MEAD 101 Mead: Types of Mead Yeasts Glossary

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1 MEAD 101 Mead: at least 50% of fermentables from honey Strength: Hydromel (<1.080 OG), Standard ( ), Sack (>1.120) Effervescence: Still, Petulent, Sparkling Sweetness: Dry (<1.010 FG), Semi-sweet ( ), Sweet (>1.025) Types of Mead Traditional: Honey, Water & Yeast Varietals include orange blossom, clover, sourwood, tupelo and many others. Melomel: Fruit meads, several are popular enough to have special names. Cyser: apple/cider Pyment: grapes/juice Metheglin: Spice meads Mulling spices: Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg Beer spices: Coriander, cardamom, curacao orange, woodruff, etc. Mellow spices: Vanilla, chocolate, anise, sassafras, maple syrup Italian spices: Oregano, basil, thyme, bay, sage, rosemary, garlic Flower Petal Metheglin: Rose petals (Rhodimel), dandelion, lavendar, tea blends, heather tips, hop cones (Miomel), honeysuckle, elderberry flowers. Peppery: White/black pepper, mint, lemon grass, curry powder, grains of paradise, juniper berries, spruce, mustard seed, fennel, tumeric, cumin. Chile mead (capsicumel) varies in heat. Braggot: malt/extract (hops not required) Yeasts Wyeast 4184: sweet meads 4632: dry meads WLP720: sweet meads Lalvin D-47: Med. to sweet meads, earthy tones 71B: light & fruity, med-dry meads, fast Glossary Acerglin: Mead with maple syrup Apple Pie Mead: Cyser with mulling spices Bochet: Sack mead that has been burnt or charred Braggot: Mead with malt/malt extract Capsicumel: Mead with peppers (chili, etc.) Cyser: Mead with apple as main fruit, may have other fruits as well Hippocras: Mead with grapes & spices Hydromel: French name for mead Lactomel: Mead with milk Malteglin: Mead with malt and spices Maltomel: Mead with malt and fruit Melomel: Mead with fruit or fruit juice Lalvin K1V-1116: light & fruity meads DV-10: high gravity meads EC-1118: high gravity, neutral flavor Red Star Premiere Cuvee: dry meads Red Star Montrachet: dry meads Metheglin: Mead with spices or extracts Miodomel: Mead with hops Morat: Mead with mulberries (mora) Omphacomel: Mead of rerjuice, juice of unripe grapes Oxymel: Mead mixed with white vinegar Pyment: Mead with grapes/juice Rhodomel: Atlar, rose petal distillate or rose petals Rhyzamel: Mead with root vegetables Sack: Sweet mead, higher strength made with more honey Tej: Ethiopian mead with honey & hops Thalassiomel: Mead using sea water

2 Historical or meads from other lands Acun: Native Mexican mead Gverc: Croation mead Dwojniak: Polish mead with equal amounts of honey & water Wornia: Polish mead with 3:1 water:honey Dandaghare: Nepalese mead with Himalayan herbs & spices Qhilia: South African mead Mulsum: Ancient Roman drink from fermented wine w/ fresh honey added Condidum: Roman recipe of wine, honey & spices, to be aged. Aquamiel: Spanish mead Balche: Mayan psychodelic mead with balke or pitarilla bark Chou chen: Breton (France) mead Hidromel: Portugese mead Idromel: Italian mead Med: Bulgarian and Ukranian meads Meddeglyn / myddyglyn: Welsh spiced mead Mede: Dutch mead Medovina: Czech or Slovak meads Medovukha: Russian mead Medu: Old high German mead Medus: Lithuanian mead with Latvian honey Meis: Entrean mead Meody: Old English- West Saxon mead Met: German mead Midiy: Lithuanian Miod: Polish Mjod: Danish, Swedish or Norwegian meads Modhu: Vedas- nectar or ambrosia, Greek/Roman Alu: Prussian Methe: Ancient Greek Mede: Frisian or low German Metu/Mitu: Old high German Meth: German Melikatos: Old Greek (morphed to hydromel) Terms for HONEY Honig: German Honning: Norwegian Honwig: Swedish Hunaja: Finnish Mel: Welsh, Brazilian and others Mgarly: Australian Aboriginal Mjod: Russian Miel: Spanish Tapli: Georgian Acknowledgement: I want to thank Ted Perry (TRUB member Durham, NC) for nearly all the above information, presented at the July, 2010 TRUB meeting RECIPES Cinnamon/Nutmeg Metheglin Source: Ken Schramm (with comments by Todd Wenzel) Ingredients: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon 15 lb honey (1.25gal) 28 gr (1 oz)whole nutmegs, freshly ground and infused in the boil (I just bought a fresh package of ground nutmeg at the store, TCW) 2, 3-inch cinnamon sticks (Again, use fresh package, TCW) 2t ascorbic acid 2t citric acid OR 2t acid blend (I used the acid blend, TCW) 1/2T yeast nutrient 1/2t Irish moss water to make 5 gallons 10 gr Epernay II yeast 5 gr Pasteur Champagne yeast (I used 71B dry yeast, TCW)

3 Procedure: Boil 35 minutes, chill to 80F, then pitch yeast. When fermentation is complete, prime with 3/4 c dextrose. (I used no-boil method with no priming for a still mead. In 2008 I bottled before fermentation was complete, resulting in a sparkling mead that was very well received. TCW) Comments: Use FRESHLY ground whole nutmeg. This requires at least 2 years in the bottle to be at its best. After 2 years the mead is vinous and semi-dry, pale yelow in color with a good sweet/acid balance. Cinnamon appears first in the nose, followed by the nutmeg. There is an almost citrus aftertaste. Spices are balanced and subtle rather then assertive. (I achieved the citrus character with orange-blossom honey, was winning medals in 8 months, took 3rd place NC Mead-maker of the year with this one mead. TCW) Best served at 45-50F. (I d really like to try this mead mulled or heated on a cold winter night. TCW) Specifics:OG FG Ancient Orange Cinnamon & Clove Mead This is one I have shared before but it may have got lost in the rebuild. It is so simple to make and you can make it without much equipment and with a multitude of variations. This could be a first Mead for the novice as it is almost fool proof. It is a bit unorthodox but it has never failed me or the friends I have shared it with. Wikdwaze, you might like this one better than your Chancers since it will be both sweet, complex and tastey. 1 gallon batch 3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet) 1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all) 1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok) 1 stick of cinnamon 1 whole clove ( or 2 if you like - these are potent critters) optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice )( very small ) 1 teaspoon of Fleismanns bread yeast ( now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then) Balance water to one gallon Process: Use a clean 1 gallon carboy Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- its ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts) Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water. ( need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy) Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.

4 When at room temperature in your kitchen. Put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. ( No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not)( the yeast can fight for their own territory) Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)( Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to smell every once in a while. Racking --- Don't you dare additional feeding --- NO NO More stirring or shaking -- Your not listening, don't touch After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and syphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waitied that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away). If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated. If you were sucessful, which I am 99% certain you will be, then enjoy your mead. When you get ready to make a different mead you will probably have to unlearn some of these practices I have taught you, but hey--- This recipe and procedure works with these ingredients so don't knock it. It was your first mead. It was my tenth. Sometimes, even the experts can forget all they know and make a good ancient mead. Enjoy, Joe Starrlight Mulled Apple Cyser Ben and Becky Starr from Durham, North Carolina, have three and a half years and over 175 gallons experience making mead. In February 2006, they took Best in Show out of over 210 entries in the International Mead Festival Home Mead Makers Competition at the International Mead Festival. Starrlight Mulled Apple Cyser was awarded not only a gold medal, but was also selected as the best overall representation of mead from the gold medal winners in all nine categories. Their meads have also won ribbons at the North Carolina State Fair. They share their enthusiasm and love of brewing by conducting demonstrations and workshops on mead making in the local community and organize a Durham, NC Mead Day celebration each August. Ben and Becky plan to take their love of mead making commercial by opening Starrlight Mead in fall Starrlight Mulled Apple Cyser (Mead) Makes 6 gallons O.G. = ~1.120 F.G. = Ingredients: 16 lbs Wildflower Honey 5 gal Apple Cider* no preservatives, sulfites 4 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground 1 Tbsp Clove, ground 2 Tbsp Allspice, ground 2 Tbsp Nutmeg, ground 2 Tbsp Orange peel, dried 6 seeds Anise (optional)

5 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient (DAP diammonium phosphate) Potassium Sorbate (optional) 10 g (2 packages) Lalvin Narbonne Yeast (71B-1122) *Spiced Apple Cider can be used in place of the cider and spices choose one based on personal preference. Sanitation It is important to sanitize everything that comes in contact with the mead must and the other ingredients. Equipment needed: A large pot to hold 1 gallon. A large fermentation bucket or pail (7 to 7.9 gallon) with a lid. A long spoon or wine degasser. Fermentation lock. Measuring spoons. Glass fermenter for secondary fermentation. Glass fermenter for tertiary fermentation/clarification. Racking cane. Procedure: Prior to starting the batch, set the honey containers in a sink with hot water to warm and loosen the honey; doing this makes it easier to pour the honey. 1. Add one gallon of apple cider to a large pot and heat slowly to a simmer. As the cider is heating, add loose spices to the pot. Simmer spices and cider for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. 2. Pour spiced cider into the fermentation bucket. Add all of the honey to the bucket. Heat an additional quart of cider in a glass container in the microwave. Pour the warm cider into each of the honey containers and shake to dissolve the remaining honey, adding this to the bucket. 3. Using the large spoon or wine degasser, mix the must until the honey is completely dissolved. Add the remainder of the cider (~4¾ gallons) to the bucket while stirring. 4. Stir vigorously to aerate the must. 5. Take an original gravity (O.G.) and a temperature reading. 6. Re-hydrate the dry yeast, if you have not already done so, following the instructions on the packages. Once the yeast has been re-hydrated, make sure the must is between 60 and 80 degrees F, pitch the yeast and stir well. Attach the lid and fermentation lock, and add liquid to the fermentation lock. Fermentation should begin within 24 hours. Next Steps: Add yeast nutrient about 2 days after pitching yeast. Stir yeast nutrient into the solution. Fermentation is best when kept between 65 and 75 degrees F. The primary fermentation will last about 4 weeks. Finishing: When the activity in the airlock has pretty much stopped, indicating the primary fermentation is complete, rack to a secondary fermenter (preferably glass). Attach a fermentation lock to the carboy and leave at 65 to 75 degrees F for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, rack to another carboy for aging and clarification. Check the mead at this time for sweetness. If more sweetness is needed, add honey or Apple Juice Concentrate (frozen or canned not diluted) until you get the desired sweetness. To do this, add 1 pound of honey to 1 cup of hot water or Apple Juice Concentrate at time of racking. You may want to add some potassium sorbate to inhibit any further fermentation. This mead is drinkable after 3-6 months and continues to get better with age excellent after 1 to 1.5 years. Enjoy chilled anytime or warmed in a crock-pot during the winter spices are more pronounced when warmed.