Mead

This is how the first attempts with mead succeed!

Along with other honey refinement products, mead is gaining increasing importance again. On the one hand, more professional beekeepers are offering mead as a complement to their product range. It's also a very attractive honey refinement product for hobby beekeepers, as it doesn't require much equipment, especially for starters and for smaller quantities.

The final taste of the mead depends on numerous factors. However, it is primarily influenced by the following:

• Honey variety
• Spices
• Base (water/fruit juice)
• Fermentation conditions
• Residual sugar content
• Final alcohol content

This means that honey wines can be produced in many different flavor nuances, which is what makes mead so interesting.

Classic mead is made exclusively from honey and water. However, versions with a fruit juice base and various spices and herbs are also popular.

Since small producers, in particular, initially lack filtration systems, they often receive slightly cloudy products, which in no way compromises the quality. If a clear beverage is still desired, small-scale filtration systems are also available for small producers.

The basic equipment for small producers includes:

Recipe

The following is a basic recipe for your first attempts at mead. It is intended to ease your introduction to this diverse field and hopefully inspire many experiments with different ingredients. This recipe yields 9 liters of mead with an alcohol content of 13-14% vol.

Ingredients:

• 3kg honey + up to 700g honey to adjust the residual sugar content
• 7l water
• 20g citric acid + up to 20g citric acid to adjust the acidity
• 4g yeast nutrients
• 3g universal yeast (pre-soaked)
• 1.1g potassium disulfite (available from pharmacies)

First, heat the honey in a water bath to 40°C and mix with warm water. Allow the honey-water mixture to cool to 20°C and then stir in the citric acid. Increasing the acidity makes the fermentation less susceptible to bacterial infections and also gives the mead a fresher taste. The next step is to add the yeast nutrient. Mead, regardless of the base, should always be mixed with yeast nutrient to ensure the yeast has enough nitrogen for the fermentation process. Next, add the pre-soaked yeast.

The container should then be sealed and the fermentation tube filled with water. The container should be stored away from light at a constant temperature of 18°C. After a fermentation period of 2-3 weeks, the mead can be stirred to further increase the fermentation intensity. After another 2 weeks, once the primary fermentation is complete, the mead is separated from the settled yeast. The easiest way to do this is to empty it into a new container. If fermentation has progressed optimally, an alcohol meter can now measure 13% alcohol by volume, and the mead will taste slightly sweet.

At this point, the desired residual sugar level can be adjusted by adding more honey. Up to 700g of honey can be dissolved in a small amount of mead and then stirred in. This may cause renewed fermentation and increase the alcohol content. This is not a problem, but the mead should be separated from the yeast again afterward.

Regardless of the residual sugar level, mead undergoes a secondary fermentation phase, often lasting weeks, indicated by only occasional "jumping" of the fermentation tube. After fermentation is complete, the mead must be fermented with the yeast one last time.

In order to suppress the proliferation of harmful microorganisms and prevent oxidation, sulfur in the form of potassium pyrosulfite should also be added after fermentation.

If the mead tastes too weak, another 10-20g of citric acid can be added. As already mentioned, the mead may still be cloudy after fermentation. With longer storage, the cloudy particles settle, making the mead clearer. If you prefer a clear product, you can filter it.

The ideal storage temperature is between 10-15°C. Since mead with a low alcohol content is particularly prone to secondary fermentation in the bottle, it should be bottled at 65°C, as this temperature kills the yeast cells and thus eliminates the risk of secondary fermentation.

Have fun making it!

PS: Adding spices can be an exciting way to enhance your mead. There are no limits to your creativity. Spices can be added before or after fermentation, or even during the maturation process.

Further literature can be found here: Honey wine production

You can find all products in this series here: Winery supplies