Mead makers?

[kareninthesun]

I started this about two years ago after going to a faire. The meadmaker got me interested, a friend encouraged me after showing their stash put away. Put this on hold until all chicks are out of the laundry room brooders, don't want to cross contaminate or worry about something exploding on me. I was surprised to find out that small batches taste far superiour to the junk promoted in specialty stores. DOES NOT taste sweet, cloying, heavy. I've made all kinds, from traditional to different fruits and mixed spices. Made labels, signed and dated all to give away as gifts or special occassions.

I had one guy whom is very picky about mead ask for my secrets, said it is better than his. Its all in the research and gleaming from folk whom walk before you, right?

 

[RaZ]

I have a couple of carboys fermenting in the closet. One is a maple-mead, 10 yrs in carboy and the other is a grape-melomel about 7 years in carboy. I really should think about bottling them up.

 

[kareninthesun]

The maple sounds interesting. Is the flavor subtle?

 

[RaZ]

The first batch of maple mead was a touch over subtle. It had a flavour that made people ask what it was. Onve I told them maple, they identified it. The fiorst batch was pure Michigan honey and Vermont maple. This batch is all pure Michigan stuff.

 

[muddstopper]

There are tons of mead recipies on the net. Most call for adding some sort of fruit as well as the honey. I have 3 gallons in carbouys under the kitchen sink I just started a couple of months ago. I started with 1 gallon of pure honey, no sugars or fruit juices. I mixed the honey with 2 gallons of water and then let simmer on the stove to kill off all the nasties and wild yeast. I then mixed in one packet of Moncherete yeast in a cup of the honey water mix for 24hrs before adding to the honey in the fermenting bucket. I let the mixture ferment in the bucket for two wks, stirring everyday and then racked it off into the 1gal carbouys. I plan on racking off again every couple of months until it becomes clear, and then will bottle about a year from now. It takes one year to make decent mead and 2 years to make good mead, but mine taste like a beer with a kick to it now.

 

[2overeasy000]

Quote:
10 years. Holy cow! I have trouble waiting 10 months. Can't believe your patience. Just a question for you, isn't grape mead called pyment?

 

[JohnCT]

I make mead with honey, water and champagne yeast.

Cook it to a boil, scrape off the scum, put away for a year, rack it off, let it sit another year, bottle with a drop of honey in the bottom of each bottle.

Let sit after bottling for a few months. I get a dry sparkeling mead.

 

[RaZ]

From what I was told, pyment uses grape juice but if you use the whole fruits, it's a melomel. That could be a regional thing too. I'm not all that concerned with what you call it as long as you enjoy it.

 

[2overeasy000]

Quote:
True enough.

 

[2overeasy000]

Quote:
Speaking of enjoying it...This is almost identical to what we were enjoying last night. The only differences are that I don't quite boil because I think you lose some of the subtle flavors of the honey, and I added a little lemon juice to mine. But, wow did it come out good. My friends were asking what kind of champagne it was.