How to know when you've done it right?

[NorthernStar]

How does a person, who has never tasted any mead in their life, know that theirs came out normal? To reiterate, how does a noobie know when their mead tastes like actual mead, as opposed to just sweet water?

 

[dkolts21]

Go buy some and try it!


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[fpb2111]

Buy mead in a store. Taste it. Taste yours. Compare.


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[NorthernStar]

Buy mead in a store. Taste it. Taste yours. Compare.


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That's the thing, I don't think there is anywhere here that sells it

 

[Paul_F]

I asked a very simillar question last fall...
I was not able to find mead locally that was not held to be ridiculously dear (ie expensive!)...
So, I just went ahead and made a batch of Joes Ancient Orange Mead. Came out well enough (and continues to improve) that I made a second batch of a different recipe... And will probably start another batch in a few weeks.

Just do it.

 

[loveofrose]

How does a person, who has never tasted any mead in their life, know that theirs came out normal? To reiterate, how does a noobie know when their mead tastes like actual mead, as opposed to just sweet water?

If you want to be sure it tastes like a good mead, then follow the tried and true recipes to a T. For metheglin, that would be Joe's Ancient Orange and for traditional mead try Bray's One Month Mead (BOMM).

More to the heart of things, if you enjoy it, who cares if it's "proper" mead?

Also, commercial meads are not nearly as good as homebrew. I've tried every one I can get. The best so far is Redstone, but still not as good as mine.


Better brewing through science!

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

More to the heart of things, if you enjoy it, who cares if it's "proper" mead?

This /\

If you don't have to struggle the glass down, and enjoy drinking it, you've done it right.

 

[skadalajara]

Plus, remember mother nature has been making mead without our help as long as there have been bees.
Even if you don't do it exactly "right", it'll likely still be drinkable.
But I do highly recommended you try some commercial meads, even if you have to mail order it.

 

[Dethlefs]

I also suggest the commercial mead. If you dont know where to look and can't seem to find anywhere, I would suggest asking at your local homebrew store. If you don't have any luck there, find out if there are any bee keeping supply stores around and ask there. I got a 10 year metheglin, aged 3 years in an oak barrel, from a bee keeping shop! I'm opening it tomorrow!

 

[IJesusChrist]

I've only had one commercial mead. It smelled so bad of H2S and mercaptans... I don't know if I can ever willingly buy from them (or a commercial meadery) again.

 

[JRW1]

I got a 10 year metheglin, aged 3 years in an oak barrel, from a bee keeping shop! I'm opening it tomorrow!

wow! im very intrigued as to how this tasted. can you provide tasting notes or something like that? sounds really cool.

 

[IJesusChrist]

So, I've bought my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th commercial mead yesterday, with a total of 3 meaderies tried so far.
1st: Smelled terrible - Pungent mercapto's and H2S, after airing out for OVER AN HOUR, it tasted alright, I would have bought it again, if I knew it didn't smell terrible/taste terrible on opening
2nd: Cyser, tastes like angry orchard with mercaptans in it, has an almost cracker & sausage flavor? Not drinkable past 1 glass.
3rd: Blueberry (definitely added in primary) melomel, blueberry taste has become some kind of sweetness, but tastes nothing of blueberries, or any berry. Strange.
4th: A semi-dry traditional, tastes like a low-quality white wine. Wouldn't buy again.

So far, my idea of what is "right" in mead is pretty chaotic. I've brewed better stuff than anything I've had commercially, but my stuff I can tell could still be much better.

One of the things I wonder about these commercial breweries is if they are adjusting pH and using nutrient additions. I would think so, but some of these mercaptan smells are making me second guess this - or it could be something so silly as temperature control.

Long story short - You'll know when you get it right by finishing one glass and wanting another.

 

[GDP]

If you want to be sure it tastes like a good mead, then follow the tried and true recipes to a T. For metheglin, that would be Joe's Ancient Orange and for traditional mead try Bray's One Month Mead (BOMM).

More to the heart of things, if you enjoy it, who cares if it's "proper" mead?

Also, commercial meads are not nearly as good as homebrew. I've tried every one I can get. The best so far is Redstone, but still not as good as mine.


Better brewing through science!

Have you ever had B. Nektar Cinnamon and Vanilla? Or better yet Dansk Mjod Viking Blod?

 

[loveofrose]

Have you ever had B. Nektar Cinnamon and Vanilla? Or better yet Dansk Mjod Viking Blod?

No to the first one and yes to the Blod (which was aweful).


Better brewing through science!

 

[GDP]

No to the first one and yes to the Blod (which was aweful).


Better brewing through science!

what? You thought Viking Blod was awful? Sorry cant talk to you anymore. But the B. Nektar brand is REALLY good. Both their Cinnamon/Vanilla and their wildflower mead. Until I found them I had almost given up on store bought mead. Redstones version has nothing on B. Nektars. If you get the chance give it a try.

 

[IJesusChrist]

I don't understand this 'sausage' flavor... Its been in nearly all the meads I've tried. It's kind of the after taste of having some cheese and sausage on a cracker - meaty, salty, oily. It would be totally great if I was eating cheese and sausage, but I'm drinking a blueberry mead!

What gives?!

 

[loveofrose]

what? You thought Viking Blod was awful? Sorry cant talk to you anymore. But the B. Nektar brand is REALLY good. Both their Cinnamon/Vanilla and their wildflower mead. Until I found them I had almost given up on store bought mead. Redstones version has nothing on B. Nektars. If you get the chance give it a try.

I would love to try some B. Nektars mead, but they haven't made it to Texas yet.


Better brewing through science!

 

[reapernazara]

I would love to try some B. Nektars mead, but they haven't made it to Texas yet.


Better brewing through science!

You can buy it online, I live in tx as well and found a few places to buy it just Google buy b. Nektar

 

[GDP]

I would love to try some B. Nektars mead, but they haven't made it to Texas yet.


Better brewing through science!

Yeah I found a source online for 15.99 a bottle. I will have to post it Monday from my work comp.

 

[choosybeggar]

I suggest entering a local competition. it's a great way to get feedback from experienced mead-makers/judges. That's what I did this past winter with a raspberry/blackberry melomel (my first and only after 5 years of beer making) and things worked out interestingly.

I submitted it because like you, I don't have much experience tasting meads. I thought mine had a nice color and aroma but so so flavor. I was expecting constructive criticism as feedback but instead, the mead won best in category and best in show in the Western Washington Mead/cider comp. The recipe was published in the July-Aug 2014 Zymurgy (Indian Summer Melomel).

FTR, I'd still take a Wit or IPA over it any day but my friends now think the mead tastes amazing


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[noblesquirrel]

I don't understand this 'sausage' flavor... Its been in nearly all the meads I've tried. It's kind of the after taste of having some cheese and sausage on a cracker - meaty, salty, oily. It would be totally great if I was eating cheese and sausage, but I'm drinking a blueberry mead!

What gives?!

I know exactly what you're talking about. I've had White Winter Blueberry and that was my thought. Cheesy and offputting. Blueberries can get that way and it will blow off. The only one I've gotten mercaptan out of was Wild Blossom dry hopped mead. It also reminded me of a toilet puck. Which is sad because the base mead is pretty nice.