Mead, also known as “honey wine”, is made by fermenting honey with water, and sometimes with the addition of fruits, spices, grains, hops, etc. Even though it sounds complex, there is actually not much to it and brewing your own mead is incredible easy!
The taste of honeys varies and depends on what bees have been sampling - different honeys lead to different mead taste. Here, we'll show you the best brew mead recipe and how to brew mead at home, so you can enjoy a tasty drink that connects you to this ancient tradition.
What is Mead?
Mead is a fermented alcoholic drink traditionally made with just honey and water, and perhaps some yeast, usually wild yeast. Legend has it that it was accidentally concocted when rainwater mixed with honey and wild yeasts fermented on their own. Ancient Greeks loved it, and it was popular among Vikings, Romans, and other cultures too.
There are various types of mead, including still or sparkling, sweet, off-dry, or dry, and you can enjoy it plain or with added flavors. You can also make different styles like Cyser, which is apple mead, or Melomel, which incorporates various fruits.
Mead Brewing Materials, Ingredients & Equipment
To successfully brew mead at home, a few essential ingredients and equipment are needed.
Equipment:
- A food-grade bucket or fermenting vessel
- Airlock and stopper
- Sanitiser
- Homebrew temperature controller
- Food thermometer
- Hydrometer
- Stirring spoon or whisk
- Bottles or growlers for bottling
- Large funnel
- Large Pot
Ingredients:
- Quality liquid honey 3lb (1.36kg)- It is very relevant to pay much attention to the selection of honey, as its flavor sets the foundation for the mead. The stronger the flavor, the better it tastes.
- Water 1 gallon (5 liter)- It’s better to go for non-chlorinated spring water or safely filtered tap water instead of distilled water, since distilled water can slow down yeast fermentation.
- Yeast (ale or mead yeast)- It is a form of tiny living organism that ferments the honey by converting the sugars in it into alcohol by-products within CO2.
- Optional: Fruits, spices, or herbs for flavored mead
How to Brew Mead at Home?
Making mead will approximately take 4-6 weeks, along the fermentation. Here is the step-by-step instruction on how to brew mead from honey that you didn’t know you could follow at home today.
Step 1: Sanitize equipment
To prevent contamination, thoroughly sterilize all your brewing gear especially fermentation vessels, airlocks, and utensils before you start. You can do this by boiling or soaking everything in a sanitizing solution so that yeast can grow but no other bacteria can.
Step 2: Heat and dissolve honey
Warm half a gallon of water in a large pot. Remove from heat when the water is warm but not truly boiling, then stir in the honey until it is dissolved. Allow the unfermented "mead" to cool down to 70-80°F (21-27°C).
Step 3: Add remaining water and yeast
Transfer the honey mixture into the sterilized bucket or vessel and mix in the rest of the spring water. Cool the mead to 65-70°F (18-21°C) before adding the yeast. Once it's at the right mead brewing temperature, add the yeast to the honey-water blend, then either stir it gently or seal it with a sterilized stopper and give it a good shake to mix everything together.
Step 4: Ferment
Pop the airlock into the cork and seal it up. Store the mead in a warm, dark place (about 70°F or 21°C). A Homebrew temperature controller like the INKBIRD ITC-308 can help you keep temperature steady. You should see some bubbling in about 12-24 hours. Let it ferment for 2-4 weeks, or until the bubbling in the airlock slows down significantly. You can also measure the specific gravity of the mead using a hydrometer, which helps you figure out its alcohol level. Typically, the specific gravity starts around 1.100 and should fall to about 1.000 once fermentation wraps up.
Step 5: Bulk age
Once fermentation is complete, siphon the mead into sterilized bottles or growlers. Let it age in batches for about 4 to 8 months since, like most brewed drinks, mead improves over time. You can decide when to enjoy it, but we typically wait at least 3 months. Of course, you can sip it right away if you want. If you're feeling adventurous, throw in some spices, fruits, or herbs during the aging process. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, orange peel, or vanilla beans can really amp up the flavor.
Bonus Tips
- Make sure everything is thoroughly sterilized. Otherwise,any bacteria can spread fast and spoil your mead.
- For the best flavor, opt for the best honey you can get your hands on.
- Use the best homebrew temperature controller to keep fine control of the temperature of fermentation to get best activity out of the yeast.
- Give your mead time to age Patience leads to a more sophisticated taste.
- Try outdifferent flavorings to create your own mead brewing recipes.
- Document your homebrewing to find out how you’re doing and where you can improve.
