The mead thread/blog!

[Asrial]

Welcome to the mead thread!
First of all:
Mead is honeywine, and NOT a type of beer!!

I want to know, if I'm the only sevenstringer that is a meadhead, or is there other people that share this hobby or got the same taste?

Currently, two buddies and I are currently in the process of making a batch of test-mead. And we've planned to scale it up (just alittle) if this mead is successful.
So far, we've gotten planned to make in total 100 liters of mead per batch, always split it up in 4 flavours, and hide away 2 bottles á 75 cl (3/4 of a liter each) for deluxe quality mead later, and having a full logbook of what we've already done.
The flavours we are planning to create is

• Raspberry & Pomegranade
• Black tea, bergamot and forest fruit (AKA jägertee V2 )
• Apple, viola and rose infusion (flower-mead )
• Hops and malt

Pictures will be posted of the batches later!

I can find you guys some recipes for "fast" mead, so we can get you guys converted!

this thread is based around and is dealing with an alcoholic product, which might be illegal in some countries or states if under a certain age or government. I do not personally wish for any minor to replicate the process of creating mead made for personal consumption, nor do i encourage minor age drinking. Drink responsibly!
^Just felt like I had to write that. ^

 

[Prime]

Cool!

Not a meadhead....but I have had mead on several occasions.

 

[G_3_3_k_]

I have had it on a few occasions as well... I particularly like it with mulling spices...

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Mmm.. mead...

One of my peeps makes drinking horns and sells them on the web, I'll dig up the link later.

EDIT: got the links!!
customdrinkinghorns.webs.com
urnesashtree.webs.com

 

[Randy]

There was a "how to make your own mead" thread on here a while back with a video on how to make your own, featuring Amon Amarth.

 

[Daemoniac]

I loved mead, like I loved all liquor.

Now I can't drink anymore

 

[Asrial]

There was a "how to make your own mead" thread on here a while back with a video on how to make your own, featuring Amon Amarth.

Video kicks ass, but I think it's intended more as humorous than informative, even though it does show basic mead brewing.
And they make fun of some of the best nordic mead available in Denmark... Got a bottle of "Vikingernes mjød", and dayumn, it's good. (Hops-infused mead, really good mixed with a pale ale)

 

[bostjan]

I've had it on a few occasions. My former boss used to brew mead in his closet.

 

[Revan132]

If college campus' adopted mead as a party drink, I would be an alcoholic. Unfortunately nobody knows what the fuck I am talking about when I mention it among people my age.

 

[abyssalservant]

Maybe I'm a sellout for actually buying mead instead of making it . . .
I love the mead Heiðrun meadery in California makes - mostly sparkling mead (an invention of theirs) made with honey from all sorts of blossoms we can't normally find - including carrot (which makes excellent mead).
I'm usually perfectly happy with Chaucer's and Oliver, which I'd think would be a good starting-mead mead as it's fairly cheap and widely available and is just plain MEAD, not this fruity crap (no offense).
I really don't like the stuff Redstone in Boulder makes, sadly. It's just not very pleasant, and I'd prefer either Chaucer's or Oliver, both of which are cheaper. Wild Blossom (Chicago) is decent but tends to play around with fruity stuff; again, not as good as sticking with honey or mulling plain honey mead.
Bunratty mead isn't mead. It's white wine (grape) with honey added. Again, not as good.
There're a couple oddly Polish meaderies that make some good stuff (don't ask me to remember Slavic names), including a variety aged in oak which is AMAZING and tastes like caramel and pure throbbing sex. (<all your bass made me add this)

 

[Asrial]

Maybe I'm a sellout for actually buying mead instead of making it . . .

...not this fruity crap (no offense).

...Bunratty mead isn't mead. It's white wine (grape) with honey added. Again, not as good.

...There're a couple oddly Polish meaderies that make some good stuff (don't ask me to remember Slavic names), including a variety aged in oak which is AMAZING and tastes like caramel and pure throbbing sex.

1) We won't consider you a sellout, just unwise. Mead-making saves you TONS of money, even if you buy high-end quality honey!

2) ... Lolwut?! Flavoured mead are quite popular among mead-brewers, since it develops alot of character, and is completely failsafe, hell, it is almost even needed, unless you got some nutrients!
Standard citrus is a good nutrient, and gives a solid taste. All hail cinnamorange mead! (Homemade word, cinnamon+orange, dont make fun of it )

3) Christ, who is so retarded to call honeyed white wine for mead?

4) Slavic? Last time i drank anything slavic, i couldn't remember ANYTHING the next day


I might be planning on getting myself an oak cask for storing my premium mead...

But right now, I just want to focus on the mead I'm brewing at the moment, and the next batch, which will be huge!

 

[abyssalservant]

I know adding fruit is popular and traditional; I just don't like it. I prefer actually tasting the mead. And yes, mead-making would save me tons of money if I drank regularly. I drink a few times a year.

Labeling honeyed wine as mead is actually fairly common and similar to the numerous anise-flavoured liquors passing themselves off as absinthe on the market. Since both mead and absinthe are primarily liquids people hear of from stories, the "thought" is all that counts to some people. Like horned "Viking" helmets and chainmail bras.

 

[WarriorOfMetal]

I'm a big fan of the Klapøjster Mjød and Viking Blod from Dansk Mjød

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I bought some mead here to try, and it was entirely way too sweet, I felt like I was drinking candy syrup or something, that had a wine flavour to it

 

[Asrial]

What the hell did you expect? It's HONEY-wine

 

[Richie666]

Awesome dude, I'm excited to see how they come out. Some interesting flavors you have there

I have a 3 gallon batch aging right now of orange ginger mead. It smells delicious, but it still needs another few months until it's ready.

I used the zest of a few oranges (2-3), diced an entire ginger root, and used almost 10 pounds of orange blossom honey. I brewed it up early August and just last week chopped another entire ginger root to really boost the flavor. I'm realllllllly! excited because it's my first batch, only having brewed beer before, but i feel like it will come out pretty good.

Oh, and what kind of yeast do you guys use? I used Lavlin D47 which is apparently apt for sweet meads.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

What the hell did you expect? It's HONEY-wine

Something can be sweet without being over powering. This was WAY over powering, like you have no idea

A friend and I ordered a bottle each to see if we wanted to start making it. Needless to say, neither of us did

 

[Asrial]

Well, we are still ordering the rest of the equipment, and need a couple of carboys. Aiming for 4x25 liters. :q So far, we've done it the primitive way with bottles, balloons and luck. xD

And I actually don't know the exact type of yeast we use for our mead, we just use what's recommended for port-wine.
But I think I might find some yeast that is optimized for semi-dry wine and/or cider. I don't want my mead to become TOO sweet, as I want to use some of it for dessert wine, some for binge-drinking mixed with Tuborg.

Something can be sweet without being over powering. This was WAY over powering, like you have no idea

Mead is just a tad sweet. You might want to try a dry or semi-dry variety before ultimatively deciding whether or not you want to brew. ^^ Tend to be less sweet (duh?) and rely more on the honey/alcohol-taste. Non-sweet honey with a dropkick, if you will. :q

 

[leandroab]

I never had mead and I always wanted too.. it's so metal!

I approve of this message.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Mead is just a tad sweet. You might want to try a dry or semi-dry variety before ultimatively deciding whether or not you want to brew.

+1 Try some drier brews, I'm not into super dry wine or mead, but i don't like it too sweet either.