Basic Sweet Mead

(1 gallon/3.8 L)

Ingredients

3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) honey (any kind)
5 tsp of acid blend
0.25 tbsp gypsum
0.15 tsp Irish moss powder
1 Campden tablet or 0.15 tsp sulfite powder
1-2 tsp of nutrient Sweet mead yeast (Wyeast 3184 or White Labs WLP720)

Step by step

Dissolve honey in enough warm water to bring 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 it to 80 °F (27 °C), pitch yeast into arm must. Add sulfite to 1 gallon (3.8 L) of must and cover. After 12-24 hours add the fermenting mead starter to 1 gallon of must. Ferment mead to dryness, add 0.5 tsp potassium sorbate to prevent re-fermentation in the bottle, and then sweeten with sugar or honey. Rack to secondary. Keep secondary container full (top up with water if necessary) and rack every 4-6 weeks until clear. Bottle at several months of age.