Traditional Mead

Codename : Westfort New Years Mead 2024

Building on the success, and lessons learned on the fly, of my first mead, I have been reviewing other recipes, checking out videos of other enthusiasts, culminating in this recipe, which is simply to add a little acid in the way of lemon juice to impart some flavour, and alter the mouthfeel.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Honey
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 3 L of filtered, spring or distilled water (chlorine in home water is truly bad for mead)
• 10 ml Mangrove Jack M05 mead yeast.
• Yeast energiser (follow fermentation directions)

Vital Stats

• BJCP Style : Traditional Mead
• Anticipated ABV : 11%
• Original SG : 1.085
• Target SG : 1.000 (this is the goal, to get almost 100% fermentation)
• Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 85%

Brew Day

• Prepare 3L strike water at about 80F, this is to simply aid the honey to dissolve more effectively.
• Add lemon juice, this is an optional ingredient. The addition helps add some additional flavour.
• Add the honey to the pot, allow it to dissolve and incorporate, it took about 10 minutes.
• 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.
• 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 1/4 tsp of yeast energiser to the carboy.
• Put the airlock on the carboy.
• Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 14-28 days, consider this day 0. 

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.
• On day 28, transfer the mead to a clean/sterile carboy. Crush in 1/2 Campden tablet. The day count is a guideline, rack it once everything is settled and clear.
• After an additional 28 days, you can bottle your mead.

Bottling Day

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

Brew Notes

• The 3 L of water, plus the honey filled the carboy to about 4.25 L.

Brew day : 5-Jan-2024