Homebrewed Mead

[MillieWylde]

Anywench out there do any home brewing? We often have a beer working, and I've been experimenting with meads too. I really like the dry mead that can be made with Montrachet yeast. I find that Champagne yeast makes a mead that is much too sweet for my tastes. Anyone have experience using a different kind of yeast for mead??

[MillieWylde]

WellAnyway.....

I made a sage-flavored mead last summer. Just bottled it yesterday, and it is absolutely delicious. It's good to make yer own alcy-ma-hol....!

[MaidenFaeSnow]

sounds yummy, never thought of sage flavor for mead. I always associate it with sweet.

[Phoenix McHeit]

I haven't tried homebrew... yet. I'm reading up on things, getting more and more interested in it. But, alas, I have nothing of practical, hands-on knowledge to contribute.

[Rowen]

Anywench out there do any home brewing? We often have a beer working, and I've been experimenting with meads too. I really like the dry mead that can be made with Montrachet yeast. I find that Champagne yeast makes a mead that is much too sweet for my tastes. Anyone have experience using a different kind of yeast for mead??

I've only brewed mead once-I used Montrachet yeast on the recommendation of my supply guy. He said I must use a robust yeast to overcome honey's natural resistance to fermentation (that's what makes it such a great preservative.) My small experimental batch is bottled and now 3 years old, and is a lovely pale gold. I tasted it last year to see how it was doing: I used clover honey to make it, so the faint background is floral.
It is naturally dry, not sweet, but back sweetening mead with honey after the yeast has died and settled is considered OK, if sweet wine is your preference.

P.S I refuse to touch that Everclear+whatever that some people carry around in their flasks and call 'mead'. I have had a few folks think that is what real mead is.


P.S.S-This year will be an excellent one for strawberry wine. Labor intensive preparing and squeezing the must, but soooooo worth it!

[MillieWylde]

Strawberry wine? That sounds DELICIOUS!! How does one make it?

Perhaps the most labor-intensive brew I've made to date is Dandelion Wine. We picked fresh dandelions from our yard - but you are supposed to remove ALL of the green parts... I sat on my kitchen floor for hours, pulling those flowers apart! But oh was it worth it...

Normally, you're supposed to let a wine age for at least 6 months before tasting it to see if it's ready. Granted, we tend to taste early. That dandelion wine turned out so delicious that we'd finished the whole gallon by 4 months out! I really ought to make another batch of it this summer, in fact.

[RedFox]

I haven't had any experience with home brewing yet. My boyfriend and I are thinking of brewing some mead/wine/beer though. We've been looking at different recipes and the like as well as reading up on home brewing.

Any recommendations on what to try making first?

[MillieWylde]

Honestly, a wine or a mead is easier than a beer. Any way you work it though, it helps to have a seasoned brewer on hand the first time you make something, though. Just a thought, if there are any in your area.

[Rowen]

Strawberry wine? That sounds DELICIOUS!! How does one make it?

Perhaps the most labor-intensive brew I've made to date is Dandelion Wine. We picked fresh dandelions from our yard - but you are supposed to remove ALL of the green parts... I sat on my kitchen floor for hours, pulling those flowers apart! But oh was it worth it...

Normally, you're supposed to let a wine age for at least 6 months before tasting it to see if it's ready. Granted, we tend to taste early. That dandelion wine turned out so delicious that we'd finished the whole gallon by 4 months out! I really ought to make another batch of it this summer, in fact.

I want to make dandelion wine...I have a bottle of the 'professional' stuff at home-just to see how it's supposed to taste (thanks go out to the wineries of Amana colonies and their little 16 oz bottles)

Strawberry wine is the only one I've made that smells and tastes just like the berries.. Amazing.
Make sure you use ripe strawberries with a strong scent and sweetness. prepare as you would any recipe requiring fresh fruit or berries.

[Brigid]

Hmm, sage mead sounds good..... I think I will be trying pumpkin ale brewed and fermented in a giant pumpkin this fall, should be very interesting, my sister does mead, she did a cran-orange, spiced, and hibiscus, this past year and I have been doing wine, my last was a very surprising blackberry that was more dry red with a very berry aroma than taste, but very good!