First Mead.

[critty]

So a friend told me to stop by stormthecastle.com as they had a simple mead to try. He has made 4 batches of mead using the recipe given on the site and basically nagged the hell out of me to try it.

So I did :)

(If the colour of the mead looks a little off it's because the bottle it's in has a blue tint to it. Thats how the co-op 5l bottles look normally.)

There is one orange, 1 handful of raisins and a **** load of honey. Got the honey from CO-OP and it's their fair trade something or other. Can't remember which. Really simple to make and I can't figure out why I didn't make wine sooner to be honest.

One question though. Is there a recipe for mead like how the Vikings made it? Also anyone ever play Skyrim? Because I think thats the same kind of Viking style mead and my friend wants to emulate it.

 

[RobWalker]

Search for Burnt Honey Mead. That's pretty medievil! But there's no real reason it's not quite vikingy as it stands, it's very uncommon in shops these days.

Yup, this is actually the first thing I saw after a session on Dawnguard. Got my thief on the Dawnguard side, and my battlemage on the Vampire side. FUS RO DAH!

 

[critty]

I would join you in your epic adventure but I took an arrow to the knee.

And no worries. I am happy making this kind of mead. To be honest, so long as I get something like I drank in Germany I will be very happy :) I will pass the Burnt Mead on to my friend though.

 

[Devonhomebrew]

Lol guys ive made a malted mead if anyone wants the recipe for it just pm me =)

 

[alawlor66430]

What yeast did you use and are you better blending up the oranges and raisins or leaving them like you did, I'm gonna try this one

 

[critty]

I used youngs wine super compound. I bought a tub of it when I made my cherry and rhubarb wine and has been used in the wow type wine I did too. All times I have used it the visible signs of fermentation have happened within 1-3 hours of pitching. I know people will say to use Lavlin but its what I had to hand so I just whacked a good teaspoon in.

The recipe I used said to throw the oranges in as seen. Same with the raisins. I used CO-OP's own brand honey as that was the closest store to hand. It was all a little last minuet but I had enough resources to make it anyway. I did throw half a teaspoon of yeast nutrient in just to see if I could make the yeast a little healthier.

==Edit==

Ok the fermenter is bubbling. Considering I started this thread when I pitched the yeast It's not doing too bad.

 

[charlie_mead_face]

One question though. Is there a recipe for mead like how the Vikings made it? Also anyone ever play Skyrim? Because I think thats the same kind of Viking style mead and my friend wants to emulate it.

mead is one of the oldest forms of alcohol that man has made (they even found some in tutankhamun tomb) and im guessing back in the day they had very basic kit and ingredients, so 1.5 kgs of honey, yeast and water and that would be that. altho add some yeast nutrient, if you dont youll get a very lov abv mead :nono: have you drunk much mead? if not check out lindisfarne mead and moniack mead both hearty viking drinks :

 

[BrotherMalice]

Which recipie did you use critty - keep meaning to give this a try & have to go shopping on the way home....

 

[oldbloke]

It looks like a version of Joe's Ancient Spiced Orange Mead to me, I tried it once but wasn't terribly ipressed, though I've not tried it aged. Canonical recipe at gotmead.com

I preferred my second try at mead, which was pretty simple, a version of Blind Ben's recipe. Can't recall what honey I used though...
2011-10-17
About 1l boiled water into large pan. 50 ml into a glass for rehydrating yeast, with a bit of honey.
4 jars honey (about 1.36kg) added to pan, more boiled water used to get last bits out of jars. Stir!
Gervin GV10 yeast added to glass when at 35.
Mug of Earl Grey added to pan. 3 lemons sliced into pan. Stir!
1tsp grated nutmeg to pan. Stir! 2tsp ground cinnamon to pan. Stir! Tiny piece vanilla pod to pan. Stir!
2tsp nutrient to pan. Stir! 1/2tsp tartaric to pan. Stir!
Yeast stirred at 15 minutes, bit of must added to make it a proper starter.
Pan heated gently to about 60 to get everything to infuse - no higher, to preserves honey's flavour. Much stirring.
Left to cool for about an hour, to approx pitch temperature.
Strained (sieve) to fermenting bucket, made up to about 4 litres with boiled water, stirred.
Yeast starter added and stirred in, lid fitted.
2011-10-18 (late)
It's got a nice head on it but not gone totally crazy so putting the rest of the honey in now.
Meant to use 1/2 a jar but have dissolved a whole one... Only an extra 1%abv, go for it.
2011-10-21
Sieved to demi, Campden added, topped up with bottled water.
Taste promising - bit sweet right now but still fermenting.
2011-11-22
Racked with sorbate & sulphite. Tastes quite good already.