Mead melomel cyser pyment recipes for honey wine

Honey Mead Recipes

   Mead or honey wine is the oldest alcohol containing drink known to man. In prehistoric times, honey would drip from bee hives and collect in pools of rain water. Wild yeast would consume the sugar and produce the nectar of the gods. Almost every civilization has lore and myths associated with the consumption of mead. As these civilizations grew, honey became less plentiful. A substitute source of fermentable sugar was needed to fill the thirsty demand for wine. It is not by chance that wine made from honey tastes very much like the grape wines we drink today.
   Most people expect a honey sweet, syrupy drink better suited for pancakes and not the light, dry clean flavor of fine white wine. There should be no surprise. It is not by accident that grape wine tastes so much like mead. Grape wine tastes like mead and not the other way around. There was a time when all wine was made of honey and the grape version was unknown. This was thousands and thousands of years ago when honey was plentiful and flowed like milk. The Land of Milk and Honey may be a reference to this point in history.
   As the planets population increased more and more land was claimed for civilization and delicate honey bee suffered the ecological effects. Civilization always takes place in the best of locations. As the wilderness became tamed it also became less accessible. The affordable honey supply dried up and so did the wine vats. Faced with this ultimate crisis a substitute for honey had to be found, but, it had to taste like mead. The grape emerged as the most economical substitute and cultivation of grapes became big business.

Styles of Meads

*Dry*		Dry mead is made of honey and water only. Stronger than wine made from grapes and can reach 18% abv.
*Sweet*		Sweet mead is slightly weaker that dry mead and has stronger honey flavor and character.
*Cyser*		Cyser is a combination of honey and apple cider. This is the strong drink of Biblical times. Both the honey and the cider will ferment to a clean dry wine which makes a great sparkling wine when primed with corn sugar or honey when bottled.
*Pyment*		Pyment blends honey, grape juice and water. It is a great light wine for summer. You will be amazed at how much grape character comes through and the honey flavored finish is excellent.
*Melomel*		Melomel is made from honey, water and any fruit other than grapes or apples. We use seedless fruit puree in our Melomel which gives perfect results batch after batch.
*Metheglin*		Metheglin starts with traditional mead but has herbs and spices added. A simple kitchen spice rack will provide what you need or for a more exotic wine check our herbs and spices for beer, wine and mead makers.
*Hippocrass*		Hippocrass is a combination of Pyment and spices. You must choose your spice wisely so as not to impair the flavor of the honey and grape.
*Braggot*		Braggot marks the invention of Ale. Brewed from honey, malted barley and sometimes hops. A ratio of one part honey to one part dry malt extract is a good place to start. Choose a low alpha acid hop to avoid making a bitter ale. I prefer to use Fuggles or Saaz.

Per 3 gl.	Fruit Puree	Clover Honey	Acid Blend	Yeast Nutrient	Pectic Enzyme	Grape Tannin	Campden Tablets	Wine Yeast
Melomel
Blackberry	46oz	6lb	2tsp	3tsp	1tsp		5	Blanc
Blueberry	46oz	6lb	7tsp	3tsp	3tsp		5	Blanc
Raspberry	46oz	6lb	2tsp	3tsp	1tsp	1tsp	5	Blanc
Cherry	46oz	6lb	4tsp	3tsp	1tsp	1tsp	5	Blanc
Peach	46oz	6lb	4tsp	3tsp	3tsp	1tsp	5	Blanc
Apricot	46oz	6lb	4tsp	3tsp	3tsp	1tsp	5	Blanc
Traditional
Dry		6lb	3tbs	5tsp			5	Cuvee
Sweet		6lb	2tbs	3tsp			5	Blanc
Pyment	16oz	6lb	5tsp	2tsp			5	Blanc

Special Equipment Needed

Fermenter Pail with Lid

3 gallon gallon Glass Carboys

Air Lock with Rubber Stopper

Siphon Hose and Accessories

Bottle Filling Wand

Easy Clean Sanitizer

Kitchen Equipment Needed

12 quart Stock Pot

Stainless or Plastic Mixing Spoon

Pot Holders

Thermometer

Funnel

Brewing Instructions

In a very clean Stock Pot combine 1 gallon of bottled spring water (do not use distilled water) with the honey. Rinse honey jar with water from the pot. Heat to 180 degrees F. Reduce the heat and hold the temperature between 175 and 180 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and skim any white film off of the surface. Do not allow to boil.

Remove pot from the heat and place it in a sink of cold water to reduce its temperature. Stir every 10 minutes and then change the sink water. Do this 3 times.

Add 1 gallon of bottled spring water and acid blend, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, and grape tannin per recipe chart above. Stir well.

Preparing the Must (Traditional Mead Makers skip to Starting Fermentation)

Open fruit puree or grape concentrate.

Pour contents into the brew pot along with acid bland, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, grape tannin. Stir well. Use mixture from the pot to rinse out the fruit can.

Starting Fermentation

Clean and sanitize your fermenter pail, lid and airlock.

Open the packet of wine yeast and pour it into the fermenter pail.

Pour the Must onto the fermenter. Add bottle spring water to make a full three gallons.

Close the fermenter pail and attach the airlock.

Allow to ferment at room temperature for 3 weeks.

1st Racking

Racking mead should be done by gently siphoning. We do not recommend using wine pumps or filters. Mead is very susceptible to oxidation.

Move the fermenter pail into racking position at least 2 days before actually transferring the mead. This will allow time for the sediment to settle back down.

Clean and sanitize a 3 gallon glass carboy, stopper, air lock and siphon set up.

Crush 3 Campden Tablets and place them into the carboy. Gently siphon the mead from the primary fermenter into the bottom of the carboy. Be careful not to disturb the sediment.

Add distilled water to bring the level of the mead up to the bottom of the carboy neck.

Close the carboy with an air lock and allow to ferment in a dark place for at least 30 days but not more than 45 days.

2nd Racking

Clean and sanitize the fermenter pail then siphon the mead from the carboy to the pail.

Clean and sanitize the carboy and repeat the 1st Racking Step but this time use only 2 crushed Campden Tablets. Sweet mead makers must add 1-1/2 teaspoons of potassium sorbate at this time.

Allow the mead to rest in a dark place at least 30 to 45 days or until it clears. To check clarity, hold a flash light on one side of the carboy and look at the light from the other. When you can clearly see the bulb of the light the mead is clear.

3rd Racking

There is no substitute for time when making mead. The more mature the mead is prior to bottling the better it will be. A third racking will allow the mead to brighten and age. All recipes except Sweet Mead do not use any additives on this racking.

Sweet mead makers must add wine conditioner at this time.

Bottling

Mead can be bottled as you would wine or beer. I prefer to bottle in 375ml wine bottles or 7oz clear beer bottles. These smaller sizes reduce waste caused by leftovers. If the beer bottle method is used the caps must be the oxygen barrier type. Wine bottles should be closed with a 1-3/4 inch cork.

You can make your mead still, sparkling or both. Sparkling mead can only be sweetened with a sugar substitute and must be bottled in beer bottles or champagne bottles with special corks and wires.

Clean and sanitize your bottles, caps, siphon and bottle filling equipment. Gently fill each bottle but do not cap until all are filled.

When filling is complete you have the option of making some of the mead sparkling. To do this, add 1/2 teaspoon of corn sugar to each sparkling bottle.

Cap or cork the bottles. Store them upright in a dark cool place. Mead will take time to age and in my experience it will under go many changes. A batch which tastes great a bottling time may taste bad after 3 months in the bottle and then fabulous at 6 months.