Lord Rhys Chocolate Mead Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much honey for 1 gallon of mead? ›

We'll go over it in further detail later, but we recommend using between two and three pounds of honey per gallon of mead — 2 pounds if you want it on the dryer side, and 3 pounds if you'd like it to be sweeter.

The ratio of water to honey depends on the type of mead you want to make. For a dry mead, the ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part honey; a sweet mead is 2 to 1. Kluz likes his mead sweet, so he typically uses 1 3/4 gallons of honey and tops it off with 3 1/4 gallons of water.

The fermenting process depends on various factors, like temperature, the amount of honey, the type of yeast, and the presence of additives and nutrients. Depending on how active the yeast is, it will take around 2 to 6 weeks.

If you put in a bunch of honey and you get enough yeast (the right kind of yeast where it ferments all the way out) then you'll have a really dry, high alcohol champagne-like mead. You can use less honey to make a lower alcohol mead. Using less honey might make it a little bit more dry, though not necessarily.

The average mead recipe calls for 3 to 3.5 pounds of honey per gallon of finished mead, depending on the sugar content of the honey. This makes strong mead in the range of 14 percent alcohol.

So many mead makers don't bother boiling at all, preferring instead to simply dilute their honey with warm water. If you do boil, do so only briefly.

The reason for mead no longer being popular comes down to simple economics. It's just more expensive to produce compared to beer or wine. As with many things in life, things that are easier are more likely to happen. Perhaps some day we'll see a mead renaissance.

Many manufacturers of high-quality mead prefer to use orange blossom honey because it imparts a refreshing citrus flavor to the mead. It's also a great base product which can be experimented with endlessly by adding some distinct subtle flavors to it.

Potentially, using the most amount of honey can lead to up 18% ABV which makes it a strong beverage. Using one pound, or 1.3 cups, of honey tends to result in a very light drink in terms of both flavor and alcohol content. That is expected since the yeast will not have much to eat.

If you're using less honey to make more of a beer-like mead, those can be fully fermented and drinkable in under a month. Other types can take a few months. It just depends on the amount of honey. Amount of honey primarily is what it depends on, and some yeasts ferment honey faster than others.

How long to age mead after fermentation? ›

The amount of time needed for the Mead to mature is subjective. Some people enjoy drinking it young, while others prefer to let it sit for many years. A rule of thumb seems to be that at least 1 to 2 years is fine.

Introduction: Strawberry Mead (1 Gallon)

This calls for the Strawberries to be added during primary fermentation. But most of the experts in blind tests have preferred meads with fruit (actually called Melomel's) added during secondary.

Lalvin D-47

This white wine yeast is the primary choice for many mead makers. It ferments at a moderate to fast pace with little foaming and is good for medium to dry meads. It tends to accentuate the honey characteristics so it is a good choice for traditional varietal mead.

Your mead will need a cool, dark place to ferment for the next 30 days.

The lemon juice adds acid which makes for a happier environment for the yeast. The tea adds tannins which act as nutrients for the mead. Also, the acid and tannins make for a more flavourful mead.

A good starting point with most fruits is about 3 pounds of fruit per gallon of mead, though I have been known to use 5 or even 6 pounds of fruit. Fruit blends can produce some great-tasting meads.

1lb of honey in 1 gallon of mist should give you roughly 1.035 SG which of it ferments dry will give you 4.5-5% So a basic mead if you want 10%ish do 2lbs of honey then usually water to one gallon. Mix very well to ensure it's dissolved.

What type of honey should I use? The key is to use raw or unpasteurized honey to get the best and most unique flavors for your mead. Commercially processed honey often found in the grocery stores is pasteurized and ultrafiltered.