Mead Ale

Classification: mead, metheglin

Source: James Smith (SMITH%8616.span@fedex.msfc.nasa.gov) Issue #922, 7/14/92

My hypothesis, which has a little data to support it, is that boiling the honeywort reduced fermentation time (while also removing a lot of the honey essence, I imagine). Note that the above is a 5 gallon batch. I don't have a hydrometer so I can't guess the OG or FG, but this stuff is pretty thin. Fermentation takes 2-3 weeks, sometimes I rack, sometimes not. Basically I don't put much effort into this stuff; hell, it's 97 degrees here and I'm not running my AC enough to get the temperature down past 80, so why try to make anything award-winning when it's doomed to failure?

Ingredients:

5--7 pounds, honey (usually the stuff from Sam's Club in the 1/2 gallon jug)
2 cracked cinnamon sticks
20 cracked allspice
other flavorings (ginger, hops, orange peel, nutmeg, etc.)
maybe a couple pounds of fruit
Edme ale yeast