Dry Mead

Classification: mead, dry mead

Source: brewed and posted to CompuServe by Dan Fink, reposted to Mead Digest by Steve Stroud, 10/2/92

Ingredients: (for 5 gallons)

10 pounds fresh, raw alfalfa or clover honey
2 pounds fresh, raw wildflower (or other dark) honey
2 teaspoons Great Fermentations of Santa Rosa mead yeast nutrient (made up to Roger Morse's formula in the book Making Mead)
2 packets Champagne Yeast (dry or liquid)

Procedure:

Add honey, nutrient and 2 gallons water to the brewpot. Bring slowly to 170 degrees F and hold for 30 minutes to pasteurize. Skim off any white scum from the surface as it forms. Pour into a carboy containing cold water, top off with water to 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when cooled to 80 degrees F. Ferment at 65-80 degrees F until some clearing is evident (usually 3 months). High tempratures (up to 80 or so) won't hurt mead (unlike beer). At this point, rack to another carboy. Bottle or keg when mead is CRYSTAL clear.