Making A Basic Mead

[TheBeebopper]

The black on your aluminium jam pan is metal deposits from your water supply. It'll likely be the copper content that is making your beer fermentation surge. My own water supply is useless because of the lead copper and iron content which is why I am not currently brewing. It's unfortunate that those of us blessed with the most versatile brewing water (acidic) picks up these undesirable heavy metals from plumbing.

[TheBeebopper]

@TheBeebopper But you can run your brewing water through a Brita (or copy) jug filter which will remove sufficient of the undesirables to satisfy full mash brewing. I think the grain husks draw off the last of the metals with a 1.1/2 hr mash and this is why it is important to keep the temperature moderrate with the sparge water (also filtered) and not to overdo it.

[rawimpact]

heard of a oven mitt before?

[DevonHomeBrew]

@rawimpact Yeah but havent got one. lost it.

[leedorham]

So easy. Why haven't I tried this yet?

[DevonHomeBrew]

@leedorham Idk? You tell me? And yes it is so easy ive got 1 gallon spiced mead, 5 gallon plain mead

[leedorham]

@DevonHomeBrew ever tried dry-hopping a mead?

[DevonHomeBrew]

@leedorham No never tried it. Might be nice though.

[drolretfa]

Dang did I miss it, how much water to how much honey? Now for a goof, have you ever hopped a mead?

[DevonHomeBrew]

@drolretfa 3lbs of honey, 1 gallon water, 1 tsp yeast nutrient, 1 tsp pectolase, 1 tsp wine tannin, 5g wine yeast gervin no1 allthough any wine yeast or mead yeast will do.

[drolretfa]

@DevonHomeBrew Will an ale yeast do the trick or will I have to run to the yeast store?

[DevonHomeBrew]

@drolretfa Wine yeast is best dont use beer yeast it might leave so nasty flavours.

[drolretfa]

@DevonHomeBrew Awesome thanks. First time brewing a mead might as well get it right.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@drolretfa As well as that after its fermented you must shake the hell out of it to remove any gas trapped in the mead/wine and then add finings let sit get a rackin cane/syphon and put into bottles also a cocker is needed if you go check out craigtubes video on wine just type in craigtube wine making and find a 4 part series you can treat the mead the same just with 1 gallon batch.

[drolretfa]

@DevonHomeBrew Awesome thanks.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

Cheers mate. I'm thinking honey, lemon and ginger cough remedy with a kick. YUMMY!!

[DevonHomeBrew]

@BeerGogglesReviews you will be making a melomel/metheglin (google it) with that recipe

[DevonHomeBrew]

@BeerGogglesReviews does sound YUMMMY

[drolretfa]

@BeerGogglesReviews LOL. Heck yeah!!!

[BeerGogglesReviews]

Now this is a MUST. If I wanted to add lemon I'd have to do that after fermentation right.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@BeerGogglesReviews i added 1 tsp of brewers citric acid to the demi-john at the start of fermentation you can use 1 lemon to add acid if you want

[HomeBrewBeerRecipes]

I just made a mead today! We'll have to compare results.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@HomeBrewBeerRecipes Mine is clearing in my glass demi-john at the moment so mine will be ready before yours but yes we should compare.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

What yeast? Do you need to prepare the yeast first? If so how?

I wanna do this.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@BeerGogglesReviews I didnt have any wine yeast so i used a bakers yeast it takes a bit longer to clear but it still works haha i just activated the yeast in 1 tsp of sugar to 100 ml of luke warm water pour into honey must (water) and fermentation is taking place haha

[videoMC2010]

missed these vids didnt see them in my inbox. good stuff.

[DevonHomeBrew]

@videoMC2010 the mead is clearing slowly but i can see my hand through it.

[whatsbrewinguk]

never had mead...how many litres did you end up with and what yeast did you anjd the amount..might give it a go

[DevonHomeBrew]

@whatsbrewinguk i eneded up with 1 gallon and i used a bread tesco brand yeast i know everyone says why use bread yeast you end up with bready tastes i never do you should give it a go cost like 6:15 + bread yeast which is so cheap.

[bmeyer44]

what does the price of honey run in the UK?

Over here, that would have been around 18.00..the stuff is expensive!

[DevonHomeBrew]

@bmeyer44 £2:05 per Lb of honey, though it was only cheap stuff, you can pay as much as £10 for organic honey but whats the point in that.

[mrgrimviking]

MEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DevonHomeBrew]

@mrgrimviking Sure is it smells amazing when i boiled the watered down honey.