Mead Recipes

Here are a bunch of recipes on how to make mead. Mead is very adaptable and that means the recipes are also adaptable and varied. You can change mead significantly by doing things at different times such as pitching in flavors, fruits and spices before it ferments or even pitching them in after the ferment is done.

Important note about pitching yeast into a batch of mead. One of the most important things you should know about yeast is that it needs lots of oxygen to grow well. So after you make a batch of materials and have mixed it real well so it is homogenous you then pitch the must into it. Now you have to stir it vigorously for five full minutes so it gets aerated real well. Always do this and use an electric mixer if you would like to. Get lots of oxygen into the brew!

Little Side Note: Want to make a mead from a 17th Century Recipe? I have the recipe with notes on making quite an Excellent Meathe here

Let's Start out with the simplest three recipes:

Dry Mead

12 lbs. of Honey
4 gallons of spring water
2 teaspoons of yeast nutrient
2 teaspoons of yeast energizer
2 packets of Lalvin 71b-1122 yeast (or a suitable replacement)

Medium Mead

15 lbs of Honey
4 gallons of spring water
2 teaspoons of yeast nutrient
2 teaspoons of yeast energizer
2 packets of Lalvin 71b-1122 yeast (or suitable replacement)

Sweet Mead

18 lbs of Honey
4 gallons of spring water
2 teaspoons of yeast nutrient
2 teaspoons of yeast energizer
2 packets of Lalvin 71b-1122 yeast (or suitable replacement)

These three recipes are the simple and no problem way to make a basic and great tasting mead. The only difference between them is the amount of honey you put into the must.

Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines

"Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs from Fruits, Flowers Vegetables, and Shrubs" has time worn recipes for making, coloring, flavoring, and mellowing wines.

Included are recipes for apple wine, blackberry wine, cherry wine, dandelion wine, plum, raspberry and peach wines, tomato wine and tomato beer, ginger beer, sham champagne, cider champagne, apple brandy, black cherry, orange and raspberry brandies, blackberry cordial, ginger, peppermint, orange and strawberry cordials, anisette de bourdeaux liqueurs, maraschino, nectar, elephant's milk liqueurs and many more.

Flavored Mead Recipes

Sweet Raspberry Mead (Makes 1 Gallon)

Yeast: EC-1118 (1 packet)
1 Gallon Spring Water
4.5 pounds wildflower honey
1.5 pounds red raspberries
The juice from 1 lemon
The juice from 1 lime
3 Tablespoons of strong english tea
1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient

Pretty straight forward instructions for this mead. Was the food ingredients before using and crush the raspberries. I froze them for a day before using them so they would break down and release their flavor easier. I thawed them out for the morning, crushed them and added them when I made the mead in the afternoon. Simply add all the ingredients into your mixing carboy then pitch the yeast. Leave extra headroom at the top of the bottle because all the ingredients will cause extra bubbling.

Vanilla Metheglyn

The definition of Metheglyn is a mead made with herbs and spices. This recipe uses vanilla and makes 1 gallon.

Yeast used: Premiere-Cuvee (1 packet)
3 pounds of Wildflower Honey
1 gallon of spring water
1 ounce of Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient
1/5th cup of peach ginger tea (brew a cup of tea as you normally would then use 1/5 of a cup)

Create your must with all the ingredients then pitch the yeast. Easy to follow recipe.

Pumpkin Mead

This is a nice seasonal mead with a beautiful orange color and makes 1 gallon.