Peach Ginger Mead Attempt.

[WyoHunt]

I just bottled my rhubarb strawberry mead (2nd mead I ever made) today. Looks and smells promising. I am planning to start a ginger peach mead next week. Despite my perceived success with the Strawberry Rhubarb mead, I want to approach this third batch of mine with a little more planning.

I tried the calculator located HERE for a general idea…

Base Recipe:

-4# honey
-1 gallon water
-1 packet Lalvin 71b yeast
-6 grams of Fermaid-O
-8 oz fresh ginger, washed, peeled, crushed (in small mesh brew bag?)
-Should I add Pectic enzyme now or when I add peaches?

Additions:
After primary fermentation slows, I will rack to another vessel and add 4 pounds of sliced fresh peaches that have been frozen, then thawed (using another mesh brew bag). I’ll add pectic enzyme at this time also if I don’t add at start.

I’ll remove the fruit after 10-14 days and I plan on adding potassium sorbate after fermentation is complete per SG readings and then back sweeten before aging in a carboy.

Hopes-

I’m assuming the ginger flavor will mellow out during aging but still be present. I hope adding the peaches in secondary will help strengthen that flavor profile and round out the ginger.


Help-
What am I missing?
What should I change?
Am I on the right track?
Should I add peaches during primary
and not rack until I remove the fruit bag?

Always up for advice…

 

[AzOr]

This flavor combo sounds fantastic.
However, a half pound of fresh ginger sounds like a lot for a 1 g batch. I would start w 2 or 3 oz max, then more later if needed.
You could always make a tea or a tincture and adjust later.

Either way- good luck w your batch. I’m excited to hear updates on this flavor combo- I’m a big ginger fan. Ginger usually finds its way into about a quarter of my beer batches (as well as ciders and meads).

 

[WyoHunt]

This flavor combo sounds fantastic.
However, a half pound of fresh ginger sounds like a lot for a 1 g batch. I would start w 2 or 3 oz max, then more later if needed.
You could always make a tea or a tincture and adjust later.

Either way- good luck w your batch. I’m excited to hear updates on this flavor combo- I’m a big ginger fan. Ginger usually finds its way into about a quarter of my beer batches (as well as ciders and meads).

Thanks! I believe it was around 2015 when an acquaintance came out with a small batch of ginger mead for his meadery in NE Wyoming. I loved it. It was potent. But I like to drink Reeds or gosling‘s ginger beer and I chew ginger candy quite a bit.

Waiting for my pectic enzymes to arrive, so I’ll probably wait until 8/6/25 to start this mead.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

What I would do is, make the mead then hold about a half pint to add the ginger to. You rack the rest onto the peaches, and when it’s done blend to the amount of ginger infused mead that is to your taste with the peach mead. A little ginger goes a long way, even for people who love it.
The enzyme can go into your crushed peaches for the recommended time before racking the mead.

 

[Agent]

Thanks! I believe it was around 2015 when an acquaintance came out with a small batch of ginger mead for his meadery in NE Wyoming. I loved it. It was potent. But I like to drink Reeds or gosling‘s ginger beer and I chew ginger candy quite a bit.

Waiting for my pectic enzymes to arrive, so I’ll probably wait until 8/6/25 to start this mead.

I don't suppose that you're talking about Big Lost? Everything I've had there has been absolutely solid.

 

[WyoHunt]

I don't suppose that you're talking about Big Lost? Everything I've had there has been absolutely solid.

Yes. Sam runs an amazing Meadery.

 

[Rish]

I just bottled my rhubarb strawberry mead (2nd mead I ever made) today. Looks and smells promising. I am planning to start a ginger peach mead next week. Despite my perceived success with the Strawberry Rhubarb mead, I want to approach this third batch of mine with a little more planning.

I tried the calculator located HERE for a general idea…

Base Recipe:

-4# honey
-1 gallon water
-1 packet Lalvin 71b yeast
-6 grams of Fermaid-O
-8 oz fresh ginger, washed, peeled, crushed (in small mesh brew bag?)
-Should I add Pectic enzyme now or when I add peaches?

Additions:
After primary fermentation slows, I will rack to another vessel and add 4 pounds of sliced fresh peaches that have been frozen, then thawed (using another mesh brew bag). I’ll add pectic enzyme at this time also if I don’t add at start.

I’ll remove the fruit after 10-14 days and I plan on adding potassium sorbate after fermentation is complete per SG readings and then back sweeten before aging in a carboy.

Hopes-

I’m assuming the ginger flavor will mellow out during aging but still be present. I hope adding the peaches in secondary will help strengthen that flavor profile and round out the ginger.


Help-
What am I missing?
What should I change?
Am I on the right track?
Should I add peaches during primary
and not rack until I remove the fruit bag?

Always up for advice…

Haven't done ginger mead but I do ginger beer. I use 8 oz per gallon and that is good to me. I blend it (without peeling it) with part of the water, steep it for 45 minutes at about 175*F stirring occasionally then strain out the solids and use the "tea". Should work well for mead. I may try a batch. Good luck!

 

[WyoHunt]

Here we go, initial recipe-

• 1/4 tsp go ferm
• 1 gallon of water, including ginger water (8oz fresh ginger brewed in 16oz water and then topped off to 16 oz post brewing)
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 4 pounds honey
• 1 packet of Lalvin 71B yeast
• OG READING: 1.110 (see picture, and correct me if I’m wrong)

I washed, peeled and cut up 8 ounces of fresh ginger, and added to 16 ounces of water, simmering for 45 minutes. While it was brewing, I warmed up 4 pounds of honey with 64 ounces of water to 120 degrees F, ensuring the honey was disolved sufficiently. I then removed the honey mixture from the heat and added 48 ounces of room temperature water. I added this to a sanitized fermentation bucket and stirred occasionally while the ginger was still brewing.

Once the ginger “tea” was done brewing, I strained it, cooled it down in the fridge until 60-70 degrees. There was only 8 ounces remaining of the original 16 ounces, so I topped it off to 16 ounces of water and added it to the must once it cooled down.

I used 1/4 tsp of Go-Ferm and 1 packet of Lalvin 71B yeast in 2 ounces of the ginger brew water, letting it sit for 20 minutes before adding to the must and stirring aggressively for several minutes.

I took the OG reading at this time and it was 1.110 (i think). The must was still warm, about 75-85 degrees. I then added 1/2 tsp of Pectic Enzyme and stirred it into the must. The lid, equipped with an airlock, was placed on the fermenting bucket. I then placed the fermenting bucket under the stairs in a closet where the temperatures range between 65-75 degrees. It must have been cool last night, the must sucked the water out of the air lock and created a vacuum.

Next steps- I plan on adding 1/4 tsp of Go-Ferm at approximately the 24, 48, and 72 hour marks and off gassing the air lock every 12 hours or so for the first week. I will test the gravity at 10 and 14 day intervals. After two weeks of the same gravity reading, I will add 4 pounds of frozen and thawed sliced peaches in a brew bag. After a week on the peaches, I will remove the brew bag, squeezing out any excess water/juices.

Haven’t really thought past this point yet.
I may back sweeten or just rack into a carboy with air lock to bulk age.