrient additions keep the yeast happy & happy yeasties are less stressed, which in turn makes a better mead in a shorter time.

 

[Psilocybe]

Its probably gonna be a while before it tastes right, this can happen without nutrients. In my experience it does get better over time.

 

[CKuhns]

@N.Zgonjanin Open the ZIP file and Read - Hope it helps

 

[cmac62]

Great read CK

 

[dwhite60]

I've made mead that was okay at three months, very good at six months to a year, but incredible at three to five years.

Good mead really takes time and patience but it's well worth it.

In January I bottled an apricot melomel that had been in tertiary a year. It spent I think three months in secondary. Probably won't start drinking this for at least another four months.

Joe's Ancient Orange is good after a month but it's something like Grand Marnier brandy after five years

 

[videojunkie1208]

This is a good place to start.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/so-youve-had-your-first-mead.687348/
JAOM is a good place to start too.