Came across some free honey any recipe ideas?
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bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Why would you want to add pectin? Are you making jam? Pectin will make for a cloudy drink. But be that as it may - what kind of mead are you looking for? Mix one pound of honey in water to make one gallon and you will have a session mead (an SG of 1,035 and so a potential ABV of 4.5%. You can prime that or stabilize and back sweeten with additional honey. Double the amount of honey in the same volume and the SG is 1.070 etc. etc. A gravity of about 1.090 is standard for a wine. If the honey is raw you might be able to harvest the yeast in the honey or you could look for some figs or dates (for example) that have not been bathed in preservatives.
Honey is very poor in nutrients so you need to add them. If you prefer to go back to basics rather than a lab you could provide the missing nutrients by taking some bread yeast - say 1 tablespoon (I would proof it first but others suggest that that is not necessary) and then kill the yeast by boiling it in water. The dead cells will provide the viable cells with just about all the nutrients and minerals they need.
In place of water you could mix the honey with apple juice (preservative free) - to make a cyser or you could mix the honey with quality /varietal grape juice to make a pyment. A very different yet similar approach is to mix the honey with a favorite wort to make a braggot. Lastly, you could carefully cook some of the honey (you don't want to burn it - and in my opinion the best and safest way to cook this is in a crock pot (slow cooker) to caramelize it and so make a bochet. (I cook mine for 2-3 hours in a slow cooker (or 20 -30 minutes in a pot on the stove). But the critical thing to consider is that making mead is really not about the recipe. Rather it is about your protocol, your technique. Good luck.
Honey is very poor in nutrients so you need to add them. If you prefer to go back to basics rather than a lab you could provide the missing nutrients by taking some bread yeast - say 1 tablespoon (I would proof it first but others suggest that that is not necessary) and then kill the yeast by boiling it in water. The dead cells will provide the viable cells with just about all the nutrients and minerals they need.
In place of water you could mix the honey with apple juice (preservative free) - to make a cyser or you could mix the honey with quality /varietal grape juice to make a pyment. A very different yet similar approach is to mix the honey with a favorite wort to make a braggot. Lastly, you could carefully cook some of the honey (you don't want to burn it - and in my opinion the best and safest way to cook this is in a crock pot (slow cooker) to caramelize it and so make a bochet. (I cook mine for 2-3 hours in a slow cooker (or 20 -30 minutes in a pot on the stove). But the critical thing to consider is that making mead is really not about the recipe. Rather it is about your protocol, your technique. Good luck.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Aha! 
But i don't know that you need that enzyme if you are making a traditional mead (honey, yeast (nutrient) and water. If you are adding fruit (to make a melomel), that's a different story.
But i don't know that you need that enzyme if you are making a traditional mead (honey, yeast (nutrient) and water. If you are adding fruit (to make a melomel), that's a different story.
