What makes mead, mead?

[NorthernStar]

Well, I have an odd question, haha. Let's say I have a carboy with 25% honey, 25% grapes, and 50% water, what will it be labled? What percent of honey is needed to call it a mead? If I even just have a tablespoon of honey in the mash, is it still a mead, or for instance if it was mainly grapes, would it be a sort of wine?

 

[Arpolis]

All of this is semantics but the way I look at is this.

Your base for the brew can be whatever like juice, water, wort, or some infusion of ingredient in water. From there if you add sugar or nothing else it is a wine or beer. If you add honey it is a type of mead.

Meads have many classifications; for instance, a mead with grapes or grape juice added is called a Pyment. One with apples or apple juice is called a Cyser. So on and so forth.

 

[NorthernStar]

All of this is semantics but the way I look at is this.

Your base for the brew can be whatever like juice, water, wort, or some infusion of ingredient in water. From there if you add sugar or nothing else it is a wine or beer. If you add honey it is a type of mead.

Meads have many classifications; for instance, a mead with grapes or grape juice added is called a Pyment. One with apples or apple juice is called a Cyser. So on and so forth.

Hmmmm, I see. Well, that makes sense. Any other people's opinions in this?

 

[loveofrose]

For me to call it mead, I've got to taste the honey come through in the final beverage. Whether that be delicate orange blossom notes from a dry orange blossom traditional or the sweet honey goodness of an oaked sweet tupelo sack.

If the honey ain't noticeable, it ain't mead.


Better brewing through science!

 

[NorthernStar]

For me to call it mead, I've got to taste the honey come through in the final beverage. Whether that be delicate orange blossom notes from a dry orange blossom traditional or the sweet honey goodness of an oaked sweet tupelo sack.

If the honey ain't noticeable, it ain't mead.


Better brewing through science!

Ohhh, I see haha. Makes more sense than calling something with like 25% honey and 25% grapes, "Fermented Grapes with Honey"

 

[hunter_le five]

I believe a mead fermented with grape juice is generally referred to as a pyment, but it is still considered a type of mead.



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[bernardsmith]

I think - but I cannot find the source - that for something to be called a "mead" 51 percent of the sugars must come from honey. This is not by weight or volume but percentage of fermentable sugars. If the grapes provided say 50 percent of the sugars then I don't think that you can claim that you have made a mead. If you are making this drink for yourself no one cares, but if you are making this commercially (or entering the wine into a competition) I think that you need to be careful how you describe your wine.

 

[fatbloke]

I think - but I cannot find the source - that for something to be called a "mead" 51 percent of the sugars must come from honey. This is not by weight or volume but percentage of fermentable sugars. If the grapes provided say 50 percent of the sugars then I don't think that you can claim that you have made a mead. If you are making this drink for yourself no one cares, but if you are making this commercially (or entering the wine into a competition) I think that you need to be careful how you describe your wine.

Pretty sure I've read something like that too i.e. that the honey has to provide minimum 50% of the fermentable sugars to be called either mead or use one of the mead related nomenclature......

Otherwise its wine, fortified wine, honey beer or whatever........