Microbrewed Adventures - Charles Papazian [145]
Prime with sugar and bottle or keg when complete.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S MEAD
TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.138 (31.5 B)
APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.030 (7.5 B)
ALCOHOL: 14.5% BY VOLUME
All-Grain Recipe for 4 gallons (15.2 l)
15 lbs.: (6.8 kg) light honey (such as clover, alfalfa or orange blossom)
¼ tsp.: (0.5 g) yeast extract or appropriate amount of other yeast nutrient as recommended by your local homebrew supply stop
0.1 g: zinc-fortified yeast as nutrient
3 tbsp.: (40 g) dried champagne or mead yeast (Prise de Mousse champagne yeast is an excellent choice)
Add honey, yeast extract and zinc-fortified yeast to 1 gallon of water, stir, dissolve and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Skim off coagulated meringuelike protein and discard during the boil.
Then add the boiled water and honey to 2 gallons of cold water in a sanitized fermenter for a total yield of 4 gallons. Mix extremely well, introducing as much air and oxygen into the mixture as possible. Original gravity may vary depending on the quality of the honey you used.
Rehydrate yeast by adding the dry yeast to about 2 cups of preboiled and cooled (to 100 degrees F [37 C]) water in a covered sanitized glass container. Let stand for 10 minutes before adding to the honey-and-water mixture.
When temperature of the honey-and-water mixture is between 72 and 80 degrees F (22 to 26.5 C), add rehydrated yeast and ferment at temperatures above 70 degrees F (21 C).
Ferment in a closed primary fermenter until fermentation appears to have stopped and the mead begins to clear. Introducing as little oxygen as possible, carefully transfer by siphoning to a closed second fermenter and let sit for up to a year or until the mead has become crystal clear and there are no signs of fermentation. The mead is now ready to drink or bottle.
With careful bottling techniques and minimizing the introduction of air and oxygen, this mead will age well for several decades, especially if properly corked.
St. Bartholomew is the patron saint of mead. His day is August 24, but celebrate every day.
CASTLE METHEGLIN
TARGET ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.130–1.138 (30.2–31.8 B)
APPROXIMATE FINAL GRAVITY: 1.028–1.038 (7–9.5 B)
ALCOHOL: 14 TO 15% BY VOLUME
Recipe for 5 gallons (19 l)
18.5 lbs.: (8.2 kg) light honey
2 oz.: (56 g) gruit
Formulate the gruit using the following proportions of whole dried herbs (use fresh herbs when available). After the herbs are combined, crush them all to the same consistency. Store in airtight container in your freezer. (Note: 28 grams equals approximately 1 ounce.)
5 g: fresh ground nutmeg
5 g: cloves
10 g: dried ground ginger
10 g: thyme
10 g: peppermint
10 g: cinnamon (powder)
20 g: lemon balm
20 g: rosemary
20 g: bog myrtle (sweet gale)
30 g: yarrow
50 g: dried elderberry flower
50 g: fennel seed (freshly crushed)
240 g: Total (about 8.5 ounces)
4 g: yeast extract or appropriate amount of other yeast nutrient as recommended by your local homebrew supply shop
0.1 g: zinc-fortified yeast as nutrient
3 tbsp.: (40 g) dried champagne or mead yeast (Prise de Mousse or champagne yeast is an excellent choice)
Combine honey and zinc-fortified yeast with 1 gallon (3.8 l) of water and heat to 150 degrees F (65.5 C). Hold at this temperature for 20 minutes. Add this hot honey-and-water mixture to 2 gallons of cold water in your primary fermenter. Add more cold water as needed to achieve 5 gallons total volume. Aerate extremely well and add dissolved yeast nutrient (yeast extract).
When temperature is below 80 degrees F (26.5 C), add rehydrated yeast. Mead is best initially fermented between 70 and 75 degrees F (21–24 C). Ferment until fermentation activity is very low; this may take from 3 weeks to 3 months.
Rack and transfer to a secondary fermenter. Secondary can be stored at cooler temperatures. Add 2 oz. (56 g) gruit. Rack off sediment of herbs after 6 months to a year. Bottle