Are you a mead lover? Do you want to know how to make your own mead at home? Well, buckle up because we will show you everything there is to know about brewing your homemade mead! First thing first, what is Mead?

What Is Mead?

Mead is one of the most ancient fermented alcoholic beverages known to man. Mead recipe, simply put, is made from honey, water, and yeast. And yeah, that's it! So simple yet so delicious!

Creating Your Mead

Now let's dive headfirst into the brewing process.

The golden rule of any good recipe lies in its ingredients. What makes mead different from beer or wine-making is the fact that it utilizes exclusively honey as a source of sugar for fermentation; hence the taste profile is quite unique.

Honey - Any high-quality raw or organic honey can be used (2-3 pounds per gallon).

Water - One gallon (4 liters) per 3 pounds (~1.5 kilograms) of honey.

Yeast - This effectively decides how much alcohol will be present in your finished product; Ale Yeast is most commonly utilized by makers globally.

Next comes equipment which plays an equally important role as its components:

Fermentation Vessel – This can be anything from carboys to plastic buckets with built-in taps.

Airlock – An essential part during fermentation, keeping out unwanted microorganisms 

Siphon Tube – Used for transferring completed brews between vessels.

Bottling Equipment – Essential for elation time!

The Brewing Process 

Step 1: Cleanliness

Cleanliness may not appear like an exciting topic but trust us when we say there’s no such thing as overdoing cleanliness when it comes to brewing at home.

Clean all surfaces using a disinfectant solution before coming into contact with any brewing equipment. Wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Step 2: Making the Must

It's time to make the most (the concoction of honey, yeast, and water). Simply heat some filtered water until it is just above room temperature.

Dissolve your honey using a sanitized spoon or spatula in a sterilized mixing bowl. Once dissolved, add room-temperature filtered water while constantly stirring to ensure the mixture is homogeneous.

Ensure you do not splash or agitate the must too vigorously to avoid unnecessary oxidation.

Step 3: Fermenting

Once all ingredients have been mixed well together, pour them carefully into your fermentation vessel—you can use either carboys or plastic buckets as you see fit.

Cover the top of the vessel with an airlock and seal completely. Now set aside in a cool dark corner for several days.

Throughout this period, bubbles from Co2 should rise through the airlock, indicating there has been successful fermentation.

Step 4: Racking

This part ensures that all sediments are removed during secondary fermentation:

Using a sterilized siphon tube, transfer clear liquid mead into another sterilized container leaving behind any sediment or scum on the base of the initial fermenting tank.

Leave for another few weeks before repeating this process again prior to bottling.

Pro Tip – Add unpasteurized fruit juices (or purees) during secondary fermentation, as these will impart complementary colors and flavors onto the finished wine.

Once satisfied with your mead after racking, prepare for bottling, which entails filling jars/ bottles/s with beer while adding extra sugar solution, which will reactivate yeast dormant, resulting in sparkle/fizz inside the jar/bottle. Again, keep everything clean/sanitized.

Storing Mead

While aging isn't strictly necessary, especially if going for a more rustic or farm-style look, it will definitely add more depth and complexity to your homemade mead. Store bottled jars/bottles on their side during longer storage periods- up to 6 months or even longer.

Final Thoughts

Brewing your own mead at home is an exciting as well as enriching experience. When done properly, you can easily create a delicious beverage that can be enjoyed alone or with good company.

Just remember the golden rule when making anything fermented at home: cleanliness is key! And always experiment with finding the perfect ingredient mixtures specific to personal tastes.

So what are you waiting for? Try making your very first batch of mead today using our simple Mead Recipe!