Tried an tested mead recipe
Discussion
I am after a tried and tested mead recipe from the people of this small corner of PH.
I know I could use google, but there are loads of recipes and loads of different ways of doing it, some say to boil the honey/water mix before adding it to the demijohn, some don't.
and whats with adding a cup of black tea into it for the tannins? what would that do apart from make it taste like tea?
so, if anyone has a good recipe or knows someone who has made it, can you stick it on here please, or just one you find that seems good.
I know I could use google, but there are loads of recipes and loads of different ways of doing it, some say to boil the honey/water mix before adding it to the demijohn, some don't.
and whats with adding a cup of black tea into it for the tannins? what would that do apart from make it taste like tea?
so, if anyone has a good recipe or knows someone who has made it, can you stick it on here please, or just one you find that seems good.
A Background in Mead Making by a C.B. Dennis defines mead as, "the product of the vinous fermentation of honey and water, without the addition of herbs or spices, fruit juices, or vegetable extracts".
So I don't think the addition of tea brings anything to the table.
All our 'hedgerow' wines are based on recipes from this book:
The recipe for Dry Mead in there is:
3.5 lbs of liquid honey
Half an ounce of yeast (i)
Pour the honey into your preserving pan, and cover with warm water to dissolve. Then top up with water until you have a gallon of liquid (ii).
Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, no more, then stand aside to cool. Filter into a demijohn through some muslin, and when lukewarm add the yeast. Cover the neck with muslin and tie to the neck with elastic. When the first vigorous ferment has died down, remove the muslin and insert an airlock.
Keep the demijohn warm, and when fermentation has stopped stand the vessel in a cool place for a month, then syphon off into bottles. The longer it is kept, the better.
(i): Use a strong yeast. Half an ounce in the book above refers to bakers yeast, but a heaped teaspoon of something like a Burgundy yeast will do the same job if not better.
(ii): What we do is divide the honey between two pans, and top up enough water between the two to make one gallon of liquid.
Also, if it hasn't cleared to 'star bright' before bottling then use some finings (Young's is very good).
So I don't think the addition of tea brings anything to the table.
All our 'hedgerow' wines are based on recipes from this book:
The recipe for Dry Mead in there is:
3.5 lbs of liquid honey
Half an ounce of yeast (i)
Pour the honey into your preserving pan, and cover with warm water to dissolve. Then top up with water until you have a gallon of liquid (ii).
Bring to the boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, no more, then stand aside to cool. Filter into a demijohn through some muslin, and when lukewarm add the yeast. Cover the neck with muslin and tie to the neck with elastic. When the first vigorous ferment has died down, remove the muslin and insert an airlock.
Keep the demijohn warm, and when fermentation has stopped stand the vessel in a cool place for a month, then syphon off into bottles. The longer it is kept, the better.
(i): Use a strong yeast. Half an ounce in the book above refers to bakers yeast, but a heaped teaspoon of something like a Burgundy yeast will do the same job if not better.
(ii): What we do is divide the honey between two pans, and top up enough water between the two to make one gallon of liquid.
Also, if it hasn't cleared to 'star bright' before bottling then use some finings (Young's is very good).
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