# Bring out the Meade!



## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Not that I'm "thinking about doing it" because it is against the law to distill spirits, but "purely academically" speaking, what is the best way to make harrowed meade like they did back in ye olde days? Seems like it might be a nifty think to have handy on a homestead if you had bees......that is, of course, if it were legal :: Ive found a few places online but it isn't talked about much and the info seems sketch....

:viking:


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

Where did you get the idea that making mead was illegal? 

Because it's not, nor do you "distill" it . . .it's fermeted and treated the same as wine by the gooberment.

Check this link out and then search the web on your own . . . there's a LOT of info availble

on the subject. http://suite101.com/article/how-to-make-mead-a83147 I even made mead

when I was in college (and 'technically' it wasn't legal,) as I hadn't reached the age of 21 yet!

BTW: Did you run across this link on "brewing" mead? Enjoy . . .

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/harrowing-mead-tale-74959/


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

I make mead. Got a gallon brewing right now and 12 lbs of honey the other day. 

I will say, make the first batch plain, then start adding flavors. It makes a good base but could be awesome with some added clove etc.....


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

oh ok, for some reason I thought that it was a spirit you distilled. Maybe thats why my googleing has been fruitless! lol Any idea what the alchohol content typically is after 1 week of this process? i want a good drink not something that will put hair on my chest and render me mentally non-existent like the corn sugar-shine i allegedly made one time.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

Mead is basically honey wine.

If you want it strong, freeze it after it is done and strain out the ice. I haven't tried this. Same with wine. 

Alcohol content will vary. You need specific gravity checks to see where you are. A good wine yeast will produce a higher content. 

If you want to start with easy stuff, google up a Welched Grape Juice wine. Fast easy and cheap. 

I get wine bottles for free. Just ask your local bartender to save them. 

Be sure to use a cleaner like 1 Step.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Best mead is made dry and I don't think that that would be improved by distilling or freezing. One can make it sweet but again I can't imagine a "honey brandy". I've made it both dry and semi-sweet and both were quite popular with my friends and family.

Martin


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

I have made mead ,, have some bottled ,, the mead/wine I make I try to keep down to 12 / 13 % , any thing stronger the taste goes away and all you get is the Alcohol taste and thats not what I go for .. I use a yeast that only gets to 12 / 13 % , right now I have about 25 gals ( 5 bottles to a gal ) of cranberry waiting to get bottled ,, 90 percent of the fruit I ferment I get free , so it not like I spend a lot to make it ,, sugar is all I have to buy , and I all so use it with the bees , so I buy it on sale in 100 pound or 200 pound lots , the bottles I get free . so I have to buy sugar , yeast ( 79 cents for a 6 gal batch ) and corks , we only drink about a bottle every 4 to 8 weeks , so my basement is getting full .. I make it because I enjoy doing it , like having the bees ..


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

My husband got me a book on making mead when I got the bees. We are really looking forward to our first honey harvest and making mead! Thanks for all the great links everyone!


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

Hi Cheryl, I keep it simple, yeast, water, and raisins I need to get out there and bring you one of my carbines and airlocks


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

farmgirl6 said:


> Hi Cheryl, I keep it simple, yeast, water, and raisins I need to get out there and bring you one of my carbines and airlocks


Carbines? Having a shooting party? Take her a carboy instead!

Martin


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## Buckhuntr (Oct 4, 2012)

I just bought 2.5 gallons of local honey, just extracted last week. Al least half is going to my first attempt at mead.


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## Andrei (Jul 9, 2013)

Last year was my second attempt at mead making and it came out great.
I made 2 gall and let it ferment for 60 days and after that bottle it.
Nice yellow color and pretty strong.


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## th_Wolverine (Apr 15, 2013)

Well, the mead turned out incredible! I tasted it after racking and I liked it. Tried it again a month later, and it was better! Then, horror of all horrors; my sister took my car for a spin before I'd removed it from my trunk (where it had resided while moving back to Tampa for school) and SMASH a whole half gallon in my trunk and one of my favorite moonshine jugs was obliterated to boot! But for the three sips I got out of it, it was totally worth it and I will be doing it again!


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## the kid (Jul 9, 2006)

the way I make it I use a yeast that only goes up to 13 %


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## docholiday (Jul 31, 2014)

I'm going to try and make Mead real soon, I want to get a batch going before the holidays come. Trying to find some free carboys so I don't have to buy them, hopefully I can get my hands on one soon! I really don't want to use plastic, so a 1 gallon glass container is what I'm trying to hunt down.


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## MSCantrell (Jan 2, 2014)

Do you have any drop-off recycling centers near you? Those 4L Carlo Rossi wine jugs are abundant everyplace I've checked, and they're tough. (Once I got some lab reagent jugs of the same size, and the dang things broke if you looked at them funny. I guess the manufacturers count on chemists being gentler than jug wine drinkers.)

Anyhow, those 4L jugs are perfect for fermenting, and then there will be plenty of 750 mL bottles to put it in later and cork properly.


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## the kid (Jul 9, 2006)

I don't know why most recipes say raisins ,, I don't put them in any of mine ,,, but then I have yet to have a recipe that I look at


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## docholiday (Jul 31, 2014)

MSCantrell said:


> Do you have any drop-off recycling centers near you? Those 4L Carlo Rossi wine jugs are abundant everyplace I've checked, and they're tough. (Once I got some lab reagent jugs of the same size, and the dang things broke if you looked at them funny. I guess the manufacturers count on chemists being gentler than jug wine drinkers.)
> 
> Anyhow, those 4L jugs are perfect for fermenting, and then there will be plenty of 750 mL bottles to put it in later and cork properly.


Those Carlo Rossi Jugs are glass correct? I'm kind of in the sticks so I can't think of any recycling centers around me, but I might call some local restaurants/bars and see if they have any! I definitely want glass and not plastic.


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