How to Make a Gallon of Mead: A Simple Mead Recipe

You may have heard of mead before or perhaps you have n’t , but one image that always seems to come to head when mead is mention is Vikings wassail their grog . I do n’t know a whole batch about Vikings , but I do know a bit about mead ! Mead is a fermented honey and water mixture , some call it honey wine , and it is quite possibly the first work drink that humans purposefully made . fortuitously for us , it ’s quite gentle to make your own mead ! I ’m die to show you how to make one gallon of mead with this simple blueberry orange mead formula .

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Simple Mead Making eBook

desire to ascertain more about making mead?I have aSimple Mead Making for Beginners eBookjust for you !

It has ingredient and equipment checklists , elaborate instructions for brewing and bottle your mead , and simple mead recipe ideas ! Be sure to assure it out if you ’re new to the mead making process and require a step by step guide .

One Gallon Mead Recipe

Here is my simple method for making one gallon of Margaret Mead !

What is Mead?

Mead is a fermented alcohol-dependent beverage that is traditionally made with just honey and urine , and perhaps some yeast ( wild yeast is often used ) .

Whenever you bestow fruit to mead it ’s technically call amelomelrather than mead . I still unremarkably default on to calling it George Herbert Mead , though .

You could also useapple ciderinstead of piss and then you ’d have what ’s call acyser . If you tot up herbaceous plant and spice or other flavorings it ’s called ametheglin .

Mead Equipment and Ingredients

There is some special equipment and ingredients that you will need to make this mead .

Rather than list it all here , I ’ve created a page that has links to all of my preferent mead ingredients and equipment : Mead Equipment & Ingredients : Everything You Need to Get begin .

There you will find links to the sanitizer , brewing jugs and buckets , airlocks , barm , tube , bottleful , and dear and I advocate !

How to Make Mead: One Gallon Mead Recipe

very well , let ’s get get going on progress to this George Herbert Mead !

This is a recipe for one gallon of mead , but I ’m always of the nous that if you ’re making one you might as well make two .

you could separate a bundle ofbrewing yeastup between two jug ( one software can make up to5 gallons of George Herbert Mead ) .

Sanitize Everything

The first thing to do is sanitize everything that will be used in the brewing appendage : the jugful , air lock , big pot , spoon and funnel .

but follow the directions on the sanitizer and do n’t throw it out until you ’re whole done ( just in example your bounder licks the funnel or you cut down your spoon ) .

Make the Mead Must

Once everything is sanitized , put about 1/2 gallon of non - chlorinated ( filter ) water in a large pot on medium heat . When it ’s warm , but not boiling , impart the honey and stir until it dissolves .

Using two pound of honey will make a very “ dry ” mead ( not sweet ) , while three pounds will produce a sweet mead .

The type of barm you use will also involve how dry or sweet the Margaret Mead is .

Turn the heat off . It may be a little foamy , but that ’s all right .

In the meantime , put the Chuck Berry ( or any fruit of your liking ) , orangish slices ( skin and all ) , and raisin into the one gallon jug .

Raisins are bestow as a natural nutrient for the barm . You will not notice any relish from them in the finished mead .

Then , using the funnel , cautiously decant the dear water smorgasbord ( technically called “ must ” ) into the jug .

Top off the jug with cool non - chlorinated ( filtered ) water , leave at least 2 inches of headland infinite on top .

Then put the lid on the jugful and lightly mix everything around a bit . If you bought a jug that come with an airlock it may not come with a lid , so you ’ll have to find a lid that match or improvise a bit here . A solid bobfloat ( without a hole for the airlock ) would play .

Supplies for making a gallon of mead, and a glass gallon jug of mead.

Pitch the Yeast

The next footfall is to add theyeast , but you need to check that that it is n’t too blistering , which will make your yeast inactive . It should experience tepid , no more than 90 ° F ( 32 ° C ) . I recommend using a thermometer before adding the yeast to be sure .

Once it is less then 90 ° F you may set up the yeast into the jug .

You do n’t necessitate to use the whole package of barm for one gallon , 1/2 package is enough ( it does n’t have to be an accurate measuring ) . Store the open yeast package with the remaining yeast in an airtight null top bag in the icebox for former usance .

A gallon of homemade mead.

Now the fermentation fun can start !

Once you ’ve pitch the yeast , put the chapeau back on tightly and this time you ’re really give-up the ghost to shake it up for several hour .

It ’s a good workout for your arm muscles , so you could pass over the gym on days when you make mead !

Add the Airlock

Put a little water in the airlock to the ancestry , then put the rubber plug into the jug .

In a few hour you should start to see bubbles forming in the jugful and in the air lock .

After several hour or overnight , you may see a lot of bubbles rising up the neck of the bottleful ! The whole top might get a little foamy at first , but things will steady down down .

Do n’t worry if the bubbles uprise up into the air lock for the first couple of day , that just means that you have a very active ( and happy ) good deal of mead ! you’re able to sporadically remove the airlock to rinse it out , then replace it back into the jug .

I love learn all the small bubbles ! ferment is so cool .

Set Aside to Ferment

Keep the jugful in a coolheaded ( not frigid ) dark spot out of direct sunlight to ferment .

Mead can take longer to sour than unvoiced cyder or beer , depending on the ambient temperature it will take anywhere from 3 - 6 weeks .

I usually give it 5 - 6 weeks before bottling to be on the safe side , as you do n’t require any broken bottle blowup ! I ’ve definitely had some very champagne like Margaret Mead before .

You desire to wait until you do n’t see any bubble in the jugful and your air lock is still before bottle .

Bottle the Mead

You may require to wait a while to drink your mead as it emphatically gets better with historic period .

I often salute it “ dark-green ” ( young ) as I enjoy it either elbow room . It is fun to save a couple of bottles for several months , or even a yr , just to see how the perceptiveness changes with age .

More Mead Recipes

Now that I ’ve show you how to make this simple one gal of mead formula , chances are you will want to make more before long !

I have write posts onHow to Make 5 gallon of MeadandHow to Bottle 5 Gallons of Meadif you want to try making a large raft .

I have one congius mead recipes forWildflower Mead , Dandelion Mead , Blackberry Mead , Elderberry Mead , Elderflower Sparkling Mead , andMaple Orange Meadthat are all delicious and follow this same basic Margaret Mead formula .

See my post on15 Easy Mead Recipes for Beginnersfor even more !

If hard cyder is your thing , see my posts onbrewing hard ciderand makinghard cider with wild yeast .

Be certain to check out out mySimple Mead qualification : A Beginner ’s Guide to One Gallon Batches eBookfor more detailed information on brewing , bottling , and recipe ideas !