Two summers ago, I learned how to ride a motorcycle.
Last summer, I didn't formally learn anything.
This summer, I'm learning how to make mead and possibly beer.
Today, I started my first batch of mead. It's going to be a sweet banana mead. I've done a bunch of reading on the topic of mead making. Perhaps too much. I've also talked to and emailed several people about the process too. It's not overly complicated.
I purchased a bunch of brewing supplies from Midwest Supplies. The guys and girls there were super helpful had lots of good advice. So, basically, here's what I did today:
Last summer, I didn't formally learn anything.
This summer, I'm learning how to make mead and possibly beer.
Today, I started my first batch of mead. It's going to be a sweet banana mead. I've done a bunch of reading on the topic of mead making. Perhaps too much. I've also talked to and emailed several people about the process too. It's not overly complicated.
I purchased a bunch of brewing supplies from Midwest Supplies. The guys and girls there were super helpful had lots of good advice. So, basically, here's what I did today:
- Put everything together. This was easy. There were just a couple of things to screw together.
- Wash everything.
- Sanitize everything. This is different than washing.
- Put 4 gallons of water in the fermenting bucket.
- Put 1 gallon of water a pot on the stove. Heat, don't boil.
- Add 12 pounds of honey to the water on the stove. Dissolve.
- Add dissolved honey/water mixture to the fermenting bucket.
- Stir.
- Add yeast nutrient.
- Add yeast.
- Stir.
- Put cover on tightly.
- Insert air lock.
- Put in basement and wait.
So this blog is all about learning: What did I learn?
- Yeast like sugar, which honey has tons of, and turns sugar to alcohol.
- Sanitizing is key. I can see how anything attached to any equipment could infect your mead mixture.
- Mead takes a long time. It will be at least September before I am able to taste the fruits of my labor.
- I need a bigger kettle. A 3 or 5 gallon kettle would have made it easier to make the honey dissolve without getting a gooey honey mixture all over the stove. That would have brought my new hobby to a quick end with the wife.
- The banana flavor comes in later, just before putting the mead in bottles or a keg.
I'll keep you updated with the fermentation and progress.
And a note for those who know brewing (and I clearly don't):
And a note for those who know brewing (and I clearly don't):
- Minnesota Clove Honey
- O.G. = 1.072
- Midwest Melomel Kit, substituted whatever was in the kit for banana.
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