Curious about the mead-making process and want to give it a try at home?  

A Melomel mead can be one that can deliver not only a very tasty beverage but a bit of fun during the production. What’s more, doing it at home means that you have complete control of the flavor profile, alcohol content and choice of ingredients that best suit your palate. As you experiment with different combinations, you’ll get to discover what you consider the best mead flavors tailored to your personal taste preferences. Your best local mead brewery is here to advise you on the process.

First off, What is honey mead wine?

Well, a basic honey mead wine, known simply as mead, consists of three things: honey, water, and microbes (primarily yeast). After much debate, mead has been generally accepted as being the oldest known fermented beverage on the planet and has been around for thousands of years. 

Additionally, there is evidence of mead making on literally every continent short of Antarctica. 

Right, so then what is a melomel? Well, the term melomel is somewhat of a catchall title that describes a “fruited mead” style. It’s sort of like how the term “ale” is used to describe a category of beer. Safe to say that for most of you out there, you also know that there are fundamental differences in ales, such as pales, IPA’s reds, browns. The list is endless, and they all have their own unique qualities. That said, a mead with fruit does not always constitute a melomel. For instance, a mead with only apple added is a “cyser”; a mead with grapes only added is a “payment”; and a mead with maple added is an “acerglyn”. Get the idea? So, in a nutshell, a “melomel” is a style of mead that has fruit(s) that aren’t just apples or grapes, but let’s save nomenclature for another time. Alright, so let’s get down to it.

Understanding fermentation Part 1

Fermentation for making beer, wine, mead, and more is simply the process in which microbes (yeast, bacteria…) metabolize sugar molecules and as a byproduct create ethyl alcohol and CO2. It is also worth noting that not all microbes (yeasts in our case) behave the same way. For instance, some strains are able to tolerate higher alcohol levels than others and some need super cold temperatures in order to perform correctly vs. warmer temperatures for others. Although fermentation doesn’t have to be overly complicated, trouble can arise when certain unwanted microbes invade and ruin your batch. Can you say segue? 

This brings us to the importance of meticulous sanitation practices during your production. Everything, I mean everything out there is simply covered with microbes.  Some are good and some are bad, but for the sake of argument, let’s just say that they are ALL bad for our fermentation process except for the yeasts we have chosen to work with. My advice, without getting too involved with brand names and all the steps that are involved with the different types of sanitizers, is to seek out your local homebrew shop to see what products they have available and talk to them about what is best and how to use them.

Understanding fermentation Part 2

It is important to remember that yeasts are living things, and just like humans, require certain nutrients in order to stay viable and healthy.  Nutrient deficiency can stress your yeast to the point of ruining your batch. Unfortunately, honey is typically not a great source of the nutrients necessary for good yeast health. But fear not, there are a lot of different nutrient supplements out there that can help you out with that. And yes, you guessed it, go to your homebrew shop and talk to them about what they have available. The good news is that this is going to be a fruited mead and certain types of fruits will naturally contribute more nourishment for those beautiful little yeasties. Sidenote, Ph can play a huge role in the performance of your yeast, as too high or too low of a Ph can end up stalling the fermentation process. Therefore, it is important to take the following into consideration:

1) Honey, by nature, is more acidic.

2) Certain types of fruits are higher in acid than others.

3) CO2 is also acidic and can build up in your developing mead further lowering your Ph.

Next, you need to understand that the timing in which you add your fruit will also have an effect on the fermentation process. The first method is to add your fruit at the very beginning of the process, which is known as “primary fermentation”. The second method is to add the fruit later on as the primary fermentation slows down. The later fruit addition then gives a boost of available sugars for the yeast to feast on and sets off what is called “secondary fermentation”. Finally, there is a tertiary option which is to add your fruit after the fermentation is complete and the finished mead has been separated from the dead/dormant/spent yeast. The choice is yours to make when you wish to add the fruit, and it essentially comes down to your desire of how you want the flavor of the fruit to be characterized in the mead.

Planning out your mead

There are a number of things to consider before you start the mead-making process. First, you need to think about the batch size that you would like to create. You will need to answer this question beforehand as it will help you determine the size of fermentation vessel(s) that you will require, as well as the quantities of ingredients that you are going to need. Second, there are certain basic (yet critical) items that you will also need to procure prior to making your batch. We will discuss this later. Third, you will want to make up your mind on what you want the alcohol level to be when it is finished as well as how sweet or dry that you would also like your honey mead wine to be.

Fourth, you will want to figure out WHEN (as mentioned earlier) you will be adding your fruit, what type of fruit might that be, how much you want to use and are there any other flavor ingredients (herbs, spices…) that you might like to add.You will then need to decide what varietal (type) of honey you want to use, as no two honeys taste the same. Fifth, what type (strain) of yeast would you like to use? There are zillions of them out there used in making beer, wine and champagne and they can all impact the final flavor profile of your mead. I would highly recommend doing a little research on what is out there and perhaps seeking advice from those that are in the profession. Lastly, you will need to decide where your finished product will end up; will it be in bottles, cans, kegs, what?

Preparations

Okay, so now that you have answered all of the aforementioned questions, it’s time to get into the prep mode. Let’s go over some of the items that you will need:

1) You will need some sort of fermentation vessel. For the beginners out there a FOOD GRADE 5 gallon pail should be sufficient. The pail works well as it makes it easier to mix your honey, water, nutrients, and yeast,and it will also make it easier when it comes time to add your fruit. The fermentation vessel will also need a lid that has a good seal to keep out the bad guys.

2) You will also need an airlock, which is essentially a one-way valve that allows the CO2 to escape and allows nothing else in, and a bung (a rubber plug that holds the airlock in place).

Regarding the bung and airlock, here are a couple of important details to remember. First, there are a few different styles of airlocks used in homebrewing, but they all essentially function the same way. Second, bungs come in different sizes (diameters) and you will need to make sure to drill out an opening in your lid that will accommodate the sized bung that you purchase.

3) Ideally you will also want to have another vessel to rack or transfer your finished mead into for final resting and clearing. A carboy is an excellent choice, which basically looks like a glass version of a 5 gallon water bottle. You will also want to look into getting a siphoning device like an auto-siphon. These are great tools and will help you with the transfer.

4) Another great tool to have is a hydrometer. This tool will help you to gauge what the sugar content is in your honey/water mixture (also known as the must) and will also let you know what your potential alcohol levels could be.

5) You will want to have the appropriate cleaners and sanitizers as well as brushes that will help you get into those hard to get to locations.

5) You will also want what is called a “hop bag” to put your fruit into before you place it in the pail. It will make it easier and less messy once the time comes to remove the fruit.

6) Stirring devices, whether a large, long spoon or even better a paddle mixer that fits on to the common cord/cordless drill are also necessary in order to effectively mix your honey and water together as well as help to aerate your must. Aeration is the process of adding necessary oxygen to the mixture. Oxygen is critical in the very early stages of fermentation, but remember, it is the enemy towards the latter stages of fermentation or after fermentation is complete. All of these materials and more can be found, all together now, at your local homebrew shop!

Execution

Now that you have EVERYTHING you need, and you have chosen your ingredients in the quantities necessary for your final goal, it’s time to start making some mead. So here is the Cliff Notes version of what to do.

1) Have EVERYTHING cleaned and sanitized and keep it that way throughout the process.

2) Make your “must” by adding the appropriate ratio of honey to water that you have chosen.

3) Add the appropriate doses of nutrients as advised by the manufacturer and or homebrew shop.

4) Mix it together thoroughly and aerate well, then take an initial “specific gravity” reading with your hydrometer. You will want to continue to do so to track your progress.

5) Pitch your chosen yeast in the amount recommended by the manufacturer and according to their instructions.

6) Add your fruit now if you wish to do so.

7) Put your lid on and get your airlock in place.

8) Find a space in your home that is not only dark but maintains the best consistent temperature that is closest to the manufacturer's guidelines, and away you go!

9) Incrementally do a gentle rocking of the fermenter to help release some of the CO2 that is building up and this will help to eliminate some of the acid build up we discussed earlier.

Finishing

Fermentation can take days, weeks, or months depending on your recipe and conditions.  A good sign that fermentation is complete is when the airlock stops bubbling and the mead begins to clear.  If you purchased a hydrometer, check if the gravity is where you expect it – dry would be near 1.000. Once you have finished your fermentation and you are happy with where you are at (BTW,you can pull the fruit out whenever you are satisfied with the flavors), use your siphon to “rack” your mead into your sanitized “carboy” or vessel of choice and allow the mead to start to clear out. MORE IMPORTANTLY, you want to get the finished product off of the spent yeast, so it does not pick up the off flavor that the spent yeast can impart. FYI, a nice cold space will help to accelerate the clearing process. Once your mead has cleared and you are satisfied with your final result, get it into bottles, cans, or kegs. Make sure the batch is completely done fermenting before packaging. 

On a final note, if you are bottling you should seriously consider brown glass, as it has the capacity to better protect your honey mead wine from light that can taint the flavor and adversely affect the longevity of your hard labors. You will then want to keep it in a cool and dark location. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, don’t forget to lift a glass and toast your efforts!

Ok, so this concludes our mead 100 session and I hope that you learned a little bit.  Don’t be afraid to do more in-depth research if you are looking for more specifics. Not into DIY?  Then stop by the award-winning Twisted Horn Mead & Cider mead brewery and hall, settle into our one-of-a-kind tasting room and try our multitude of uniquely crafted flavors to find the ones you think are our best mead flavors. Cheers!