New Base Mead

I finally got around to make my next mead (No. 15), which is just going to be a straightforward traditional mead (UPDATE: This will be a cherry mead)(UPDATE 2: No, I've decided I'll be making base meads instead, of which this is one, and then in the secondary I'll be fruiting them up). I think all of my meads from now on will start out like this and then I'll use the post-fermentation period to create the flavors I'm interested in.

Essentially, this is a simple mead: water, honey, and yeast. While it's true that's the basics of it, I'm following some additional steps I learned from the Making Mead YouTube Channel (yeah, I'm watching a lot of mead-making videos these days). The differences between what Michael Jordan at the Underground Meadery is doing and what Making Mead is doing really comes down to additives.

Thus far, Michael Jordan hasn't added any nutrients or energizers to his yeast, though I believe he will as he progresses through the year, and Making Mead is making use of them, along with some other additives like acid blend and wine tannin. Making Mead's meads come out looking terrific, so I figured I'd give these additional steps a try.

After pitching the yeast in this batch -- a Lalvin EC-1118 -- I was surprised the must started fermenting within 15 minutes. I can say, however, that mixing and matching the various steps certainly makes making mead a much more complicated process, though I imagine as I do it more often it will get easier.

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: After cleaning and sanitizing everything, I poured off 4 cups of water into the electric kettle and heated for 1 min. 30 sec. The temp of the water rose to 130 F. I turned off the machine to let it cool down and went onto the next steps.

Step 2: I brought a saucepan of tap water to a boil, removed from heat, and placed bottle of honey in the water to liquefy.

Step 3: I poured the remaining water in the 1 gallon container into a pitcher, and then added back 1 cup.

Step 4: Swirling the water in the container, I added 1 tsp. of bentonite (it's 4 tsp. for 5 gal so I made it simple and went with 1 tsp.). Shake the container vigorously until the bentonite is well mixed. I then added an additional cup of water to the container and mixed again.

Step 5: With the honey more liquid I poured it into the container using the 2-liter bottle top "funnel." I then took 1 cup of the hot water from the electric kettle and placed it into the honey bottle and shook vigorously to dissolve all the remaining honey in the bottle and poured it into the 1 gallon water bottle. The kettle water temp at this point was about 123 F.

Step 6: I added the remaining hot kettle water to the 1 gallon container and shook vigorously to mix the honey and the water. The combination of the cooler bentonite-filled water with the hot kettle water allowed the honey to mix almost immediately.

Step 7: I filled the 1 gallon container to the shoulders with the spring water reserved in the pitcher and mixed the contents thoroughly.

Step. 8: In 1 cup of the reserved spring water, I mixed 1 tsp of liquid wine tannins and 1 tsp of acid blend and added them to the container.

Step 9: I added 1/2 tsp of yeast energizer and 1 tsp. of DAP yeast nutrient into 1 cup of reserved spring water and added it to the container and mixed thoroughly.

Step 10: Took temperature reading of the must (93.3 F) and hydrometer reading for starting gravity (1.112, or 15% ABV; temp-adjusted reading is 1.115 ).

Step 11: I added 1 package (5 g) of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast directly into the container, no starter created.

Step 12: I drilled a 1/2" hole in the center of the spring water bottle cap and added a rubber grommet to it. I then filled an airlock with StarSan and placed it in the hole and moved the entire container to a dark basement storeroom.

Step 13: I covered the container to block out any light.