I'm pretty new to mead and very new to wine making in general. In fact, I've never brewed anything myself before. Except that I recently began experimenting with mead - in a gloriously unsophisticated manner, until I learn my likes, dislikes and techniques. I'm starting from square one.
So far, I have not invested in much of any wine making specific equipment. I've only purchased a dry wine yeast (can never remember what it's called), some bottles, and a bottle capper (I know beer bottles with caps aren't best, but I'm the only one drinking the stuff). I've been brewing a gallon at a time to experiment.
My first batch was a disaster. I used only 1 pound of honey and thought it might be neat to see if leaving the yeast alive in the capped bottle would produce bubbly mead. Still cleaning mead off the ceiling from when I opened the first bottle, and it's a pretty weak tasting mead. I like the second batch I made, with more honey and lots of herbs and spices, some of which I grew myself. It's only about three months old, but I like it anyway. I'm way too impatient, but am currently leaving at least some of it untouched for several more months. I just finished my third batch, this time as a white pyment with Welch's raspberry white grape juice concentrate. After one week of fermentation, the stuff sort of smells bad. Does a pyment need more aging than a cyser? My cysers had a pleasant smell at this point.
In any case, this is great fun. I have yet to make anything anyone but myself likes, but I'm sure as I get more sophisticated and comfortable with the process, my mead will improve. The main thing I have to learn at this point is patience in the aging.
So far, I have not invested in much of any wine making specific equipment. I've only purchased a dry wine yeast (can never remember what it's called), some bottles, and a bottle capper (I know beer bottles with caps aren't best, but I'm the only one drinking the stuff). I've been brewing a gallon at a time to experiment.
My first batch was a disaster. I used only 1 pound of honey and thought it might be neat to see if leaving the yeast alive in the capped bottle would produce bubbly mead. Still cleaning mead off the ceiling from when I opened the first bottle, and it's a pretty weak tasting mead. I like the second batch I made, with more honey and lots of herbs and spices, some of which I grew myself. It's only about three months old, but I like it anyway. I'm way too impatient, but am currently leaving at least some of it untouched for several more months. I just finished my third batch, this time as a white pyment with Welch's raspberry white grape juice concentrate. After one week of fermentation, the stuff sort of smells bad. Does a pyment need more aging than a cyser? My cysers had a pleasant smell at this point.
In any case, this is great fun. I have yet to make anything anyone but myself likes, but I'm sure as I get more sophisticated and comfortable with the process, my mead will improve. The main thing I have to learn at this point is patience in the aging.