Getting Started:
Mead for Beginners
by
Lord Tiberius Erikson
Copyright © 1996 by Carl Bussjaeger. All rights reserved.
When I first seriously considered learning to make my
own beer and wine, I was rather isolated from other
knowledgeable brewers. As a result, I turned to my usual
source of information: books.
Oddly enough, this proved to be a mistake. I had been
told that brewing was simple; these books claimed otherwise.
I wanted a simple process from which I could learn. Instead,
I got a discourse on single- and multi-row grains, the
chemistry of various malting processes, the acidity of hops,
the biology of yeast, and lists of recommended chemical
additives. Additives!? This was one reason I wanted to make
my own.
Basically, the books I happened to stumble upon told me
that there was no way I was going to learn the art of
fermenting beverages on my own. So I gave up for several
years.
Fortunately, I was not completely daunted, and I looked
into it again later. I was still on my own; but this time I
was equipped with the knowledge that I could at least fake
my way through anything. So I tried, and dicovered that
brewing is not that toughl at least at the entry level.
But those first books, and regrettably several brewers
and vintners I have met over the years, seemed determined to
scare off newcomers; to maintain some air of mystery and
mastery. That sort of attitude bothers me, so I have made a
point of showing people how easy it is to get started. I do
not stress obscure terminology, fancy equipment, or exotic
ingredients. I subscribe to the KISS principle. If I can
show someone how easy it is to get started, just maybe that
person will stick with it, develop a strong interest, and
advance. (The Knaves of Grain also encourage this; hence my
participation in this light-hearted group.)
A typical set of starter instructions for mead follows.
This is not a fancy beverage, and it does not take long to
make it. It is perfect for sparking interest in newcomers.
Tiberius' Quick Mead
--------------------
Mead can be nothing more than honey and water, with a
bit of yeast added. But it is simple enough to enhance its
flavor with readily available items that I almost
automatically use them. Here's what you need:
Equipment
---------
Large pot (preferably stainless steel or enamel, 2-3
gallons)
Siphon tube
2-3 two-liter soda bottles
Ingredients
-----------
48 ounces of honey
2 large lemons
6 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 gallon of water
yeast (any live brewer's yeast will do for this. Find a
brewers supply house, use the sediment from a
homebrew, or score some from a fellow
homebrewer- we're everywhere)
First, get your yeast ready to go-- dissolve about half
a teaspoon of honey in half a cup of lukewarm water. Stir in
the yeast, cover the container, an set it aside.
Next, skin the yellow outer layer of the washed lemons
off, and add it to the gallon of water. Squeeze the juice of
the lemons in, as well. Now, toss in the cinnamon. Boil this
for 15-20 minutes (makes the house smell good, too). Turn
off the heat. When the boil ends, stir in the honey, making
sure it dissolves completely. Cover the pot, and let the
mixture (called "must" at this point, for those interested)
cool to room temperature. Then stir in the yeast.
At the most basic, you can let your must ferment in the
cooking pot. Or, you could transfer it into some other other
container- white food grade plastic buckets are great. Two
and three liter soda bottles work, too. If you use the pot
or bucket, cover it with plastic wrap to seal out air. If
you opt for bottles, you can place small balloons over their
mouths. In either case, you may need to make a small pinhole
in the cover- fermentation produces carbon dioxide gas; the
cover will pop off if some pressure can't escape.
It may take a day or two, but the yeast will starting
converting the sugar in the honey into alcohol; you'll see
the cover start to inflate. This is when you may need to
make the pinhole.
The time needed to completely ferment the must varies-
temperature, type of yeast, amount of sugar all have an
effect. If fermentation seems to stop (the cover deflates)
after only a couple of days, stir the must a bit. Sloshing
the bucket works, and doesn't let it in air which could
contaminate the must. Most likely, fermentation will be
complete in about 10 days. When the cover deflates and stays
deflated, it's time to bottle your mead.
Bottling is easy enough- you just siphon the mead from
the bucket into bottles, being careful not to disturb or
suck up the sediment at the bottom of the pot (this is
called "racking"). Fill the bottles up to about one inch
below the bottom of the bottle neck, them cap tightly. Store
the bottles in a cool, dark place for about one month. Hint:
Store them in a place easily cleaned. In the event that
ferentation was't completed for some reason, the resulting
pressure build up could rupture your bottles, spilling
sticky fluid evrywhere. If you follow the fermentation
procedure above, this is unlikely; but I'm a believer in
Murphy's Law.
After a month, refrigerate, and drink. This is a nicely
carbonated, light beverage; suitable for any occasion that
would also suit beer or a white wine.
There is one very important factor to observe
throughout the entire brewing process: SANITATION. Brewing
and vinting are on near-supersaturated sugar solutions.
These solutions are perfect mediums for breeding bacterial
cultures. So, everything must be kept clean. Wash everything
very carefully before starting: the pot, fermentation
containers, siphon tube, bottles, stirring spoons;
_everything_. After washing, STERILIZE all the items. A
teaspoon of ordinary bleach in a gallon of water works
wonders. After sterilization, rinse everything carefully,
and store in a clean place until each item is called for.
Sterilization should be done just prior to each untensil's
use.
But despite your best efforts, if you stick to brewing,
eventually you will get a contaminated batch. Things to
watch for are "mold" at the top of the bottled beverage,
cloudy veils floating in the fluid, or a rotten smell when
opened. If you have doubts, assume contamination and dispose
of it.
So, you see- Nothing mysterious, secretive, or
difficult. Getting started is a breeze. As you gain
experience, you can invest in gadgetry that will allow you
more control over the process; but it isn't necessary. Try
it, and have fun.
