Short cut mead

[Silver Ether]

Just came across this ... What is Everclear ???

This rich ale known as meade is a very old Celtic creation that was used for sacred rituals. It was thought to be a gift of the deities and was used to honour them, especially at Beltaine. Many recipes exist, and most are jealously guarded. This short-cut method ignores the lengthy fermentation process.

1/2 gallon water
1-1/2 cups raw honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice, rounded
1/2 cup Everclear (R)

Slowly heat all ingredients together --- except the alcohol --- in a large stock pot. As the honey melts, an oily crust will form on the top of the meade. You can leave it there, for some feel this adds to the full-bodied texture of the meade, while others will tell you to skim it off. Do not allow the meade to come to a roiling boil. When it is well blended, remove from the heat, stirring occasionally until it settles. When it has cooled, add the Everclear (R) and serve.

[ina]

Must be some kind of alcohol, I suppose.

[MKG]

It's American grain alcohol and it's real zoob juice. In its WEAKEST form, it's 75% pure. The version available in the UK would, I suppose, be Polish Spirit, an extreme form of vodka.

[ina]

In Germany you can get 90% alcohol - or at least when I still lived there, you could. Pure alcohol, especially for the home production of liqueurs. Used to be sold in pharmacies.

[Silver Ether]

blimey ... no wonder its called short cut ... I will stick to my moniack thanks

[celticmyth]

If Everclear tastes anything like vodka.......Yuck.......I love mead(Harvest Gold,cheap and available )
I wonder if there's anything else that you could use that would make this taste more like....wel,mead.
thanks for putting that up SE,too many festivals never enough mead

[Silver Ether]

mead, mead, mead ... that reminds me will have to place my order ...

[ina]

I wonder if there's anything else that you could use that would make this taste more like....wel,mead.

I think whatever you use it'll taste more like honey liqueur than "proper" mead.

[Andy Hamilton]

Maybe try alcoholic water. Mind you, whats wrong with just waiting.

[Silver Ether]

got another batch of boozy water on the go....and I am waiting

[the.fee.fairy]

I've got a beautiful batch of home-made mead waiting to be drunk...gorgeous! Takes a year or so though. Its worth it!

Still haven't worked out how to make it darker and thicker like moniack, but the Fairy Mead is good enough for me!

[MKG]

Anyone going to tell me what moniack is?

[the.fee.fairy]

Its a make of mead. For Mead afficianados, its one of the creams of the crop. Its a rich, dark, thick almost syrpuy mead that has a grogeous taste.

Well worth trying if you're a mead fan!

[celticmyth]

Maybe try alcoholic water. Mind you, whats wrong with just waiting.

Thanks for that

[kimmie]

After doing a search i discovered a site (thankyou to Harvington.org.uk)with these recipes .... maybe one of these is that lovely dark mead we all know and love!!

1. Metheglin (Spiced Mead)

Ingredients.

3lb (or 3 x 454g) of Blossom Honey
Spices: -

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick
A few solid bits shaved off a whole nutmeg (not ground)
2 tea bags.
All purpose wine yeast
Yeast nutrient
8 pints (1 gallon) water

Method.

Wrap spices in a piece of butter muslin and tie into a bag with string (natural coloured - not blue!)

Put water in a large pot and bring to the boil. When boiling drop in the spice bag and the tea bags Remove tea bags after a few minutes, leave the spices in for about 20 mins when the flavour and smell should be pronounced but not overwhelming. Remove spice bag. (If you want it very spicy leave the bag in while you simmer the honey).

Add the honey and stir in well. Continue to allow to simmer for about an hour, skimming off any scum that may form. Don't let it boil - just simmer.

Activate the yeast in a separate bowl in a warm place.

Cool the honey mixture until it is lukewarm, pour into a fermentation bin and then add the activated yeast and a yeast nutrient.

Let it sit in a warm place for a few days, stirring twice daily, until fermentation is past the most violent stage and it can be transferred into a demijohn for the rest of fermentation.

Keep in a warm place until the fermentation has slowed down and a sediment has built up (about two to three weeks depending on temperature). Rack into a clean demijohn and refit lock.

When it has cleared again and fermentation appears to has stopped (possibly only a week or two), de-gas and rack. Wait for a few weeks more to see whether a second fermentation is going to happen..

Comments: this cleared very quickly. First fermentation stopped only four weeks after start and wine was very clear. Second fermentation then started and was stopped after another three weeks. Needed a lot of de-gassing though. Achieved 16% alcohol.

2.Elderflower Pyment (or Elderflower Mead)

Ingredients.

3lbs (3 x 454g) Blossom Honey
1.5 pints T***o Apple and Elderflower Drink (from carton)
2 pints Elderflowers - freshly picked
Half a pint of Elderflower cordial (undiluted)
1 can white grape concentrate
6 pints water
All purpose wine yeast
Yeast nutrient
1 large Lemon



Method.

Bring half the water, cordial and drink to a quiet simmer and add the honey, stirring in well.
Add rest of water and flowers and allow to gently simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally and skimming off any scum that forms.

Strain off into a clean fermenting bin, removing all flowers.

Add the juice of the Lemon and chop the rind into two chunks and leave floating in the must.

Activate the yeast and add to the must with the yeast nutrient when it has all cooled to lukewarm.

Add the grape concentrate.
Leave in a warm place, stirring twice a day until the vigorous fermenting stage has slightly subsided. Remove the lemon chunks after a day or two.

Transfer into a clean demijohn and fit a fermenting lock.

Take the specific gravity reading at this point if you have a hydrometer.
After a week or so (when things have slowed a bit and a good sediment has formed) rack into a clean demijohn.

Continue to ferment until wine clears and bubbles stop (beware secondary fermentation - give it an extra week or so and keep an eye on it after bottling).. Take specific gravity again to see if finished. Bottle and store.

Comment: this made a very tasty aperitif type wine at 15%. It cleared beautifully.

3.Tayberry Melomel (fruit Mead)

Ingredients:

1kg fresh Tayberries washed and hulled (Tayberries are a type of Loganberry/Raspberry).
3lbs of Honey
Yeast
Yeast nutrient,
2 Teaspoons Citric acid
7 pints Water
Method:

Bring water to the boil in a large pan and add in the Honey, and Tayberries reducing heat to a simmer.

Gently simmer for half an hour, taking of any honey scum that forms.

Allow to cool to lukewarm and add activated yeast, yeast nutrient, and citric acid.

Strain off into a fermenting bucket through a jelly bag and stand in a warm place for a few days until the most violent fermentation has calmed down.

Transfer into a demijohn using a muslin square in a funnel to get rid of any leftover bits of fruit. Fit a fermenting lock and allow to ferment.

After a couple of weeks, rack into a clean demijohn to clear it off the lees.

When fermentation has stopped extra sugar/water/honey may be added to get the desired taste. Wait another week or so to bottle in case that starts off a secondary fermentation.

This should produce a medium to light rosé table wine.

4.Marjorie Melomel (Plum Mead)

Ingredients:

2lbs Marjorie Seedling Plums (late Plums)
3.5 lbs. Honey
Cinnamon stick
1 Lemon
5 pints water
1 crushed Camden tablet
Yeast
Yeast nutrient
Method:

Soak plums in a solution of crushed Camden tablet and cold water for an hour to kill off the wild yeasts on their skins. (You should not boil the plums to kill the yeasts as this releases pectin and will make the wine cloudy. If you did boil the plums you would have to add pectolase to kill the pectin.)

Boil the water and add the honey, reducing it to a gentle simmer. Skim scum as necessary and continue to gently simmer for about half an hour.

Halve and stone plums (do not use any damaged fruit).

Cool the honey/water mixture to "off the boil" and then add plums, juice and quartered rind of the Lemon and the cinnamon stick.

Activate yeast and add to must. Add yeast nutrient.

Transfer to a fermenting bin and stand in a warm place for a few days, stirring daily.

After the first vigorous fermentation has calmed down, Strain through a jelly bag (squeeze plums a little but not too much as this will make the wine cloudy) into a demijohn.

Fit fermentation lock and leave in a warm place to ferment.

After a couple of weeks rack into a clean demijohn. Take the specific gravity at this point (or taste test) and if it is getting too dry add some more honey watered down with hot water. Do not add until cooled or you will kill the yeast and don't make too watery or it won't fit into the demijohn.

Continue to rack and monitor until fermentation stops and the wine clears.

As with all Mead - beware a quick finish where you think it has stopped then a second fermentation starts. Mead is notorious for false "stops"!

This makes a light rosé type table wine.

Note: After 9 days a batch of this had used up practically all its sugar and made 15% alc! I added more sugar to sweeten or it would have ended far too dry. It depends on your tastes in the final analysis!