the only book you need to read to make the best Mead.
http://www.amazon.com/Compleat-Meadmaker-Production-Award-winning-Variations/dp/0937381802/ref=cm_lmf_tit_3/102-5198203-8704921it isn't hard to make. takes about 4 weeks to fully ferment. rack it [edited out] every couple weeks
even during fermentation til very little lees form. Lees will add off flavors.
add finings and stabilizers for sweet Mead.
I had a couple bottle bombs going off, not a pretty sight and very messy to clean.
various yeasts are available. champagne yeast for a very dry Mead. other types for sweeter Meads.
need to be able to maintain a constant temperature in the range the yeast will thrive and do its job.
you can easily adjust the honey to water ratio for the yeast you use to get either dry or sweet.
all yeast will die when it reaches a certain % alcohol that it can not survive in. (sometimes listed on label)
all the meads I made were 11-14.75% ABV. one was a bit higher I kind of boosted it to an unknown number, the yeast used can tolerate 18%.
there is a super yeast somewhere that can make it to upper 20's to low 30's %. can't remb offhand what it was.
yeast can come in dry packs, liquid vials, or smack packs. I prefer the smack packs, it will tell you when it is ready to pitch. (balloons up tighter than a football.)
basic recipe
12 lbs of honey to 5 gallons of water. (orange blossom, wild flower, or for a spicy Christmas flavor, star thistle honey)
a high quality yeast. (don't pinch yer pennies here or you will regret it.)
stir well to get loads of O2 in it for yeast to multiply quickly.
pitch the yeast.
once it starts fermenting, try to keep air contact to minimum.
need a 6 gallon bucket with a sealed lid and an airlock.
2/ 5 or 6 gallon carboys with airlocks & vodka to fill airlock with, plus a racking hose. can use 1 carboy but 2 makes it quicker and easier to rack.
bottles and corks plus sanitizers. And STABILIZERS for sweet Meads. (bottles can and will go boom.)
decant the Meads that have stabilizers added, before serving.
oh and serve it to me chilled.
You guys ever try your hand at making mead? Takes forever to ferment and the alcohol bite can be fierce if you don't let it sit and mellow for a while, but great stuff.
Only downside... worst hangover ever.
on average it takes 7-8 months from pitching yeast to a clear drinkable "green" mead.
2 years in the bottle for a prime real smooth and "Drink of the Gods." state.
as for the bite, never had any to bite. not even when it was the greenest it can be.
only thing I can think of to cause that, would be yeast quality or local wild yeast.
as for hangover, never go to sleep drunk or buzzing.
I ain't editing this wall of text for perfect grammars and YMMV.
edit to remove something that can be misleading.
