Fast Mead

Classification: mead, traditional mead

Source: Donald Kackman (dkackman@soils.umn.edu), r.c.b., October 11, 1995

Yeasties require a number of things not available in honey. I just brewed a batch with this recipe for 5 gallons.

Also, I have read that in general the darker the honey the longer it will take to finish.

Ingredients: (5 gallons)

12 lbs clover honey
7 tablets Ammonium phospahte - provides nitrogen
1 tsp. gypsum - calcium
1 tsp. epsom salts - magnesium
the juice from 10 lemons - citric acid
3/4 cups of very strong tea - provides tannin
one package dry champagne yeast

Procedure:

Bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to a boil. Add the honey and boil for about 15 minutes (just to sterilize it and get it dissolved) then add all the other stuff. Pour into your carboy and fill to 5 galons. Mix, let cool, pitch yeast.

You could also be more scientific about this and add specific amounts of citric and tartaric acid as well as specific amounts of the salts and whatnot but for me that seems a bit anal. I like to treat brewing like cooking not a like chemistry experiment.