making mead...

ON MAKING MEAD...

by Baron Sir Riekin ap Gruagach

Being a simple recipe and observations on that most ancient and civilized of beverages... MEAD!

Herein offered, in hopes of leading un-beknighted and ignorant savages toward the light of true humanity... and brotherhood.

APPARATUS

• 1 - 6 qt or better pot, with cover
• 1 - 1 gal glass jug, well cleaned
• 1 square of paper toweling and a rubber band
  or 1 loosely fitting cap, or fermentation lock
• 3 feet of 5/16" or 3/8" aquarium tubing (plastic)
• Enough champagne bottles or 2 liter bottles to hold 1 gal.
  (which can be sealed to withstand carbonation)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 packet all purpose wine yeast (do NOT use brewer's yeast or yeast for baking bread)
• 2 lbs. clover or orange blossom honey
• 2 WHOLE cloves (uncrushed)
• 2 sticks cinnamon, lightly broken
• 1/4 tsp. sliced ginger root (do not use powdered)
• 2 long strips of orange peel (approx. 2 tbsp.)
• 1 gal. of the best water available

PROCEDURE

Bring 3 qts of water to a boil, along with the spices.

Simmer 15 minutes.

REMOVE SPICES.

Add honey, stirring vigorously (or you'll have caramel on the bottom of the pot!)

Once the honey has fully dissolved, allow the water to barely simmer.

White scum will form, skim it, and continue skimming until no more rises.

Failure to do this completely will allow the yeast to act on the waxes and form turpines (which tastes like turpentine!) so make sure you get every last bit, no matter how small.

Never allow the mixture to come to a full boil, or the character of the honey will be destroyed.

Take pot off heat, cover, and leave overnight.

Next morning, when the liquid has cooled to room temperature, add the contents of 1 FULL packet of yeast.

(Failure to add the entire packet can lead to the incubation of inferior yeast strains which will ruin the flavor.)

Cover pot again.

12 to 24 hours later - you should have a wildly foaming mixture.

Siphon the mixture into the previously sterilized 1 gal. glass jug.

(Clorox solution is fine for this - rinse well!)

Loosely screw on lid so gasses can escape, or cover with four folded paper towels and rubber band, or fermentation lock.

Allow to ferment for 48 hours more, or until bubbling nearly ceases.

Siphon the liquid off the layer of dead yeast on the bottom of the jug, so none of the bottom layer gets into the mixture.

Clean the jug carefully, replace the liquid back in the jug, top off with clean water, reseal, and place in refrigerator overnight.

Next day -

Siphon into CLEAN, STERILIZED wine bottles or 2 liter soda bottles, and cap tightly.

Leave in refrigerator 3 to 5 days and enjoy!

WARNING: pressure will be forming in the bottles; avoid excessive handling.

Flavor will improve up to ten days, after that, you really need to drink it.

Note: The hangover produced by mead was considered by the Norse to be a punishment too sublime to inflict on the frail frame of a mortal.

This is probably due to insufficient skimming of the "white scum".

AFTER-WORDS

These instructions produce a lightly carbonated, mildly alcoholic metheglin (spiced mead) which was originally taught to me by Duke Cariadoc in 1974, (though he doesn't remember it - Good Stuff!)

It is intended to be prepared for revels, and consumed in large quantities (proviso you are over 21 and NOT driving!)

The hangover cure is available... for an exorbitant fee!

BOTTOMS UP!

Baron Sir Riekin

---

Mead Menu

(LtoR): THE MIGHTY MEAD TASTERS -- Ben (wine mgr. from 5 Pts. Bottle Shop, Athens), Serge (president of the Athens Wine Society), Dean, Kerri, Dallas, Lari, Christian (from Five and Ten Restaurant), and Mike (owner of Athens' Basil Press and Porterhouse restaurants). Photo by Owen Ogletree

Owen Ogletree (director of Brewtopia Events) gathered together some of his fellow beer and wine enthusiasts on 30 April 2003 at Athens' Wild Wing Cafe to sample and comment on several mixed styles of Meads from the United States.

This sampling was done as a blind tasting where no one was aware of the names of the Meads being served.

Meads were commented upon, and the tasters attempted to assign 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and HM to the Meads, according to Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Mead style guidelines.

Drop Owen an email to share your comments and opinions.

For more information on beer and Mead styles and judging, please be sure to visit www.bjcp.org. The Beer Judge Certification Program has information, study materials, and exams that will enable you to become a better homebrewer, and even a certified beer judge! FIRST PLACE Life Force Vandal Gold Varietal Mead with Wildflower and Buckwheat Honey Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR www.chateaulorane.com Aroma: Grain, candy, earthy, farm-like aromas. Slightly sour hint in aroma. Complex grape/fruit smells. Appearance: Bright, clear, golden in color. Flavor: Buckwheat, rye, earthy/cellar character, oak. Unusual, but in an interesting way. Balance of honey and fruit character is nice. Slight dryness in the finish makes you want another sip. This is a Mead with a unique, delicious flavor. SECOND PLACE Chaucer's Mead Traditional Mead Bargetto Winery, Soquel, CA www.bargetto.com Aroma: Apples, honey, perfume, spice, flowers, clean/pure honey. Appearance: Clear and light gold in color. Flavor: Sweet with a nice, honey, floral complexity. This Mead has sugar-like notes with a lemon hint. This is a smooth, yet complex Mead with beautiful flavors. THIRD PLACE Macadamia Nut Honey Wine Varietal Mead with Honey from Macadamia Trees Volcano Winery, Volcano, HI www.volcanowinery.com Aroma: Light aroma of flowers, alcohol and nuts. There is an earthy complexity that is nice. Solvent hints are there, but do no detract. Appearance: Clear and light in color like water. Flavor: Viscous, alcohol, tannin-cranberry undertones. This is a very smooth Mead with an elegant character. FIRST HONORABLE MENTION Life Force Huckleberry Mead Varietal Mead with Honey from Huckleberry Plants Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR www.chateaulorane.com Aroma: Fruit, berry, and honey. There is a mild, subtle, cherry-like character. Very nice. Appearance: Glowing red -- clear with ruby hints. Flavor: Sweetness is very nice. Alcohol and berry flavors are up front. There are also notes of vanilla. This is a delicious and elegant Mead. SECOND HONORABLE MENTION Raspberry Melomel Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV ph: 304-765-7980 Aroma: Sweet raspberries and alcohol. Solvent hints. Slightly perfumy with aromas of soda pop. Appearance: Light pink color with a clear/brilliant appearance. Flavor: Dry finish. This Mead is slightly tart with some earthy/cellar notes that are quite interesting. The berry tartness is pleasant. Body is perhaps a bit thin -- a touch more fruit and honey would be appealing. Overall, a very fruity, refreshing, dry Melomel. Sky River Dry Mead Traditional Mead Sky River Meadery, Sultan, WA www.skyriverbrewing.com Aroma: Nice aroma of citrus and lemon. Appearance: Very pale with a light straw color and hint of tiny bubbles. Flavor: Citrus notes up front with honey flavors at the finish. Apple-like undertones are pleasant with honey flavors being dominant. Tastes semi-sweet rather than very dry. Mead Traditional Mead Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV ph: 304-765-7980 Aroma: Hints of plastic and phenol. Smells of something that is a bit burnt. Vanilla notes. Appearance: Almost clear and very light in color. Flavor: Honey flavors impaired somewhat by phenols (band-aid). There is a nice mouthfeel and a semi-sweet flavor. This has a good, almost cotton candy/sugar quality to the flavor. Sky River Sweet Mead Traditional Mead Sky River Meadery, Sultan, WA www.skyriverbrewing.com Aroma: Nice honey with hints of spice. Hints of herbal/grassy aromas. Appearance: Light straw color that is very clear. Flavor: Sweet with an alcohol warmness. There are also citrus notes. This is a clean, tasty dessert wine that is very pleasant, but not very complex. Seyval Mead Pyment (Seyval Wine with 10% Honey in this case) Kirkwood Winery, Summerville, WV ph: 304-872-7332 Aroma: Butter, sherry, cinnamon, muscat grapes, madeira, honey. Appearance: Clear with a medium/dark gold color. Flavor: Short flavor of herbal, sherry quality. There is very little finish. This could be an old bottle because it also has hints of paper and vermouth. Peach Melomel Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV ph: 304-765-7980 Aroma: Wild grapes with cellar/earthy hints. Appearance: Clear with a pretty yellow/straw color and nice glow. Flavor: Very dry with a tart character. The peach flavors are hidden in the deep background. This would be a fine Melomel if it had more fresh peach flavor and a bit more body and sweetness. Life Force Marionberry Mead Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR www.chateaulorane.com Aroma: Candy, sugar, and apples. Smells a bit artificial. Appearance: Deep red with a dark cranberry/garnet color. Flavor: Spicy berry with hints of cherry pits, almond, and amaretto. Not extremely sweet -- a bit light in body and sweetness. Almost a bit bitter. A very interesting Mead. Desi's Wildflower Sparkling Mead Varietal Honey Mead Desi's Dew Meadery, Rougemont, NC ph: 919-732-2808 Aroma: Interesting aromas of anise, honey, carbon dioxide, and bananas. Appearance: Light golden in color. Carbonation is perfect. Very attractive. Flavor: Very dry with sherry hints. Interesting flavors of spices. This has a light, fun flavor and would be a great aperitif. Not very astringent -- the sparkling character provides a good balance. A bit dry and bitter. Mead Harbor Captain's Reserve Varietal Honey Mead with Tupelo Honey T & A Vintners, Howell, MI www.tavintners.com Aroma: Spicy, apple strudel character. Smells of fruit, dough, and applesauce. Appearance: CAUTION -- This bottle was very over-carbonated and gushed with some force when opened. Clear in color and very fizzy. This is not supposed to be a sparkling Mead (we thought). Flavor: Cotton candy, medicinal, toasty, applesauce hints. Very dry from secondary fermentation in the bottle. Very over-attenuated. Life Force Mead Varietal Mead with Wildflower Honey Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR www.chateaulorane.com Aroma: Moderate honey aroma that is nice. There are hints of phenols, however. Rubber/plastic notes in aroma. Appearance: Hint of haze with a nice, light golden color. Flavor: Nutty with a sweet, big mouthfeel. Unfortunately there are also undertones of rubber, plastic, and medicine. Alcohol warmth is good.

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