Mead is a delicious alcoholic beverage made by fermenting a combination of honey and water and, typically occasions, other taste additives. It was fashionable amongst vikings and is made in a lot the identical means as wine. This text will information you through the making of a gallon of straightforward mead.
Wanted
* A one gallon container (preferably a glass jug)
* A bung and airlock (each obtainable at a local dwelling brew store - keep in mind to get a bung that fits the opening of your container)
* Empty wine bottles and corks
* A corker
* A funnel
* Plastic tubing for siphoning (an auto-siphon is a really useful device - you could find a type of on-line or at a home brew retailer as effectively)
* One gallon purified water
* three to four kilos of honey
* One packet of dry wine yeast (additionally at the homebrew retailer)
* Yeast nutrient
Step 1 Sanitize
Sanitize your container (from this point on I will assume it is a one gallon glass jug). You are able to do this by dumping a small quantity of bleach into your jug and filling it to the highest with water. Let sit for 20 - 30 minutes. Rinse well. Alternatively, residence brewing shops sell a wide range of non-rinse sanitizers.
Step 2 Prepare the "Should"
The must is the honey/water solution that can grow to be your mead. Pour the water into a cook pot that is no less than one gallon (duh). Carry to a boil. Remove from warmth and stir in the honey. Place again on warmth and let boil on medium excessive for 10 - 15 minutes. Take away from heat. Now you need to let your must cool to a temperature at which you'll add your yeast. The sooner you can do this, the less doubtless your should is to get contaminated. My advice is to plug your sink and fill it with chilly water. Place the pot within the water and stir the should to cool it down.
Step three Place the Must in the Jug
Once the should has cooled, you may pour it into your jug. Place your funnel (which I counsel you to wash in the dishwasher prior to this step) into the opening of the jug. Rigorously pour the must into the funnel.
Step four Add the Yeast
It's not going to smash your mead to pour the yeast straight into the should, but some people like to give their yeast a head start and bring it back to life earlier than it gets to work changing the sugars in your should into alcohol. To make a starter, add your packet of yeast to a small glass of warm water (Not too warm. Yeast dies at about eighty levels F). Let this sit for a couple hours. It ought to be effervescent fairly well by this point. Add the starter to the must.
Step 5 Affix the Bung and Airlock
Be sure that the airlock is filled to the prompt line with water. This may enable carbon dioxide created as a by-product of fermentation to flee the container without exposing your mead to oxygen or contaminants. Insert the airlock into the bung and affix to the opening of the jug.
Step 6 Main Fermentation
This step will take about 2 weeks. Place your container in a cool place like a closet and hold it at round 65 - 70 degrees. Test on your mead every as soon as in a while. A layer of white stuff will begin to form at the backside of the jug. This can be a layer of dead yeast and is nothing to be concerned about. You will know when this step is over as a result of the effervescent in the airlock could have slowed all the way down to once each 30 seconds or so.
Step 7 Racking
It is important to rack your mead to avoid the useless yeast contributing off flavors to your mead. Sanitize a one gallon pitcher and siphon your mead into it, paying consideration not to decide up any of the nasty stuff on the bottom. Clean your jug completely and sanitize it. Siphon your mead back into the jug to finish fermenting. You may shorten this course of by having a second glass jug to siphon your mead into instantly, avoiding the holding pitcher.
Step eight Secondary Fermentation
Place the jug back within the closet or wherever you keep it and let it sit for about two more weeks. Ideally your mead ought to clarify to a light yellow color. If you happen to let it sit for longer it will grow to be crystal clear. It is as much as you if you feel it is able to bottle.
Step 9 Bottling
Siphon your mead into the wine bottles leaving slightly bit of head room in the bottle. Cork the bottles and label them in case you would like.
Step 10 Growing old
The preferable growing old period for mead is three months to a year. If you happen to used much less honey in your must then the ageing period will be shorter.
Step eleven Take pleasure in!
Your mead is complete. Invite some buddies over and luxuriate in your home made mead! Now that you've got the method down you will feel extra comfy attempting different, extra interesting mead recipes.
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