brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Metheglin Mead

By thomas #Acid Blend, #Dry Mead, #Homebrew, #Honey, #Mead, #Metheglin, #Recipe, #Steeped Tea, #Tea, #Traditional Mead, #Water, #Westfort, #Yeast

Codename : Westfort Metheglin Meadu

A metheglin is a spiced mead, most any kind of spice(s) can be used to suit your tastes. In this season between Canadian Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en, and Christmas, pumpkin spice is ubiquitous, so this one pays hommage to the much maligned flavouring of the season.

Ingredients

  • 2 Lbs 3 oz Honey
  • 3.2 L of filtered, spring or distilled water (chlorine in home water is truly bad for mead)
  • 1 cup of steeped tea
  • 10 ml Mangrove Jack New World Ale yeast
  • 1/2 tsp acid blend
  • 1 tsp Yeast energiser (follow fermentation directions)

Vital Stats

  • BJCP Style : Metheglin
  • Anticipated ABV : 11.6%
  • Original SG : 1.072
  • Target SG : 1.000 (this is the goal, to get almost 100% fermentation)
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 99%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 3.2L 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.
  • Add the tea, this will introduce some tannin, for mouthfeel.
  • Stir regularly.
  • Calibrate the refractometer, aka 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.
  • Add the yeast energiser and acid blend.
  • 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.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for approximately 28 days, this as a guideline. 

Fermenting

  • After about 28 days of fermentation, add 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice, allow it to incorporate into the must, and check on it regularly to see if the desired taste is acheived.

Bottling Day

  • Detailed instructions.
  • Keeping it traditional, no additional sugars will be added for carbonation.
  • Bottle age at least 4 weeks, longer is better!

Brew Notes

  • I meant to use 1 kg of honey, but caught myself day dreaming and a little more was dispensed, so I just stuck with it.
  • In the past, I had done stepped yeast engergiser addition, I thought I would try the full addition on brew day.
  • The ground pumpkin spice will be added after about 4 weeks, I don’t wish to over power the mead by possibly allowing the spice to steep too long, and become bitter.
  • After 3 weeks, fermentation was stuck, only achieved about 2.2% ABV, 5ml of fresh yeast and 2.5 of yeast nutrient were added
The traditional mead will ferment for 3-4 weeks before adding the pumpkin spice.

 

Brew day : 16-Oct-2024

Pig facing right
Cartoon dog facing left