I recently received an email from a Danish Mead maker. He attached some wonderful pictures and information about his mead and danish mead making. Over there Mead has a very long tradition as it has in other countries. Anyway he gives us some really terrific insight into spicing mead, danish mead, viking mead and more.

Here are three mead making pictures from Anders who lives in Denmark. He also gives us some wonderful insight and information into viking mead, danish mead and the history of mead in denmark.

This is the fist mead that I have made from the left it is a dry spices mead with   Filipendula rubra (mead wort),hops, raisins, whole clove , nutmeg, Cinnamon, juniper, star anise,Ginger, cardamom, the second on is with the same spises but is is a sweet mead the third is Orange Clove Mead Recipe from yours site but is i also with   Filipendula rubra (mead wort) and hops because is was in the base mead the fourth is made with : blueberries, Cinnamon, and  Filipendula rubra (mead wort) and hops

this is an apple mead with : homemade Apple juice, Cinnamon, and  Filipendula rubra (mead wort) and hop.

The honey I have used: all my mead is boiled from wax residues from honey comb with  pollen comb which is the reason of the nice dark color all above was made in 2009 and is now in storage in bottles

This is what I has made this year. The one on the left and the one in the front is apple wine and cider. The one in the middle is sweet mead and the little one is apple mead and the one in the back on the right side is a dry mead. The bucket and the one the left is fruit wine. One is bolied fruit juice and the other(the one in the bucket) is exactly the same fruit but it has been frozen and the ferment is with whole fruit  this is made to test  the flavor difference. Mjød is the Danish name for mead and it has been brewed here in denmak for many years. Mead was the preferred drink of the vikings whom were Living her in denmark since about 1000 BC. Filipendula rubra (mead wort) is often used to give bitter taste as Contrast to the sweetness of the honey most in the old days and later hops was used, but nowadays it is almost forgotten because it is mistaken for wine or beer so the taste is  not what people expect. I think it is a shame because it is a very good drink if it is properly made.

Here is what Anders has to say about his danish mead making

My basic recipe is 8,5 kg (11 lbs) honey to 25 liter (6.59 galon) of mead.I use honey from boiled  wax residues from honey comb and i use 2  pollen combs. The honey is a mix from all the year most from reps( canola) and summer flowers boiled with 1 teaspoon lime for each kg (2,2 lbs) of honey  until there is no more foam residue 25 -35 minutes. When it has cooled to below 30 ºC  (86 ºF)  I put in the yeast.

I use  Wyeast 4184 for sweet mead and Wyeast 4632  for Dry mead , yeast nutrient and 50 grams (1.76oz) citric acid then I let it ferment for 3 - 5 weeks. Then I split up the batch in to Small containers to add spice , fruit and other flavors I used to put in hops and Filipendula rubra (mead wort) in all my batches but i think it got too Bitter so now I only use Filipendula rubra (mead wort). It gives a flower taste with a little bitternes Whats very good with the sweetness of the honey.

I boiled the spice to a strong tea with the spices in a tea bag I use the bag because it is easier to get spices out again when I have put the " taste " in I let it ferment 4-6 weeks when the "taste" is out again I let it clear for 4-6 Months before I fill  bottles where it then is stored for 3 months to 3 years.

Sweetening

 I some times add some honey to the mead before I bottle it if the mead is not sweet enough images is base mead that has been fermenting for a week I let i ferment for about 2 weeks before fill up the carboy. To prevent over spill I use wyeast because it is the only yeast that is made for mead that Ii could find. It is strange feeling to buy yeast for mead that is made in usa when most wine or beer yeast Ii made here in denmark/europe ( Lallemand   ).  (  Kitzinger Bioferm   is made in   germany  our neighbor country  )   

In  Denmark, we believe mead was invented by the Vikings here in Denmark tradition of keeping bees goes back 500-1000 AD with the aim to make mead I'm not sure but I think the word  mead comes from old  Danish Viking language and is is not fare form the word "mjød" which is the danish word for mead.

There are many words and place names  in american language which is very much like danish  and if you look up who the fist white man i  america was  it was not christopher columbus as most people think. It was a dane by the name Leif den Lykkelige (leif the happy)   ( 986AC) son of erik den røde (erik the red) a well known viking from norway at that time it was danmak as most of scandinavian the Viking Age was in danmak 800-1050AC 250 years but stil not forgotten. Ii think that they had a lot of "fun" since it is still not is forgotten.

More pictures of his mead making

Here is a look at his rack of mead!!

I found a whole bunch of wonderful drinking goblets on amazon. I have a page with them right here. Just a couple of years ago you couldn't get a goblet, or mead! It is great to see both are becoming very popular. Mead Goblets

Make a peach or pineapple fruit mead

If you have always wanted to make a fruit mead (melomel) you might want to check this tutorial out. I take you through the whole process from start to finish including bottling. Make a Peach or Pineapple Melomel