Yesterday, my friend Daniel invited some people over for a group mead making brewday. Daniel was able to acquire a large quantity of raw sage honey (refer to pic of bucket label). I saw Osskar make mead at the AHP anniversary party but I didn't really pay close enough attention to understand it myself.
When Daniel had an idea to use some of my homegrown kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass in a mead, I made sure to pay attention this time. There were five of us who all made a slightly different variety of mead using the same sage honey purchased in bulk. Some added orange slices, kaffir limes and leaves, lemongrass, Thai chili peppers, ginger powder, and yeast ranging from generic bread yeast to White Labs Sweet Mead.
Take a look...you may know some of these people...
IMG_5266.jpg (116.83 KiB) Viewed 159524 times
IMG_5267.jpg (118.56 KiB) Viewed 159524 times
Daniel's spreadsheet with the amount of honey each person should get.
Hard to tell what the OG was with our hydrometer...Off the meter.
IMG_5311.jpg (89.12 KiB) Viewed 159523 times
My first 5 gallon carboy of mead is buckled in and ready to come home with daddy.
IMG_5312-1.jpg (77.95 KiB) Viewed 159523 times
I heated some water to about 160 F with some crushed kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. 20 lbs of raw sage honey was added to the kettle and iced down to pitching temp. Top off water was added along with a sliced open whole kaffir lime. Oxygen was added via an aquarium pump with air filter for about 20 minutes and the White Labs Sweet Mead yeast was pitched.
Mead is so freakin easy. Most people who try it fir the first time compare it to a sweet white wine and love it. If only they knew what I know now, they would make it themselves.
Someone once told Rick, about the many ways people make mead nowadays. He was asked, "do you think the Vikings did it like that? Then, why the fu*k would you?"
We did have some good times and you would have too, Scott.
