# Not a mead maker so I need some advice



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Taste it and see how carmelized it is. The carmel won't ferment but will still taste sweet like <caramel> or scorch depending on how toasty it got. I would take 15 of it and put it in a five gallon bucket and introduce it to some KIV-1116 or EC-1118 yeast. I would throw in a half pound of raisens and a half pound of dates. If you have some pollen, about a half a pound would be nice. Fill the bucket up to about two inches from the top. Put a twisted piece of coat hanger in a drill and stir all the air you can into the mixture. Areate it a couple times a day for the first three days. 65 to 75 is a good temperature. take a lid for that bucket and drill a hole and silicone in a 3/8" barbed nipple and get 20" of tubing. Run that tube into another bucket filled with water to make an air lock. It will bubble for about another week depending on the actual temperature. Cooler is slower but you get a better tasting product. After it slows down to where it only bubbles occaisionally, sypon it off into a clean container and try to get as little air in it now as possible. You should spring for a carboy which is a five gallon glass jug that costs about $40 if you want to age it for a while (a year at least) which will do wonders. It will take your mead from a place where you think your horse has diabetes to a fine strong wine called mead. That is the simple short course. After the ten days, you can just put it in plastic soda bottles. If they start feeling like they are going to blow, let out some pressure slowly. Forget about them, they can blow up and make a mess you would go a long way to avoid! That is the down and dirty cheapest way to go. If you like doing it, you can buys books and do it in a more refined manner with fruit and spices and adding oak cubes and vanilla beans and----welll it's endless. A good way to spend the winter.


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

My Dad has been making wine since I was in my single digits(and I'm 53) so it wont be hard to come up with a carboy or any other wine making equipment. And my Sister owns a vinyard, so I can probably come up with the hardware. I will try your recipe and see what I come up with.Maybe I can make a batch with good honey and another with the dark stuff and compare the end product.Thanks.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

That was a fairly primitive recipe because I didn't know the condition of your honey or your expertise. It was just a cheap way for you to try meadmaking and only have a couple bucks in it. There are forums that specialize in just meadmaking where there are lots of recipes under discussion. There are better recipes in the homebrewing posts here I am sure. I know I have posted a couple. The darkened honey is often used in beer too. Hopefully the brewcat will jump in here because I am no genius at this brewing myself. I have five batches going right now and they are all experiments! Two made with the honey I washed out of my settling tank and extractor and cappings melter. I am just a retiree with too much time on my hands and lots of honey. Make this a father son project and make a pyment.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Hey Hemichuck,
I like Vance's ideas, why not give it a try? Pyment is one of my favorites actually (a mix of wine grapes and honey to make the must). The overheating definitely can damage the honey, causing caramelization but also HMF formation for sure. If you're not planning on baking with it etc, can't hurt to try to reclaim it. Might be great! But if not, try again with undamaged honey for sure. Check in with your family, and definitely read the Intro: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?231128-For-beginners-an-introduction-to-meadmaking. Cleanliness, sanitation and more of the same.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

With part of the honey, I'd suggest making a cyser. You might end up with an interesting caramel apple taste...


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

Vance, I am a retiree too(though not by choice) but I have been thinking about mead making for some time. Maybe I can get my Dad to lend his expertise, he definatly has a better understanding of wine than I do. He has made some great wine over the years(and some rotgut too) He used to be a produce guy so whenever some of his friends came up with a skid of fruit going bad they would call him and he would take it and make some wine.One of my cousins has a boyfriend who has experimented with brewing beer and some of it was pretty good. Maybe I can give him enough to do a batch too.Thanks for the advice.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

A Virus ate my heart and told me to retire. Get the book The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm


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