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:
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):
Minnesota Clove Honey
O.G. = 1.072
Midwest Melomel Kit, substituted whatever was in the kit for banana.