my main problem is the 15 plus lbs of honey that most recipes call for im thinking of even doing a gallon batch in a bum jug to see what i can make on a larger scale its alot of time and money to make these meads
Make a 3 gallon batch... If you start at 3#/gallon of must, that means 9# of honey to start. I would get a full gallon, so that you have 3# left over in case you need it.
A 1 gallon batch is a bit small, unless you really make a 5 quart batch, using a 2 gallon bucket, and reserve ~1 quart to top off with. Otherwise, you'll lose a good amount from pulling hydrometer samples. My traditional mead batches are typically past the normal range of refractometers used for brewing beer (OG above 1.130)... Depending on the characteristics of the yeast you pick, make the must strong enough to ferment out fully (down to .990-.998). So, if you do that, and you use a yeast that maxes out at 14% ABV (like Lalvin D47) make your OG ~1.095... Having extra honey on hand means that you'll be able to add some to it to help add a bit of sweet to it, once it's fully fermented. I would not back sweeten it above 1.005 until it's at least 6 months old though. If you do, chances are it will become a lot sweeter as it continues to age.
Look at mead as a 12+ month long process. Even a ~14% ABV mead will benefit from several months aging. I find it slightly funny how people try to assign beer time scales to mead. Where a beer can go grain to glass in 6-8 weeks, mead is most often 6-12 months from start to first bottles being tasted. There are also plenty of people making mead that don't plan to open a batch until well after a year from when they started it.
A melomel can be 'ready' sooner, as can other types of mead with additional fermentables added, and lower ABV's. But, they still improve with age.
Do a test for yourself. Set aside several bottles in a cool place (even the back of a fridge would work once they're stable and ready). Once a year, take out one of those bottles and drink it. If possible, have some of the younger batch to try along side it. Keep doing this as you make more and more batches. I think you'll find how they really develop over time this way.
BTW, aging can be sped up a bit if you keep it batch form (all in one vessel)... I plan to use corny kegs for mine, so that I don't need to worry about them. At least not like I would if they were in carboy's.
