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  • Making Mead General

    Making Mead General: Honey preparation, Fruit Preparation, Spice Herb preparation,
    pH testing, necessary equipment, use of Oak.

    Did Robin Hood take mead from the rich? Robin Hood took “met and met” – “meat and mead” according to ancient literature and I suggest that it was likely not for the poor but for the merry sorts within Robin Hoods family. So that is where the term “Merry Men” came from? Honey was used as a glory treat for the Norseman “using the skull of a slain enemy to toast each other. “Kisses sweeter than wine” “lips that taste like honey”. A newly married couple in the middle ages were given a month’s worth of mead in the hope that the marriage would bear fruit quickly, and many more.
    Today all alcoholic beverages have improved with extensive research. Better yeasts, understanding of fermentation and what causes contamination and off flavors with the great advancement in the making of wines. Can we still continue to make mead with the cost of honey so much more expensive than sugar? I believe, Yes--- but we must somewhere along the way identify a nitch where honey wines are the thing to drink because they add that something special to the experience.

    You will need three main ingredients:

    GOOD HONEY: My suggestion is to use a good varietal honey from a local bee keeper or a reputable online apirary. This will include raw honey with no processing. Is it all the same? Very interesting question and difficult question to answer ie: orange blossom honey from California will not be the same as Orange Blossom Honey from Flordia nor will Wild Flower Honey from south western Canada be the same as wild flower honey from southern Oregon and also honey from a site from year to year will not be the same due to temperature varances, soil chemistry and fertility moisture content etc. Avery complicated process. That is why our wines and meads change from year to year. Remember – “Recipes are for ideas not regulations that must be followed exactly. A wine or mead maker may have had success with a recipe one season but because of changes in various seasonal variences the pH, acid levels and necessities of the SG may be somewhat different.

    As far as I am concerned I am in an area where the exotic varietals of honey can only be obtained from an online source. So I use wild flower, Alp alpha, clover, buckwheat or Fireweed and any others that my nearby aperies or meaderies are able to sell. With nearly 500 different varietals of honey available there is a great deal of choice out there for people near to more tropical climes. Remember pH of honey shows up in the mead that you are making. The acid levels of honey varies depending on the varietals and the overall seasonal growth of the flowers and some honies have lower moisture contents with higher sugar levels (SG will vary from year to year). You will find it is necessary to measure these constituents at various times throughout your mead making process.

    http://www.beefolks.com/shopdisplayp...=Honey%2C+Bulk ---Just for all the fortunate British the scottish heather honey in this online source looks delicious??


    GOOD WATER: Use a good drinking water that is not high in Total Dissolved Solids, sodium, iron, calcium or other minerals. Many Cities chlorinate their waters and chlorine may leave tastes in your mead. I prefer to use bottled deionized water purchased at the grocery stores. Rainwater is generally not suitable in many areas, groundwater may contain minerals that could impart an unwanted flavor. Some people prefer to use distilled water but I do not use distilled water for this purpose.


    GOOD INGREDIENTS: Your meads rely on you providing good ingredients. Yeasts or other chemicals that are out of date or expired are not recommended for use. The buffers used to calibrate the pH meter or for measuring acidity must be currant to ensure that you are getting accurate measurements and the calibrations that you are doing are correct. The overall quality of the mead that you are making relies on you using excellent quality ingredients in all areas of the process.

    Honey Preparation: For the honey that we use in our meads we should look for fresh honey with no additatives or processing. We try to get unprocessed honey if at all possible usually from an apiary or bee keeper or meaderies. Processed honey available for purchase at many stores will be highly filtered for the preservation for shelf life thereby some of the floral aromas, nutrients and minerals will have been lost as a result of the processing. Here are some important points concerning honey preparation and there are many opposing views.
    -Honey is low in nitrogen, honey is low on other micro nutrients – when adjusting for these inadequacies with nutrients and energizers make sure you do not use to much as there is a possibility that you can spoil a batch by creating unfavorable flavor compounds.
    -Honey is high on Protein and therefore a process called fining will be necessary to get rid of the protein hazes. Concerning this good yeast will help solve some of this concern and also it is said that the boil method helps? I always thought the opposite (not for my process). I very much like the addition of bentonite before fermentation starts and then again after the alcohol fermentation process and degassing process is complete. I also very much like sparkaloid a + fining in combination with bentonite a – fining do wonders for the light colored meads or a product called Carol K.C. (Kielselsol) sold separately for light and dark colored wines seems to work best for me in the dark colored meads.
    How Much Honey: Again each to their own, I am of the preference that approximately 3 pounds per gallon for dry basic mead, I use 3.5-4 pounds per gallon for most of the other meads that I make. You can chaptalize by adding 1-2 liters of honey to the batch two or three times when the SG reaches around 1.020 until the fermentation stops. You can always back sweeten to your tastes. Remember there are a couple of ways of back sweetening; saving a couple liters of the must prior to fermentation and freezing it until ready for the sweetening process or with varietal honey or as another source corn sugar.

    Fruit Preparation: Oh the joys of a Melomel – that is something to cherish for many a day. Many fruits and berries along with the honey give us a chance to create a full bodied fruit flavored Melomel that bursts forth with your favorite flavors along with honey tastes and aromas. Using fruits and berries you can create a full bodied fruit foreword tart or sweet drink with exceptional aroma. Fruit juices that are natural and unsweetened and un-sorbated can also make a terrific Melomel. You will have to make sure the pH and Starting Gravity is where you wish prior to starting the fermentation process. Apple, pear, plum, peach, raspberry pomegranate, blueberry etc. juices can all be use to produce an excellent Melomel. Tropical Fruits and juices are up and coming – great flavors there and yum-yum Melomel. Pomes like apples and pears, Stone Fruits like peaches and nectarines, cherries and apricots and Soft Fruits like berries and brambles and grapes all make outstanding Melomel. Fruits and berries ripened on the tree or bush are much better than the ones that we purchase at the corner grocery store. I have found that fruits purchased at a farmers market, at stores near where the fruits or berries are produce seem to provide much better quality. Pick your own sites are very much excellent and of course there are the farms that have freezing facilities and sell some of their fruits or berries frozen; these frozen fruits and berries are outstanding. In fact I prefer to freeze all my fruits and berries after I purchase them. The freezing process breaks down the skin and cell walls allowing the juices to flow more freely after thawing.
    In any event you must have ripe fruits or berries to make the Mead. Any blemishes or bruised fruits or spots must be removed and discarded. We want the best ripened, juiciest fruit or berries for our mead. Remember also that some fruits and berries blend very well together and it is encouraged to use these in combination if so desired.

    In all my fruit preparations I always remove the pips (cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots etc. the pips come out – there is a possibility if left in and cracked they could impart a bitter flavor to the Melomel. Fruits like apples and pears are cored and the soft berries like blackberries and raspberries ECT. If left to long in the primary fermenter could also impart bitter flavors if the seeds in these berries have been crushed. If I have a concern with the seeds in these berries I limit the contact of the berries in the primary ferment to 4 or 5 days. Most fruits can be used without peeling except the citrus fruits. Citrus fruits must be peeled removing as much of the pith as possible. A very thin rind – ZEST- of the citrus fruit can be use to add the citrus flavor. Also important is to keep the stems, leaves and branches out of the primary fermenter. Mulberry stems must be remover to the tip of the berry. Residual stems, branches leaves could also impart a bitter flavor that we do not want.


    pH testing, acid testing:Mead pH and acid testing:Guides for TA and pH:
    Dry Mead: SG 1.000-1.005 --- TA approx .5 and pH 3.00
    Medium – SG 1.010-1.015 – TA .6, pH 3.00
    Dessert – SG 1.040-1.045, TA .7, pH 3.00

    Or let your taste buds guide as you go and determine what is best for your taste preferences.

    I suggest the important thing to do prior to pitching the yeast in making mead is to measure the pH. I look for a pH level between 3.00 and 3.50 but I am not an expert, I have had success using these parameters. However, others have said that yeasts need a pH environment of 3.7-4.6 for their optimum efficient fermentation!? Who is right or are all? That is the question. My experience is that the 3.00-3.50 does fine; others also use these pH levels? I managed this in all my meads so far this year and previously except the Morat of this year (mulberry) which started with a pH of 3.60 – slightly more than suggested – may be I should have added 2-3 more teaspoons of tartaric acid before pitching the yeast but I did not. It seems to have worked out OK because all the fermentations are continuing without any problems – so far. pH is an indicator of our musts tostave off bacterial infection, to use Sulfites correctly and to produce a stable clear mead. I look for these pH levels before pitching the yeast because a pH below the 3.00 mark the must may be bitter and above the 3.55 pH mark the fermenting wine could be one enjoyed by invading bacteria, eaisly oxidized and difficult to protect with sulphites. If you start the fermentation below the 3.50 mark the pH will likely decrease during fermentation, that is good and if you start fermentation above the 3.55 pH mark the pH will probably increase which is not what we want. The titratable acidity of the must generally decreases during fermentation. I do not find it necessary to take a TA test on mead before the fermentation starts but think that it is necessary as part of the adjustment phase before going into the bottleing and ageing process. I am totally in agreement that all the acid levels for various types of grape and fruit and mead are guidelines and should not be used as requirements – We all have different tastes! That is why this adjustment phase should be undertaken? The sweetness of honey which is significant masks the acid level making it difficult to get accurate acid levels prior to fermentation start. The pH in honey does not always reflect the acidity values but the buffering between the different acids present. Some opponents will likely express this in a different way. The temperature of the must is around the 70 degree F mark (21 C) in my fermenting area and the temperature of the fermenting must does not go to more that 75 degrees F (24 C) even if fermenting during the summer months. I prefer the fermenting temperature to stay below 75 degrees F. Remember guideline numbers for acid are useful tools to aid us in coming to a desired level (pH-acid balance) the real regulator is our taste buds and final adjustments to taste bud criteria rules? My opinion.

    If you want to make consistently great Meads and Wines I suggest that you invest in a pH pen meter. The cost of these are coming down somewhere in the range of 45-125$. It will pay for itself in the first few fruit wine batches, Meads or grape wine batches that you make. It will move your wine making skills to the next level. There is a down side to the pH pens --- they require some continued maintenance to ensure the tip is moist and in a storage solution when not in use. We also have to calibrate the pH pens before each use and this requires up to date buffers and solutions to complete the acids and pH testing. These solutions are not to expensive but do require some planning ahead to make sure they are all current and a check of the pH pen so that all is under the green light when you want to do some pH and acid testing.

    pH Adjustment: If you add acid it will bring pH down, if you reduce acid it will bring pH up.
    Adjusting SG: Use the following as a general guide:
    ORIGINAL GRAVITY (OG)
    Dry mead ~ 1.080-1.095
    Semi-sweet mead ~ 1.100-1.118
    Sweet mead ~ 1.120-1.150+

    The following table was created by John Gorman, and is found at The Bees Lees web site: http://brewery.org/library/beeslees.html
    Volume of Honey to add to 5 Gallons to Achieve a Particular Specific Gravity: (Q=Quarts, c=cups)
    SG 0.000 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008 0.009
    1.000 0Q,0c 0Q,0c 0Q,0c 0Q,1c 0Q,1c 0Q,1c 0Q,1c 0Q,1c 0Q,1c 0Q,2c
    1.010 0Q,2c 0Q,2c 0Q,2c 0Q,2c 0Q,3c 0Q,3c 0Q,3c 0Q,3c 0Q,3c 0Q,3c
    1.020 1Q,0c 1Q,0c 1Q,0c 1Q,0c 1Q,0c 1Q,0c 1Q,1c 1Q,1c 1Q,1c 1Q,1c
    1.030 1Q,1c 1Q,2c 1Q,2c 1Q,2c 1Q,2c 1Q,2c 1Q,2c 1Q,3c 1Q,3c 1Q,3c
    1.040 1Q,3c 1Q,3c 2Q,0c 2Q,0c 2Q,0c 2Q,0c 2Q,0c 2Q,0c 2Q,1c 2Q,1c
    1.050 2Q,1c 2Q,1c 2Q,1c 2Q,2c 2Q,2c 2Q,2c 2Q,2c 2Q,2c 2Q,2c 2Q,3c
    1.060 2Q,3c 2Q,3c 2Q,3c 2Q,3c 2Q,3c 3Q,0c 3Q,0c 3Q,0c 3Q,0c 3Q,0c
    1.070 3Q,1c 3Q,1c 3Q,1c 3Q,1c 3Q,1c 3Q,1c 3Q,2c 3Q,2c 3Q,2c 3Q,2c
    1.080 3Q,2c 3Q,3c 3Q,3c 3Q,3c 3Q,3c 3Q,3c 3Q,3c 4Q,0c 4Q,0c 4Q,0c
    1.090 4Q,0c 4Q,0c 4Q,1c 4Q,1c 4Q,1c 4Q,1c 4Q,1c 4Q,1c 4Q,2c 4Q,2c
    1.100 4Q,2c 4Q,2c 4Q,2c 4Q,3c 4Q,3c 4Q,3c 4Q,3c 4Q,3c 4Q,3c 5Q,0c
    1.110 5Q,0c 5Q,0c 5Q,0c 5Q,0c 5Q,0c 5Q,1c 5Q,1c 5Q,1c 5Q,1c 5Q,1c
    1.120 5Q,2c 5Q,2c 5Q,2c 5Q,2c 5Q,2c 5Q,2c 5Q,3c 5Q,3c 5Q,3c 5Q,3c
    1.130 5Q,3c 6Q,0c 6Q,0c 6Q,0c 6Q,0c 6Q,0c 6Q,0c 6Q,1c 6Q,1c 6Q,1c
    1.140 6Q,1c 6Q,1c 6Q,1c 6Q,2c 6Q,2c 6Q,2c 6Q,2c 6Q,2c 6Q,3c 6Q,3c
    1.150 6Q,3c 6Q,3c 6Q,3c 6Q,3c 7Q,0c 7Q,0c 7Q,0c 7Q,0c 7Q,0c 7Q,1c

    Many meadmakers use weight, instead of volume, when formulating their recipes. Several factors can vary the weight of a given volume of honey, including variety and age. The AVERAGE weight of a gallon of honey is 12 pounds (192 oz.). From this, you can infer that a Quart of honey weighs 3 pounds (48 oz.) and a cup of honey weighs ¾ pound (12 oz.). With this assumption, and the above chart, you will be able to calculate the weight of honey need to produce a particular Specific Gravity.

    Reducing Acid: Mix 140 grams potassium carbonate into 750 ml of water then uyou can use 4 ml of that solution to reduce the acidity of your mead must by one gram per liter or for US gallons use 15 ml of the solution or for Imperial gallons sue 19 ml of the solution.
    Increasing acid: tartaric acid – one gram for .1% increase in one liter or 3.8 grams of tartaric for one US gallon or 4.6 grams for one Imperial gallon to increase by .1%.






    Necessary Equipment: Making Mead requires that you have a working area space that is heated – it is generally in the basement of our homes or a closet or other space that is vacant. All of the work area and equipment stored and use must be kept clean and sanitized before and during the Mead making process. Sanitize and cleanness includes all the floors, tables, shelves cupboards sinks fridges etc. that are part of the hobby area. We must make sure that the entire area and everything used is sanitized with an approved solution. Make sure all the equipment that is sanitized and cleaned is well rinsed after the sanitation is done. Do not use soap or detergent can leave a film that could impart a flavor in the Mead. Do not use coarse scouring pads that could scratch plastic or soft surfaces. These scratches can harbor bacteria and be hard to clean.
    Build a wine cellar in an area suitable for the hobby; a space of 10x10 feet x 8 feet high will do fine for the work area. The storage area or cool room can be in the area of 8x8x8 feet high – a space larger that this would be nice but it works for me. The ideal for this space is for it to be cool 50-65 degrees F year round 24 hours a day. The 50-60 is all the better.
    The work area needs shelving space, cupboards, lighting, electric outlets, hot and cold water and sink and refrigerator and freezer. You will need a strong heavy duty table that can hold some heavier weights 150-200 pounds. The table should be 3-4 feet above the floor is 4-6 feet in length and 3 feet in width. This will be the area where all the fermentation is done; racking and bottling chores are completed.

    All of us have to keep good records of the Mead that we make. A copy of the recipe that we used, a record card that includes everything that is planned for all your meads. Store the record card in a 3 ring binder with a new card for each batch that you make.

    You will need some equipment to get started in making your Mead. Your local retail store may have a Mead starting kit that you can purchase. Here is a kind of basic list that you can purchase as you go along: A couple of food grade plastic primary fermenters. They should be at least 10-12 gallons in size and also a third one approximately 5 gallons in size. If you plan to make batches of 30,60 or 100 gallons then you will have to purchase much larger primary fermenters and that will likely include stainless steel ones. The 10-12 gallon one will handle any of the 23 liter batches of Melomel that you might want to make and include the fruit in with the primary fermentation process. You will need two or more as the years go by of 23 liter glass carboys. I have 13 of these and all but one are in the bulk ageing stage. You will need a number of the 1 gallon jugs – 6 or 8 should do the trick here unless you plant to make all one gallon batches to start then you will likely want more of the one gallon jugs and another 6 or 8 of the ½ to ¼ gallon jugs used for the topping up must that is always necessary when making a batch. You will need air locks for each carboy and jug, bungs for each carboy and jug, j-tubes and plastic tubing for siphoning, a bottled filler a gravy bester a hydrometer.
    Here are some handy laboratory equipment that you should have if you ever get a chance to pick some up inexpensively: graduated cylinders,Beakers,Pipetts,Burette, Burette Clamp, Barrett metal table support, Erlenmeyer flask, thermometers, eye droppers, floor corkers and many more that you will determine you need as you go along in this great hobby.


    TO OAK OR NOT TO OAK

    Historically Mead was stored in oak barrels. If you have the where with all to age you mead in oak barrels your mead will reach a level very difficult to imitate outside the barrel. Oak barrels take a lot of maintenance, hard to handle, have to be used or they dry out and leak, they are expensive and hard to keep clean.
    However, there are alternatives that come close to the barrel for those of us that are not able to use oak barrels. Using oak in our meads gives our mead softness, complexity as harsh tannins are converted, aromatic qualities and tannic dryness that will not happen in an ageing carboy without the oak. Here are some methods to consider and test out: Oak extract (alcohol soaked in oak) not very satisfactory. Sawdust oak – OK in a fine nylon straining bag for 2 or 4 days in the primary then remove squeeze dry and discard. Oak chips, Oak Cubes and Oak Staves all good. Use oak chips2-14 days – 3-4 ounces for 5 gallons in secondary carboy fermenter. Oak sticks in secondary 2-3 weeks, check taste remove and leave longer if more oak necessary then check again and discard. Make sure that they are clean and sanitized.
    Oak cubes – use 2-3 ounces in the 23 liter carboy bulk ageing process for approximately 2 months then rack and check I more oak flavor leave in for another period of time. “You can always add more oak but it cannot be removed if you get too much. There are three main kinds of oak; French oak, American oak and Hungarian oak. French oak is more expensive with a subtitle flavor and high tannin; American oak and releases more flavors faster; Hungarian oak less intense and less expensive. Heavy toasted oak not suggested for Mead, Medium Plus toast OK for bolder Melomels and braggots and the best for overall use for all kinds of Mead is the medium toast.
    We can also make some oak tea for use in the mead: use approximately 90 grams of oak chips (per-23 liters). Use approximately 500 ml of wine to be treated into the reservoir of an old coffee pot, put the oak chips in a coffee filter bag turn the coffee pot on and when done you will have 300-400ml of oak extract. You can do this two or three times to get as much oak flavor as possible. Another way is to boil the same in a micro wave for two or more minutes, and filter this mixture through a coffee filter. We can then mix the oak extract into our meads and wines to taste.
    Attached Files
    Last edited by StockeyDAW; 21-01-2008, 06:48 AM.
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