Recipe

Basic Dry Mead

Basic Dry Mead

(1 gallon/3.8 L)

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) honey (any kind)
2 tsp acid blend
0.25 tbsp gypsum
0.15 tsp Irish moss powder
1 Campden tablet or 0.15 tsp sulfite powder
1-2 tsp yeast nutrient
Wine yeast of choice

Step-by-step
Dissolve honey in enough warm water to bring the volume to just over one gallon (3.8 L). Add rest of ingredients except sulfite and yeast. Remove about 1 cup (240 mL) of must and heat to 80 °F (27 °C), pitch yeast into the warm must. Add sulfite to the 1 gallon (3.8 L) of must and cover. After 12-24 hours add fermenting mead starter to 1 gallon (3.8 L) of must. Attach a bung and airlock and ferment to dryness. Rack to secondary container. Keep secondary container full and rack every 4-6 weeks until clear. Bottle at several months of age.

Issue: March-April 2002

A basic dry mead recipe. This is a great opportunity to test several honey varietals.