Well, apart from some yeast and water, you've got everything you need.
Get a packet of Lalvin 71B yeast from a home brew store. Start the yeast following the directions on the packet. Dissolve the honey in some warm water and put it in the vat (or a 5-6 gallon carboy). Top off the water so you've got 5 gallons of honey-water. If you want to add a little lemon juice for some acidity or some black tea for some tannins (no more then a quarter cup of each) go for it. If you want to get some yeast nutrient at the home brew store and add that, it will help move the fermentation along but isn't required.
When they honey-water is lukewarm, add the yeast and shake it up as well as you can (only at this stage is oxygen good for the brew). Put an air lock on it, or otherwise cover it to keep out the nasty little critters (and oxygen). Wait for it to stop bubbling. Rack it (taste it). Then wait some more. In fact, the longer you can wait the better it can turn out.
If you've got questions or need more details let me know.
Tannins add some astringency to the taste (think red wines).
I usually don't worry about acidity levels - don't do anything that would make it too high or too low because then the yeast won't do its job.
With 71B and a complete fermentation you should get around 13-14%
After the first racking, move it to a carboy. It will probably start up some additional fermentation at that point. Rack it again later if you want to remove additional sediment. At that point you're just waiting for the yeast to die off and the mead to clarify. Usually, the longer you can wait the better (clarity and flavor) it will be.
So long as you keep the mead away from the air (via airlock, or after fermentation is done - a cork) you should be able to wait quite a long time before bottling. This is usually referred to as "bulk aging". I've had mead finished and sitting in a carboy for over a year with no adverse effects.
You don't need to heat the honey/water. Historically this was done to kill off stuff in the water and to get impurities out of the honey (their honey was raw, so had wax and bee bits in it). Some folks still like to do this, for myself I never do.
I don't have a good guideline for acidity levels. If you don't add anything, beyond a little lemon juice you will be fine. The main issue comes when folks add acid blends (common for some wines) which meads don't really need or want.
Personally I like what the lemon juice adds to a mead, so I always use it. It is really up to you as to what sort of tastes you prefer.
It seems to have started (not strongly, since I only started it last night) but the acidity test says it's "strongly acidic". Should I dump something in tonight to adjust the acidity? Before it really gets going?
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branchandroot
Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-09 03:34 pm (UTC)I have 15 lbs of orange blossom honey and a 5 gallon vat. Can you recommend to me a good-tasting, simple-to-make mead?
Thank you in advance for any advice/assistance you may offer....
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-11 04:14 am (UTC)Get a packet of Lalvin 71B yeast from a home brew store. Start the yeast following the directions on the packet. Dissolve the honey in some warm water and put it in the vat (or a 5-6 gallon carboy). Top off the water so you've got 5 gallons of honey-water. If you want to add a little lemon juice for some acidity or some black tea for some tannins (no more then a quarter cup of each) go for it. If you want to get some yeast nutrient at the home brew store and add that, it will help move the fermentation along but isn't required.
When they honey-water is lukewarm, add the yeast and shake it up as well as you can (only at this stage is oxygen good for the brew). Put an air lock on it, or otherwise cover it to keep out the nasty little critters (and oxygen). Wait for it to stop bubbling. Rack it (taste it). Then wait some more. In fact, the longer you can wait the better it can turn out.
If you've got questions or need more details let me know.
Good luck!
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-11 12:49 pm (UTC)2) What should the acidity level be?
3) What should the finished alcohol level be?
4) When I rack it, am I transfering it from the vat to the carboy, or bottling it?
Thank you!
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-11 02:03 pm (UTC)I usually don't worry about acidity levels - don't do anything that would make it too high or too low because then the yeast won't do its job.
With 71B and a complete fermentation you should get around 13-14%
After the first racking, move it to a carboy. It will probably start up some additional fermentation at that point. Rack it again later if you want to remove additional sediment. At that point you're just waiting for the yeast to die off and the mead to clarify. Usually, the longer you can wait the better (clarity and flavor) it will be.
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-11 03:08 pm (UTC)Should the stuff ever be heated on the stove, like beer has to be? One historical mead recipe referenced this.
Define "too high or too low" of acidity to let the yeast do its work? (That way I can make sure I'm within the ranges.
Would you recommend putting in the lemon juice, since I happen to have a spare lemon on hand, or would you say to leave that for another time?
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-11 03:29 pm (UTC)You don't need to heat the honey/water. Historically this was done to kill off stuff in the water and to get impurities out of the honey (their honey was raw, so had wax and bee bits in it). Some folks still like to do this, for myself I never do.
I don't have a good guideline for acidity levels. If you don't add anything, beyond a little lemon juice you will be fine. The main issue comes when folks add acid blends (common for some wines) which meads don't really need or want.
Personally I like what the lemon juice adds to a mead, so I always use it. It is really up to you as to what sort of tastes you prefer.
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-12 01:17 pm (UTC)Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-12 02:26 pm (UTC)Right now, temperature is the most likely cause of slow fermentation (70 F is its ideal temp).
Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-12 03:02 pm (UTC)Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-12 03:09 pm (UTC)Re: Heeeelp....
Date: 2006-12-12 03:13 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for your time answering all my questions and soothing my fretting. ;-)