So I have this honey that's sold at my big box store. It is raw honey, but they don't indicate anything on the bottle. It comes in 3lb bottles which is perfect for making 1 gallon batches. This is how I try out my mead for flavor. Keep in mind... mead is a long game. So the next time I buy this honey, it may taste completely different depending on how the keepers harvest and how the store actually obtains it.
Here's what you'll need:
Before fermentation
Filtered or bottled water (non chlorinated)
3lbs of your desired honey
Hydrometer for accuracy
Star San for sanitizing (highly recommend this sanitizer and a little lasts a long time)
PBW for cleaning (if you're using old bottles)
After fermentation
Bottling wand (optional but nice to have)
Wine thief (turkey baster for 1 gallon jugs)
Step 1 - Clean and Sanitize everything
Start off by cleaning your glass jug with PBW or any cleaner you prefer. I like PBW because it rinses clean really easily. Something like Oxy Free will need multiple rinses to get the residue off. After your jug is clean, add your sanitizer based on instructions from the bottle and empty into a bowl for sanitizing your airlock and bung. If you're using Star San, you'll see foam left over in your jug. That foam is perfectly safe to leave in there and is NOT soap. If your honey has a cap on it, sanitize the cap before emptying into the jug.
Step 2 - Hydrate your yeast
Use 1/3 of your packet. Do this based on instructions on the packet and use boosters if required. Tape off the top of the used packet and put it in the refrigerator for your next batch. Some nutrients are added in the hydration stage and nutrient schedules vary. I generally use generic yeast nutrient and stager in 4 stages so I just hydrate my yeast here. More on this later.
Step 3 - Warm up that honey
Heat your honey slightly by running under warm tap water. The goal is to loosen up the honey, but not get it too hot. You want to make sure it stays under 120F or 50C.
Step 4 - Put the honey in the jar and fill to 1/2 with water
Empty your honey into your sanitized jug. Tip: Use your water when your honey jar is empty to swish around and get the rest of that precious expensive honey out. Then fill your jug half way with water, put the bung in, while covering the hole on the bung, shake it to mix everything together. This takes a while. You'll know it is done when the color is consistent throughout.
Step 5 - Top up and shake again
You'll want to add more water to the shoulder of the jug and shake again. This adds a fair amount of oxygen to the mixture. This aids in yeast health and replication. Important step and why I do it in 2 stages. A lot of shaking, but this method makes it easier to incorporate the honey without it being overly heavy. Less shaking of a full jug.
Step 6 - Take your readings
This is where you want to pour your mixture into a graduated cylinder (sanitized) and take your first gravity reading with your hydrometer (sanitized). Gravity depends on volume and your honey. 3lb of honey should get you over 1.100. Go ahead and pour your honey back into the jug after your reading. That stuff is expensive so use it all. You sanitized everything so it is safe. Pro Tip: Take notes throughout and definitely track everything. Ingredients used, temperature of fermentation, nutrient schedules, and anything else you might think you want to remember later.
Step 7 - Add yeast (and nutrient if desired)
Toss in your yeast. If you're using generic yeast nutrient, add 1/4 of the recommended amount here (optionally this can be added after 24 hours). Whatever your nutrient demand is, it is best to stagger it over several days rather than all at once. There are all kinds of articles on the web about nutrient schedules. I'm adding mine day one because it is generic, and it is easier for me to add a little up front. If you want to wait 24 hours until after lag (the time between when the yeast hits the must and when fermentation starts) that's perfectly fine and generally recommended (best practice). My thought is I'm using a clean environment and I don't want to forget. Honestly I haven't seen a whole lot of difference. My friend Sam Makes Mead on TikTok is doing a fantastic job testing different nutrient schedules. Check him out!
Step 7 - Watch for activity and add nutrients
This is important. You want to make sure your yeast kicks off. After 24 hours, check your jug and airlock for activity. If you're using a yeast nutrient schedule, add 1/4 of your recommended amount and do that daily from here until you hit your recommended amount. Again, it is best to stagger nutrients. The benefit is great tasting mead faster. If you mess this up, it generally isn't a big deal, but you have to wait a year or more for things to mellow out.
Step 8 - Move the mead
After 2 or 3 weeks it is time for the great decision. The great decision to move your mead is based on a lot of factors. As a general rule, if your mead is at 1/3 of the estimated final gravity (around 1.030), its time to move this to secondary fermentation. This can be sooner. If you're like me and like to check gravity throughout, use that turkey baster (sanitized) and take another reading. Yeast is a living organism and not a robot so these things can vary. Note: Something else to watch for is the yeast collecting on the bottom. If it still looks really cloudy, wait until week 3.
If you don't have another jug, use a sanitized pitcher to move it back and forth. Use your siphon to transfer to the pitcher leaving the lees behind. Clean and sanitize your jug again. Pour the mead back into your jug carefully or use the siphon again. Get all the mead back into the container. Just be gentle and splash as little as possible.
Step 9 - Let it clear and bottle
Let it condition and clear up for the next 2-3 months. The mead is also naturally degassing at this time. When it looks good, use your bottling wand and siphon to fill sanitized bottles until you've got it all in the bottles. It is very important to let any remaining yeast settle out so your mead is clear. This takes time if you're not using something like bentonite.
Step 10 - Clean up
Clean all your equipment and get it ready for next time.
Step 11 - The most important step
Throughout you should have been taking good notes. Crack a bottle every 2 or 3 months and take tasting notes. You'll find out when this recipe peaks so you'll know for next time.
That's it! You just made traditional mead!
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