brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Hydromel Mead

By thomas #Black Tea, #Homebrew, #Honey, #Hydromel, #Instant Pot, #Mead, #Sweet Mead, #Tea, #Water, #Westfort, #Yeast

Codename : Westfort Beginner Hydromel

Having hit a level of comfort in preparing mead, it was time to try something different, a hydromel. Basically take half a regular traditional mead recipe and there you have it. To stave off the possible watery sensation of this lower alcohol mead, the equivalent of a single cup of black tea was added for the tannin, which will give it a little mouthfeel, and I am going to introduce some more honey once it is completely fermented to back-sweeten it, pasteurise it, and finally bottle condition it for carbonation.

Ingredients

  • 1 Lb 2 oz Wildflower Honey
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 1 Cup of tea (made separately, cooled and added to the must)
  • 4 L of filtered, spring or distilled water (chlorine in home water is truly bad for mead)
  • 5 ml Mangrove Jack M05 mead yeast.
  • Yeast energiser (follow fermentation directions below)

Vital Stats

BJCP Style : Hydromel
Anticipated ABV : 5.6%
Original SG : 1.035
Target SG : 0.992
Carbonation : 2
Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 99%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 3L strike water at about 80F, this is to simply aid the honey to dissolve more effectively.
  • Add the honey to the pot, allow it to dissolve and incorporate, it took about 10 minutes.
  • Stir regularly.
  • Calibrate the sonic screwdriver.
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Allow it to cool to room temp.
  • Prepare the yeast mixture.
  • Pitch the yeast to the carboy.
  • Transfer the honey water to the carboy, splash it around to aerate the contents.
  • Be sure to scrape out the honey that may stick to the pot.
  • Add the cup of tea.
  • Add lemon juice.
  • Stir and/or shake the carboy to incorporate everything into the must.
  • Add more water to bring it up to about 4.25L.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 14-28 days. 
  • Follow along the fermentation steps below.

Fermenting

  • On day 2 of fermentation, add 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient (or energiser).
  • On day 4 of fermentation, add 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient (or energiser).
  • On day 6 of fermentation add 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient (or energiser)
  • Occasionally monitor the mead for meagre fermentation/bubbling late in the fermentation process, along with sediment build up on the bottom of the carboy.
  • Between days 21-28, transfer the mead to a clean/sterile carboy. The day count is a guideline, rack it after everything appears to have settled and it is clear.
  • After an additional 28 days (or longer), you can pasteurise and bottle your mead.

Pasteurisation

  • Add 1/4 lb of honey to the carboy, this will make the mead sweeter.
  • Add the carboy to your Instant pot, add room temperature water to the max fill line. This is important to slowly bring the temperature up as to not shock the carboy and crack it.
  • Set sous vide mode, 165F, wait for the water to come up to heat.
  • Once the mead reaches 140F (use your thermometer in the carboy), set your timer for 20 minutes, then you should be done.
  • My trial run testing this, it took about 2 hours.
  • Wait until the mead returns to room temperature to bottle it.
  • This is an important step to neutralise any remaining yeast, otherwise the new addition of honey could start a new fermentation process after you bottle. You don’t want that to happen.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

  • I originally intended to use 1 lb of honey, I estimated the amount as I poured it. There was a wee bit more. Oups.
  • The amount of water was increased from about 3.8L to 4.25L, to ensure the ABV of 5.6% was still met.

 

The prep work for the mead.

 

A single cup of tea prepared to introduce the tannin.

 

The mead will likely take about 3 weeks to settle.

Brew day : 9-Feb-2024