Brewing: Mead/Cyser/Beer

See this at: gotmead.com| Added on 01/18/08

2lbs Clover Honey* 1/2 tsp tannin 1/2 tsp nutrient 1 packet K1V-1116 Yeast 1 Gallon Apple Juice** * This I bought from Trader Joe's along with the apple juice. ** If you are new to meadmaking, Trader Joe's sells a 1 gallon glass jug full of apple... See more

2lbs Clover Honey* 1/2 tsp tannin 1/2 tsp nutrient 1 packet K1V-1116 Yeast 1 Gallon Apple Juice** * This I bought from Trader Joe's along with the apple juice. ** If you are new to meadmaking, Trader Joe's sells a 1 gallon glass jug full of apple juice, so it comes with a fermenter. For this reason, ThirstyViking always recommended this recipe as a first to anybody new to meadmaking. Avoid the Gravenstein Juice though. 1 Gallon glass jug Long cooking spoon (not wood) Small cup (for rehydrating yeast) Food grade plastic funnel Airlock Stopper Small spoon (comes in handy for honey) After 4 days you will need: A second 1 gallon jug A racking cane with attached hose 1 1/2 tsp Sorbistate K 1 Campden Tablet The cap from the jug A hydrometer Day 1 Add honey to empty jug using a food grade funnel. Heating isn't necessary. For an empty honey container, swish out with warm water. Fill the jug up to about 2/3 full using apple juice. Add tannin and nutrient. Use spoon handle to stir and dillute... See less

See this at: cfhb.org| Added on 03/10/08

This section will help you decide which style, sweetness and strength you might want to make. There are also sections on yeast types and how to make a yeast starter, as well as tips on cleaning and sanitation, and additives and adjustments.

This section will help you decide which style, sweetness and strength you might want to make. There are also sections on yeast types and how to make a yeast starter, as well as tips on cleaning and sanitation, and additives and adjustments. See less

See this at: squatchman.home.mind...| Added on 09/10/07

What is Cyser? Cyser is a fermented beverage. It is a type of mead. Mead is considered by some to be mankind's oldest fermented beverage. Mead is simply honey and water that has fermented. Early examples were fermented by wild yeast. Modern... See more

What is Cyser? Cyser is a fermented beverage. It is a type of mead. Mead is considered by some to be mankind's oldest fermented beverage. Mead is simply honey and water that has fermented. Early examples were fermented by wild yeast. Modern manufactured mead is a controlled product just as wine is. Makers control the variables in the manufacture, yielding a consistent product. When honey is mixed with fruit juice the resulting fermentation is a type of mead known as metheglin. When the fruit juice used in making metheglin is apple juice - the resulting fermentation is known as cyser. Why I made it. I found some apple juice (5 gals.) close-out priced at a store. I had previously brewed beer, but I had always wanted to try making mead (especially because mead's difficult to find in the store, and most of the commercial examples I've tried weren't that good). The idea of a cross between mead and cider (cyser) sounded appealing. So, with the ingredients on hand, and a few recipe ideas from... See less

See this at: kingdomofacre.org| Added on 09/10/07

A Cyser Recipe by Lord Richard of Woodenbridge As the autumn air arrives from the north and the days wax short to herald the cold darkness of winter, so too arrives the season of the last harvest bestowing upon us in abundance the sweet toothsome... See more

A Cyser Recipe by Lord Richard of Woodenbridge As the autumn air arrives from the north and the days wax short to herald the cold darkness of winter, so too arrives the season of the last harvest bestowing upon us in abundance the sweet toothsome apple and rich honey. What better time then to speak of cyser, a close relative of our precious mead married with the flavors and bouquet of the noble pome! We must first not confuse the juice of the apple sometimes called cider and fermented apple juice known as hard cider with cyser, a most especial concoction from the juice of apples and honey, fermented to produce the Òstrong drinkÓ (sicera - the Latin for Òstrong drinkÓ adopted into English-cyser, ciser, siser, syther and cyder) spoken of in the Bible. Thought to be first made in England in 1284, it was served centuries earlier at a Royal Banquet by Harold Godwinson. The Norse had used the apple in regions such as Normandy and the Channel Islands, the Celts in Western England, and the... See less

See this at: rabbitsfootmeadery.c...| Added on 04/21/07

1 lemon quartered. Experimentation has found that the amounts of ground spices indicated will equal the amount of the whole spices if you are unable to obtain any of the whole ingredients. With the measure of nine to ten gallons we can adjust the... See more

1 lemon quartered. Experimentation has found that the amounts of ground spices indicated will equal the amount of the whole spices if you are unable to obtain any of the whole ingredients. With the measure of nine to ten gallons we can adjust the amounts of needed spices to our recipe below in order to make a 5 gallon batch. For this example use half of the spice ingredients and half of a large lemon. Take 3.5 gallons of water and add 23 lbs of honey into a large pot. This honey/water mixture will have a resulting specific gravity of approximately 1.09 degrees or 21.5 brix. This is sufficient to bear the smallest chickens egg available today. The egg in the recipe was the "...breadth of a shilling..." a shilling was approximately 1" in diameter so an attempt to find an appropriate sized egg resulted in the smallest chickens egg about 1.25" in diameter. Further experimentation resulted in the egg floating to only reveal about an inch of it's surface. Add the spices to a muslin or... See less

See this at: beesource.com| Added on 02/20/07

* A plastic fermenting bucket of 6 to 8 gallons, with an airtight-fitting lid and a hole for the airlock (a 6.5-gallon carboy may be used as well, unless you plan on using whole fruit) * A five-gallon glass carboy with a stopper and airlock * Racking... See more

* A plastic fermenting bucket of 6 to 8 gallons, with an airtight-fitting lid and a hole for the airlock (a 6.5-gallon carboy may be used as well, unless you plan on using whole fruit) * A five-gallon glass carboy with a stopper and airlock * Racking cane and siphon tubing * Hydrometer and sample jar * Floating thermometer (if you wish to pasteurize) * Bottle filler * Bottle capper (beer bottles) or corker (wine bottles). Corkers are sometimes available for rent at shops or through winemaking clubs. See less

See this at: beesource.com| Added on 02/20/07

New Meader Mistakes Bob_Davis 6 February 19, 2007 10:10 AM by markalbob | Wine or Beer Bottles? OldScout 9 February 16, 2007 07:21 AM by markalbob | Tibicos - Water Kefir D. Murrell 5 February 10, 2007 09:01 AM by Ben Brewcat | Kombucha Pages: 1 2... See more

New Meader Mistakes Bob_Davis 6 February 19, 2007 10:10 AM by markalbob | Wine or Beer Bottles? OldScout 9 February 16, 2007 07:21 AM by markalbob | Tibicos - Water Kefir D. Murrell 5 February 10, 2007 09:01 AM by Ben Brewcat | Kombucha Pages: 1 2 dcross 36 February 10, 2007 08:56 AM by Ben Brewcat | Recipe please chemistbert 22 February 10, 2007 08:25 AM by Ben Brewcat | Proper frame of mind? Barry Tolson 9 February 09, 2007 08:28 AM by markalbob | Fruit in primary or 2nd ? newbeematt 10 February 07, 2007 12:48 PM by markalbob | bottling alternatives MichaelW 12 February 07, 2007 12:45 PM by markalbob | Will mead get better with time? Ruben 5 February 07, 2007 12:42 PM by markalbob | Meadllennium 2007 - Results OCurrans 0 January 31, 2007 03:19 PM by OCurrans | Mango AndrewSchwab 5 January 29, 2007 06:07 PM by AndrewSchwab | need to re-rack? Pages: 1 2 MichaelW 26 January 17, 2007 10:37 AM by Propolis30 | Meadllennium 2007 - 2nd announcement OCurrans 0 January 08, 2007 09:54 AM by... See less

See this at: beertown.org| Added on 09/10/07

Makes 6 gallons O.G. = ~1.120 F.G. = 1.014 Ingredients: 16 lbs Wildflower Honey 5 gal Apple Cider* – no preservatives, sulfites 4 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground 1 Tbsp Clove, ground 2 Tbsp Allspice, ground 2 Tbsp Nutmeg, ground 2 Tbsp Orange peel, dried 6... See more

Makes 6 gallons O.G. = ~1.120 F.G. = 1.014 Ingredients: 16 lbs Wildflower Honey 5 gal Apple Cider* – no preservatives, sulfites 4 Tbsp Cinnamon, ground 1 Tbsp Clove, ground 2 Tbsp Allspice, ground 2 Tbsp Nutmeg, ground 2 Tbsp Orange peel, dried 6 seeds Anise (optional) 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient (DAP – diammonium phosphate) Potassium Sorbate (optional) 10 g (2 packages) Lalvin Narbonne Yeast (71B-1122) *Spiced Apple Cider can be used in place of the cider and spices – choose one based on personal preference. Sanitation It is important to sanitize everything that comes in contact with the mead must and the other ingredients. Equipment needed: • A large pot to hold 1 gallon. • A large fermentation bucket or pail (7 to 7.9 gallon) with a lid. • A long spoon or wine degasser. • Fermentation lock. • Measuring spoons. • Glass fermenter for secondary fermentation. • Glass fermenter for tertiary fermentation/clarification. • Racking cane. Procedure: Prior to starting the batch, set the honey... See less

See this at: blue-n-gold.com| Added on 10/11/07

8-10 lbs pure raw honey (for light, delicate Mead) (or) 12-13 " " " " (for medium sweet Mead) (or) 15-16 " " " " (for very sweet or alcoholic Mead) 4-5 gallons purified spring water (not distilled) 3 tsp. yeast nutrient (or 5 tablets) 1 tsp. acid... See more

8-10 lbs pure raw honey (for light, delicate Mead) (or) 12-13 " " " " (for medium sweet Mead) (or) 15-16 " " " " (for very sweet or alcoholic Mead) 4-5 gallons purified spring water (not distilled) 3 tsp. yeast nutrient (or 5 tablets) 1 tsp. acid blend (combination malic/citric acid) 5-7 oz. sliced fresh ginger root (1 finger's length) 1/4 tsp. fresh rosemary (optional, as desired) 5-6 whole cloves (optional, as desired) 1-2 vanilla beans (optional, as desired) cinnamon/nutmeg (optional, as desired) lime/orange peels (optional, as desired) crushed fruit (peaches, strawberries, grapes, etc.) 1 tsp. Irish Moss (to clarify Mead) 1/2 tsp. clear gelatin (to clarify Mead) 1 spotted newt's tail (optional, as desired :) 1 packet yeast (champagne or ale yeast) See less

See this at: talisman.com| Added on 03/20/07

talisman.com runs the Mead-Lover's Digest, which is an e-mail forum for mead-makers and mead-lovers to discuss all aspects of mead: recipes, ingredients, techniques, and history. Most of the day-to-day discussion tends to be about making mead at... See more

talisman.com runs the Mead-Lover's Digest, which is an e-mail forum for mead-makers and mead-lovers to discuss all aspects of mead: recipes, ingredients, techniques, and history. Most of the day-to-day discussion tends to be about making mead at home. The Digest is a non-commercial, strictly volunteer effort by/for mead folk. It was started in September, 1992 and handled for the first 200+ issues by John Dilley. As of March, 2003, 1000 issues of the Digest had appeared. A typical issue is 400 lines (15 KB). There are currently about 1200 subscribers. Distribution is worldwide. Brief commercial announcements of material relevant to mead appear from time to time, but blatant advertising and off-topic articles are summarily rejected. The list of subscribers is used only for e-mailing the digest; it is never made available to the outside world. Joining the MLD To sign up for the Digest: Send e-mail with the subject "Subscribe", with your full name and your e-mail address in the message, to See less

See this at: ez-net.com| Added on 09/10/07

This is my first attempt at a mead. Mead is a strong alcoholic beverage like a wine, except it is made with honey instead of grapes. Cyser is a mead made with apples. This recipe is based on Hangover Cyser from Mead Made Easy by Dave Polaschek and... See more

This is my first attempt at a mead. Mead is a strong alcoholic beverage like a wine, except it is made with honey instead of grapes. Cyser is a mead made with apples. This recipe is based on Hangover Cyser from Mead Made Easy by Dave Polaschek and Tim Mitchell. This is a one gallon recipe. My mother and my mother-in-law both love this one (they like dry wines). .75 gallon pure apple cider 1.5# Orange blossom or other light-flavored honey 12oz can of Welch's white grape juice concentrate 1 pkt Lalvin K1-V1116 dry wine yeast Notes: I bought a one gallon glass jug of cider (cider by the U.S. definition: pure apple juice). Make sure it doesn't have any preservatives or additives. Fresh from the orchard would be best. You need a glass jug because you will be fermenting in it! Drink a quart of the cider. Meanwhile, warm the honey (so it will flow out of the container more easily) and the white grape juice concentrate (make sure it is 100% juice!). I rehydrated the yeast in some warm (boiled,... See less

See this at: gotmead.com| Added on 02/20/07

Let me start here by providing one bit of advice: the better the ingredients, the better the Mead. You can make some very nice Meads using supermarket bought processed Clover honey and Bread Yeast (check out Joe’s Ancient Orange and Spice recipe),... See more

Let me start here by providing one bit of advice: the better the ingredients, the better the Mead. You can make some very nice Meads using supermarket bought processed Clover honey and Bread Yeast (check out Joe’s Ancient Orange and Spice recipe), but the results will be average at best. Starting this way is cheap and easy, allowing you to get a taste of what could be without putting a dent in the wallet should the batch go south. As you start to use better ingredients, you will notice that the quality of the Mead will improve and you can begin to formulate recipes that are built around the unique honey flavor itself. See less

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See this at: stoutbillys.com| Added on 05/31/07

Ingredients:1 gallon jug of commercial apple juice (not "apple cider", it seems to have less sugar) 1/2 packet of Cote de Baum yeast (Champagne yeast eats too much of the natural sugars, leaves a tart product) Procedure:1. Reserve 1 cup of juice (put... See more

Ingredients:1 gallon jug of commercial apple juice (not "apple cider", it seems to have less sugar) 1/2 packet of Cote de Baum yeast (Champagne yeast eats too much of the natural sugars, leaves a tart product) Procedure:1. Reserve 1 cup of juice (put back after fermenting) 2. Add yeast and shake (pitch) 3. Airlock and leave at room temperature 4. Fermentation will last 2 to 3 days in warm weather 5. Put in frig for 1 or two days 6. Rack and prime bottles with 1 teaspoon of sugar or corn syrup 7. Drink or lay it down Specifics:Alcohol: 3% abv Comments:This makes a light apple cider/wine (3% by volume), but it is crisp and delicious when well chilled. For more kick, go to a recipe which adds honey and brown sugar to the juice (1/2 pound each to a gallon of juice). See less

See this at: winemakermag.com| Added on 03/09/07

Mead is a classic fermented beverage with a long history. Ancient text and drawings, some dating back as far as 4000 BC, mention both wine and mead. Several Biblical writings describe this wonderful drink, as do many Roman and Egyptian texts. The... See more

Mead is a classic fermented beverage with a long history. Ancient text and drawings, some dating back as far as 4000 BC, mention both wine and mead. Several Biblical writings describe this wonderful drink, as do many Roman and Egyptian texts. The first detailed mead recipes began appearing in the early 1500s and make reference to these ancient texts. Originally mead was made by fermenting honey and water with wild yeasts. Over time, many variations were invented. Some recipes add spices and some add fruit, while other recipes even call for adding grape juice. Each of these variations have taken on different names over the years — such as melomel, metheglin, pyment and cyser — but the foundation of these fermented beverages still remains sweet honey. Mead-making offers endless possibilities, giving the intrepid winemaker a new arsenal of tools to use in the quest for making wonderful fermented beverages at home. Where does honey come from? As everyone knows, honey is produced by bees.... See less

See this at: brewsupplies.com| Added on 09/19/07

1/4 tsp. Tannin Tannin is very strong, be careful not to over use! | 1 tsp. Yeast Nutrient Yeast need the nutrient to work well, otherwise your fermentation might be slow or not start. | 1 Campden Tablet (crushed) Campden tablets are a measured... See more

1/4 tsp. Tannin Tannin is very strong, be careful not to over use! | 1 tsp. Yeast Nutrient Yeast need the nutrient to work well, otherwise your fermentation might be slow or not start. | 1 Campden Tablet (crushed) Campden tablets are a measured amount of sodium or potassium metabisulphite. Used to sanitize your honey. (put in 1 day before yeast) | 1 pkg. wine or mead yeast For best results, use good quality wine or mead yeast. See less

See this at: members.bellatlantic...| Added on 03/14/07

I first learned how to make mead in the summer of 1972 at Kalamazoo College when a good friend of mine, Lisa Foltz, returned to campus after her career service quarter which she spent in Arizona near her family. While there she had spent time with... See more

I first learned how to make mead in the summer of 1972 at Kalamazoo College when a good friend of mine, Lisa Foltz, returned to campus after her career service quarter which she spent in Arizona near her family. While there she had spent time with the SCA people in Atenveldt, which was not yet a kingdom, and had learned the art of making chainmail, some things about fighting, and the art of making mead. Since we were planning on hosting a tournament at Kalamazoo College, which was the Canton of Three Hills, that summer we decided to try the recipe out. We got permission to use the steam tables at SAGA Food Service to brew the "must" (the unfermented mixture which over time is most magically turned to mead) and a group of us worked together to change a lot of honey (about 60 lbs.) into that noble elixer. I was there as was Lisa Foltz, Mark Hamlin, Gisela Mueller and maybe, if I'm not mistaken, Joan Sherman and Cindy Reid. We mixed the honey, the water, the spices and fruits, and then we... See less

See this at: moremead.com| Added on 01/02/08

Information on making Mead

Information on making Mead See less

See this at: brewingkb.com| Added on 10/11/07

Brewing Apprentice I just wanted to share with everyone a recipe for mead that I made to drink on my birthday in July. Some background: My friends and I make mead all the time, but rarely let it age to its best flavor because we are really impatient... See more

Brewing Apprentice I just wanted to share with everyone a recipe for mead that I made to drink on my birthday in July. Some background: My friends and I make mead all the time, but rarely let it age to its best flavor because we are really impatient to share our homebrew with our friends. So in May I began brewing some mead for my birthday in July. It was my first large batch, since before I had only been brewing 1 gallon at a time. In honor of my birthday I bought a 5-gallon carboy and made some herbal mead. We drank it for my birthday, but we still had plenty left. Last weekend I popped open another bottle, and it was so good! Now I am definitely going to practice having some patience and letting my bottles sit longer. SO the mead was made out of 3 pounds of honey, and one bottle of maple syrup (because I ran out of honey). I made a tea using rosemary, wormwood, mugwort (both of these last two are quite bitter just so you know), nutmeg, cloves, yarrow and saffron. THese herbs are all... See less

See this at: ncbeekeeper.com| Added on 09/18/07

We will now begin our Traditional Dry Mead. Keep in mind that this is My way of doing most of my meads. Other meadmakers have different techniques that work well for them. I will try to explain other ways of doing things during the process. Remember... See more

We will now begin our Traditional Dry Mead. Keep in mind that this is My way of doing most of my meads. Other meadmakers have different techniques that work well for them. I will try to explain other ways of doing things during the process. Remember that anything you use in making this mead must be clean and sanitized. You can use Star San, Iodophor or any sanitizer available to get your utensils ready to use. See less

See this at: brewingkb.com| Added on 09/10/07

* 1 Gallon Apple Juice, organic * 2 lb Clover Honey * 3 Cloves * 2 Sticks Cinnamon * Yeast of choice (Use a much smaller amount, appropriate for one gallon) * Yeast nutrient of choice (Same rule as above, use in moderation!)

* 1 Gallon Apple Juice, organic * 2 lb Clover Honey * 3 Cloves * 2 Sticks Cinnamon * Yeast of choice (Use a much smaller amount, appropriate for one gallon) * Yeast nutrient of choice (Same rule as above, use in moderation!)