First Mead

[grolut]

I brewed my first batch of mead a couple of weeks ago. It's a Traditional Mead and I used only ingredients found in the supermarket, only because there are no HBS whatsoever where I live. I had mixed and matched a few recipes and the one I read said to rack it when it began to clear. I did this after a week and a half, there was about an inch of lees.

After racking it, I tried a bit and almost threw up. It tasted like acid mixed with burning rubber. I almost dumped the whole thing. I tried it again today after another week and it is so much better.

I've never tried mead before and have one question, is mead supposed to taste like wine or beer? Mine tastes very much like honey flavoured beer. It's not a bad taste at all (in fact I've started a batch of Metheglin) and it is only 2 weeks old so I assume the taste will change alot over the next few months, just wanted to know how a Traditional Mead should taste.

 

[Rainyn]

Your mead is still young. It should taste better over time. Meads can take up to a year to age. I'm not sure what recipe you've used or what you've done.

Maybe you should see if you can buy a bottle of commercial mead. I've seen mead sold in liquor stores. (I usually see it by the japanese plum wine and fruit wines in the stores I've gone to). Sounds like you need something to compare yours to. Eventually you might find you like yours better.
I've even heard of Costo carrying the occasional mead. No clue as to quality but really you're just looking for a general "what does mead taste like" answer.

Sorry I couldn't answer your second question better. Mead tastes like mead to me

 

[grolut]

Hehe. Thanks anyway. Well even if my "mead" doesn't taste like mead, I like the taste. Guess that's all that matters. I'll just leave it for a few months and give it another try . In the meantime, I'll head over to the store and see if I can find some commercial mead.

 

[ZooBrew]

http://www.meadmadecomplicated.org/mead_tasting/mead_types.html

 

[grolut]

Thanks ZooBrew

 

[Letthegirlsing]

I swear this sounds like the post I just put up a few days ago! I used the 'simple mead recipe' myself and after 3 weeks, I racked it off of the lees and the oranges ( according to recipe ), tasted it and thought I created a SUPER STRENGTH PAINT REMOVER. After racking it, I added a campden tab to clear it up and potassium sorbate to preserve it, I have put it back to 'steep' some more.

I, too, have been told to not judge a mead this early in and its hard to believe that something that tastes so toxic now, will turn into the mead I know and love ( that my friends make ). I did, however, when I racked it the first time and noticed I had some much head space, added some water/honey ( less than a cup total ) combination to it, but the campden will keep it from beginning a new fermentation cycle. I was afraid that adding just water would water-down the taste of it.

My friends have been making mead for years and thru trial and error have made sweet mead that I love... using only citric acid blend and irish moss as their preservatives and additives. But, their mead is never consistent. I've learned alot from the people on this forum and they will not steer you wrong.