# preparing Mead help needed....



## manku007 (Jun 28, 2009)

Hello Everyone, ::

So I was thinking about making mead, I asked from St Allie that I will make Kilju (sugar, water & yeast) so I want some help, the reply was that it will be horrible in taste, St Allie also told me that I can make Mead instead of Kilju. 

Now I only know that I can make Mead by Honey, water and Yeast nothing else, So Please I need help from all of you who know about anything or everything about Mead. 

That means from Starting to the End, all important things and non-important things, what things I can use how I can use all that. I have seen the photo of Mead on wikipedia.org and believe me it was looking very nice to me, the color was also very nice light golden. So I decided to make Mead. 

Now Plz help me so that I can improve my Mead in Taste and Look Wise. One more thing I don't have Hydrometer.(just information about myself) 

Please tell me how much I have to mix honey in how much water and how much yeast is need this is I m telling you that every little little things are important to me , believe me I don't know anything about it.

*From Ingredients to Method to Keeping that means everything* ....

How I can add flavors, how the color can be beautiful etc etc like this all things, they are very little little things but really important .

If you want to know anything else then plz let me know ..... 

Bye bye take care meet later ......


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## jwthomas (Jun 28, 2009)

Ha Manku007 i'm new to the wine making thing my self i just made a gallon of mead my 
self. this is the recipe i used 
2.5 lb honey 
7 pts water
3 tsp malic acid
1.5 tsp tartaric acid
0.25 tsp tannin
0.75 tsp energizer 
1 campden tablet crush
1 pkg yeast 
(1) in primary dissolve honey in half gallon of warm water with acid and tannin. add 
remaining ingredients (except yeast) cover primary.
(2) after 24 hours add yeast cover primary. 
(3) let set for 2-3 weeks and rack it (you need a hydrometer to check the S.G at the 
start and at the time of racking it should be about 1.000 at racking )
let the mead set for 6 months before drinking. if you can hold off for a year it will get better with age.


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## Wade E (Jun 28, 2009)

Heres another mead and his is as easy as it gets with instructions on everything.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3514


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## manku007 (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks for that help, I will gave a try when I will get prepared after 2 days, I keep everything ready which is needed and will gave a try, no matter if it goes wrong I will try after that also, after all we learn from our mistakes. 

Thanks for all that help, let me collect more information and then I will Go .....


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## Nubz (Jun 29, 2009)

Wade E said:


> Heres another mead and his is as easy as it gets with instructions on everything.
> http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3514


what would something like this taste like 
if its possible to explain it


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## manku007 (Jun 29, 2009)

Nubz said:


> what would something like this taste like
> if its possible to explain it



I think it will taste ok, that means it will not as horrible as we cannot even drink,  as it's a alcoholic drink it can be ok, I will try if i can make. 

*Hello One more question, that I found on other sites that is they say I have to mix all the solution and then put that for about 24 hours and after that I have put the yeast in it, and then shake very very well so that oxygen get mixed in our must because yeast need very much oxygen, now I m confused in one thing that we have to put the airlock on the jar or we have to keep the must open for more time.*

*Now I m ok with ingredients but I don't know how to start and end, that means the process plz let me know what I have to mix and how much time I have to keep before adding yeast in it, means all these small small things  *


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## Malkore (Jun 29, 2009)

You REALLY need to get a hydrometer. If you don't, you'll end up with a batch of wine, mead or beer that will explode once bottled.

Its not a matter of "IF" but "WHEN". Get a hydrometer.


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## manku007 (Jul 1, 2009)

Maldore is hydrometer that much necessary, and u r telling that explode once bottled what that means will bottle will explode or it will be in horrible taste.

I will find what is a normal hydrometer cost is in my city and then I will buy if it is under my reach else I will try that I can get as soon as I can.

Thanks for all supports from all members , But I was thinking about more reply to come, plz let me know everything about mead, I think it is not enough for me to get started.


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## Ceegar (Jul 1, 2009)

manku007 said:


> Maldore is hydrometer that much necessary, and u r telling that explode once bottled what that means will bottle will explode or it will be in horrible taste.
> 
> I will find what is a normal hydrometer cost is in my city and then I will buy if it is under my reach else I will try that I can get as soon as I can.
> 
> Thanks for all supports from all members , But I was thinking about more reply to come, plz let me know everything about mead, I think it is not enough for me to get started.



Manku - there are a ton of articles and resources online pertaining to making mead that also take you through the process from start to finish. Here is one such article-
http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-mead-honey.html

You really need to buy a hydrometer as Malkore stated. If your wine is not completely dry and you try to bottle without adding meta and sorbate to your wine then it can start to ferment again inside the bottle causing the pressure inside the bottle to increase eventually making your bottles of wine burst. The hydrometer is going to tell you if you still have fermentable sugar remaining in your wine - this tool will help you make choices you will need to make in order to prevent that from happening.


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## manku007 (Jul 1, 2009)

Thanks ceegar for that valuable information, I want to ask one more thing that after bottling, how it is possbile that it start fermenting again , I don't understand this , as I know all the yeast is cleaned and is out from the wine, then how it start fermenting again, thanks for all the help.

Do I need meta and sorbate both chemicals or one is enough, I know there are two chemicals required one for cleaning and the other for stopping the fermentation again.

I will got these chemicals very soon thanks again for all that information.


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## Malkore (Jul 1, 2009)

manku007 said:


> Thanks ceegar for that valuable information, I want to ask one more thing that after bottling, how it is possbile that it start fermenting again , I don't understand this , as I know all the yeast is cleaned and is out from the wine, then how it start fermenting again, thanks for all the help.
> 
> Do I need meta and sorbate both chemicals or one is enough, I know there are two chemicals required one for cleaning and the other for stopping the fermentation again.
> 
> I will got these chemicals very soon thanks again for all that information.



Unless you are using a fine micron filter before you bottle, the yeast is NOT cleaned out of the wine. there's plenty of invisible yeast in there, and it will begin to ferment again. Pressure builds up, and the bottle literally explodes, sending pieces of glass all over the place.


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## Ceegar (Jul 1, 2009)

Your wine won't start fermenting again as long as you ferment the wine out dry and you don't add anything with sugar in it to make it sweet. You only need to add the sorbate to the wine of you add sugar to the wine to make it sweet, or if there is still some residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation has finished (this is where the hydrometer will tell you this) The sorbate will help keep the yeast from becoming active again I guess is a good way to put it.

You will still need the metabisulfite - you can use 1 campden tablet crushed up for each gallon of wine, or you can use potassium/sodium metabisulfite.

_*Potassium metabisulfite*_ is a common wine or must additive, where it forms sulfur dioxide gas (SO2). This both prevents most wild microorganisms from growing, and it acts as a potent antioxidant, protecting both the color, and delicate flavors of wine.

Typical dosage is 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite per 6 gallon bucket of must (yielding roughly 75 ppm of SO2) prior to fermentation, and 1/2 tsp per 6 gallon bucket (150 ppm of SO2) at bottling.


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## manku007 (Jul 1, 2009)

Thanks for helping me ceegar and malkore for all that advice and help, ::

Yes I will do all that things what all the members have told me here, 

Since I m finding this stuff a little difficult and hard I don't know why, but it's ok I will understand as the time pass it's ok never mind.

So because of all this I think I will go as straight as possible, I will make a mean with water, honey, bread yeast and one fresh fruit juice, fruit can be anyone like orange, apple, mango etc etc.

Any suggestion on this idea is invited and welcomed, plz let me know if this is ok or not. 

Thanks in advanced bye bye take care . ..... meet later


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## Wade E (Jul 1, 2009)

A hydrometer is a wine makers tool and it is really needed and it is also very cheap but you will have to be gentle with it as it is fragile thin glass.


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## Ceegar (Jul 2, 2009)

Wade E said:


> A hydrometer is a wine makers tool and it is really needed and it is also very cheap but you will have to be gentle with it as it is fragile thin glass.



As I found out the other day - I reached in my bucket of sanitizing solution to pull it out and all I did was pinch the end of it that was floating above the solution to grab it and it broke. Here I thought I might have acquired super strength overnight.


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## manku007 (Jul 2, 2009)

Ceegar said:


> As I found out the other day - I reached in my bucket of sanitizing solution to pull it out and all I did was pinch the end of it that was floating above the solution to grab it and it broke. Here I thought I might have acquired super strength overnight.



Ceegar can u be more clear, that means what u have told is out of my mind and I cannot find out what u r trying to tell to me.

if u can plz be more clear, yes i will find out all the important things used in making wine as soon as I can thanks for each and every help


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## Wade E (Jul 2, 2009)

What he is saying is that the hydrometer is made of very thin glass with a pce. of paper inside and it breaks very easily so I will say to anyone to buy 2 of these, they are very cheap and it seems when you have 2 of them that you probably will never break 1 but when you only have 1 it will break very fast and when you need it the most!


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## jwthomas (Jul 3, 2009)

wild yeast is in the air at all time's and if you dont use the proper chemicals at the right time the wild yeast will start to ferment in the bottls. 
and on the chemicals get both some recipe's call for one or the othere. 
if i can i will let you know how my mead turns out at the time i'm going to make a gallon of tea wine.
good lucke on your mead


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## manku007 (Jul 5, 2009)

oh yeah thanks jwthomas for telling that, yeah I m seeing and searching more things about mean as much as I can because I don't want to waste my effort, time and matterials. I want to do in a way that I do a very minimal error now and at least I can get 70% of mead in real. 30% gone because of errors.

Since I m searching for good mead in taste and I can get those materials easily. I will be asking more in this forum hope u guys will not mind it


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## Malkore (Jul 6, 2009)

Since you want 'good mead in taste', I'll add that you will need to age your mead for a while to get the flavor you seek.

It might take more than a full year of aging for the mead to taste good.

Most young mead has no honey flavor or aroma, and is very 'hot' tasting.


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## Wade E (Jul 6, 2009)

I second what Malkore said, mead is not meant to be drank early!


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## manku007 (Jul 8, 2009)

ok that means I have to age my mead at least for one year or 10 months minimum, that is a very long perioud but I will do that .

Is there any other drink which can be made in less period and which is good in taste as well as in alcohol content like about 15% - 20% alcohol. If there is such kind of thing plz let me know.

In mead will it be any difference if we experiment ingredients or we have to age it for 1 years, all kind of meads 

Hope u can understand my silly questions 

Bye bye take care ......


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## jwthomas (Jul 9, 2009)

The only silly questions is the one you didn't ask. 


this forum was set up to help you and anyone that needs help i don't have all the answer's to every thing but if i can help i will.

i'm new to wine making the mead i told you about was the first for me and now i just finshed a gallon of tea wine i hope it turns out good.


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## Wade E (Jul 9, 2009)

If you are looking for alcohol fast then beer making is what you want but you wont want that at 15% either. What is with EVERYONES fascination with 15%! If you want high alc get or make a still. If you want something pleasant and fast then alc is not for you unless you are going to buy it! Allalc needs time to age and settle in, the lower the abv the faster it will be ready to drink.


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## Malkore (Jul 10, 2009)

Wade is 110% correct. The higher the alcohol level, the longer it takes to hit the best flavor.

If you want something with a lot of alcohol, go buy it. Most of the people here are interested in understanding the craft/hobby (and science) of producing quality 'adult' beverages, and thus we usually have no problem in aging for months or years.

Hell, I have mead that is over 10 years old!

When I want to get drunk, I pull out a bottle of whiskey from the store.
When I want to savor something, I pull out something I made.


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## petes (Jul 10, 2009)

That's well said.


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## Wade E (Jul 10, 2009)

Here Here!


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