Jump to content
MrsSurvival Discussion Forums

Recommended Posts

Here is some infor and a recipe for mead which was asked for over on the Homestead forum. Mead is the product of the vinous fermentationof honey and water, without the addition of herbs or spices, fruit juices aor vegetable extracts. It is a drink of very ancient origin and before the introduction of grapes into Britain it was usual to drink mead at festivals and weddings. Celebrations for the latter usually lasted a full month, and this gave rise to the word "honeymoon".

 

Recipe:

Place 1 gallon of water in a large pan to warm, add 3 lbs honey and stir, warm to dissolve the honey, bring to the boil, simmer 5 minutes, no more, remove from heat and stir in the lightly whisked white of one egg. Leave to cool to blood heat, then add the previously activated yeast. (1 tablespoon yeast and a little sugar in some warm water to cover, leave until well frothy). Cover and leave for two days, then transfer to a fermenting jar and ferment out. Bottle, then leave at least a year, longer if possible. Caution - very strong!

 

I make it usually when I acquire an amount of honey. I hope to start my own bees next year in the garden. The type of honey affects the taste; I believe that heather honey gives the best taste, but have not tried that yet.

 

Let me know how you get on if anyone tries this out.

 

 

POSTED BY LOWLANDER

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Oh, my! It's that simple?

I've heard about it, but had no idea how it was made.

I've made danelion wine, which my Amish Grandma used as a "home remedy" for a variety of things.

I only recently learned that my uncle used to give it to his kids as a remedy to sinus problems. I shared mine with my cousin, who claimed nothing else worked for him.

Anyway, it's probably not something I'd try, 'cause we don't drink, but it's fun to see how it's made! Thanks!

**Cat files it away as something the kids might someday use in a school report...**

smile.gif

------------------

cat.jpg

Link to comment

What a cool recipe!

When you say " transfer to a fermenting jar and ferment out. "

Is there a special jar used especially for this purpouse or will any clean jar do? And when you say " ferment out"....How long would that take? And is there any special bottling process?

Sounds like a fun thing to make!

------------------

DebbieLee.jpg?bc.FHX9AZpQpY9DM

Link to comment

A fermenting jar is usually a demi-john, made of glass with a narrow neck into which you put an airlock to let the gases (produced by the fermenting process) escape and the bugs out. Any jar with a narrow neck would do, and if you have no airlocks you can use corron wool or similar. Just don't stop it up completely or the thing will explode with all that pent up gas! The fermentation will produce bubbles which go up through the air lock as gas and make a little popping noise. When any action like this is no longer visible, then it is fermented out and can be bottled, but use a siphon tube to avoid the gunk in the bottom, which is the sediment from the yeast, fruit etc. I use wine bottle which I get from the pub over the road for free - saves them taking them to the recycling bank. They get a good wash in v. hot water and the labels removed then they are ready to go. Are you going to give it a go? My freezer decided to dfrost some soft fruit this week for reasons known only to itself, so I have unexpectedly made raspberry, gooseberry and runner bean wines this morning! they are now bubbling away nicely in the kitchen.

Link to comment

Hi Ya Lowie,

I have more questions for you (are you suprised???)

What is corron wool? Runner bean? And more importantly what does mead taste like?

I think i would like to give it a try ..but maybe 1/2 a batch....3 lbs of honey is a lot to come by. But i'd have to come up with the right equipment.

Do you do similar things for your wines?

It all sounds like a fun project..and nice gifts for the holidays (in a yr or so)

------------------

DebbieLee.jpg?bc.FHX9AZpQpY9DM

Link to comment

Hello again! First off, corron wool is a typo - it's meant to read cotton wool! I don't know if there is a different name in America for it, but we use it for babies and taking off make-up etc. Runner beans are pole beans, I think, or something similar. They are called runner beans cos they run all over the place if you don't keep them in check! Good mead left to mature for over a year tastes like a honey drink, but can be quite high in alcohol content, so watch out if you're driving! Wines are made in much the same way - the fruit or veg is soaked in hot water to extract the flavour, then yeast and sugar are added to begin the fermentation process. Let it work until fermentation stops, then bottle and keep as long as you can. I quite often make half batches of things according to the ingredients available, just half the quantities and carry on. I have just checked the wines in the litchen again and they have started to ferment well - there is a crusty looking layer of yeasty bubbles on the top of each one. The day after tomorrow I will get it into the demi-johns and start off some more. I have about nine gallons sitting in the store waiting for bottling which I haven't got round to doing yet; I've been ill over the past week and not got as much done as I should have, but it can wait. I'm on the mend now, but am left with an awful rib-racking cough. It's very very annoying!

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Fermentation in "layman terms"..Most veggies and fruits can be used to make alcoholic beverages! They add flavor and natural sugars..more is added for higher "octane"!...yeast is added..a chemical reaction then happens. yeast is a living organism. It eats the sugars and "burps" carbon dioxide while excreting "peeing" if you will, ethyl alcohol.(the chemical that makes one "drunk")..This continues until the alcohol content reaches a certain level..@ 5%...then the yeast die..fermentation is complete..An air lock is needed..as stated to let the gas off(it bubbles out), without letting air or other germs in..and to release pressure in the container. For stronger beverages this liquid is clarified (filtered) and then distilled under controlled conditions. If anyone wants, I can discuss disillation and how alcohol makes you drunk...or any other questions on food chemistry...or other chemical reations for that matter!

------------------

edandpeg.gif

Link to comment

Gotto admit....i've never tried Bean Wine.....that's a new one.

Don't have to worry about me drinkin and driving...i like you don't drive....and i'm not much of a drinker.......sips now and then....but i still think this all would be fun to make!

Sorry to hear your not feeling well! Any better today??? Too bad i couldn't come an help ya.

Thanks Ed, for your info....very easy to understand....i seem to have you trained..you speak so i can understand!

Very interesting!

Sure tell us what you know....i'm listening!

PS....do you make your own beer?

Anybody know where to get one of those air lock jiggers?.

------------------

DebbieLee.jpg?bc.FHX9AZpQpY9DM

[This message has been edited by debbielee (edited August 03, 2002).]

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Whenever we've made wine, we just put it in a gallon glass jug and tie a large, heavy balloon to the top. It has to be big enough to expand w/o blowing off of the jug or you'll have a big mess! rolleyes.gif

In 1996, a friend of ours gave us a HUGE bag of concord grapes, that he'd gotten from a local farmer. He didn't have a clue what to do with them. We decided to make wine.

After we made it, we let it set for a year, undisturbed. Our DD, tasted it and loved it! She doesn't even like wine that much! We had a couple of glasses out of the jug, but it's been sitting in the cabinet since then. I'll bet it's REALLY good by now! Maybe I'll try a 'wee' bit later....ROFL! With home made wine, a 'wee' bit is all it takes!

Nana

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Time for the Wino to stagger up to post! hey, every family has one like me!

Funny I have honey and never made mead.

Ok, use an old 5 gallon sparklets water bottle, glass is prefered! oh, well, yes 5 gallons is a bit much huh!

use a 1 gallon apple cider bottle, and if you don't have an air lock ($1.50 or there abouts from winemaking supply place) put a baggie with a rubber band around the mouth and put a little hole in the baggie to let out the gas.

(carbon dioxide)

 

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Hi all, I'm back.

Snowmom told me about this, so I had to stick in my 2 cents worth.

About 8 or 9 years ago I made some, the recipe I used was simple enough I could follow it.

For a dry wine, I used 4 parts water to 1 part honey, if a sweeter wine was wanted, it would be a 3:1 ratio, boil it as you stated, and a very small amount of yeast added.

Another type of mead is mellomile (sp) with grape juice substituted for about 1/2 of the water, another is using just about any fruit juice you have, you get some interesting flavors this way.

In closeing I have some mead left over from that experment 8 years ago, and after seeing this post, I had to see what it was like, Iwould like to report the experment was a sucess, very smooth and with good flavor.

If interested, give it a try, it's fun and cheap.

The Oldpine

[This message has been edited by Oldpine (edited August 05, 2002).]

Link to comment
Guest Guest

well, I guess it is time for me to share my favorite wine making site.

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp

now if you have a recipe that he doesn't, please send it to him!

Many of you have an over abundance of fruit and this is what you can do with it! make wine!

Honestly wine does make great gifts! you can make you own labels and just have fun with it!

When I do a gift basket, I may do a theme, strawberry wine, strawberry butter, strawberry preserves, strawberry bread or combinations of flavors that go together.

all my winemaking is all L4E's fault! where is she anyway!

Link to comment
Guest Guest

ok All..Mrs.S has not condoned these recipes. While I see them..Ah..Shoot! for centuries..There are better and more sterile ways...get a kit if interested..most stated will work..this is 2001?...Ed

------------------

edandpeg.gif

Link to comment
Guest Guest

ed, I figure that it is generally understood that all glass and other items would *of course* be sterilized before attempting winemaking. Just as in canning, it's a "given".

Of course Mrs Survival doesn't carry any liability in such recipes, or *any* recipe, for that matter. Each of us is responsible for our own cleanliness and thoughtful care.

I have made dandelion wine, and though I'm not a "drinker", it was an interesting experiment and my cousin greatly appreciated it when he needed a remedy for sinus problems.

ed, Sweetie... the chemist in you is peeking out! smile.gif

What, no sense of adventure????? *grin*

------------------

cat.jpg

Link to comment
Guest Guest

Yes, Sorry Cat!

Like all food preps..clean! all utensilves most be sterile..either heat or chemical (bleach..3%sodium hypochlorite or sodium meta-bisulphate) and NO air in the first stage of fermentation!..NO balloons or baggies..$1.25 at my local store..been making my own beer for years..great hobby!(air lock above)..just looking out for all! Brewing has been done for centuries..many "techniques" have changed! Keep it safe! Enjoy! Ed

------------------

edandpeg.gif

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.