Tracy's Quick Mead

Classification: mead, metheglin

Source: Kurt Schilling (kurt@iquest.net), Mead Digest #468, 3/19/96

Morgaine Nidana's posting in MD 467 with questions about a quick mead recipe gotme to thinking. So I went back into my files and found one recipe that I have had many times and enjoyed. I am submitting it here in hopes that some one may also get some enjoyment for an old recipe.

This is an ale strenght mead that is just fine for a medieval feast or fro whooping it up on St Paddy's Day or Lammas.

Ingredients: (for 1 gallon)

2 to 2.5 lbs raw honey (any kind is OK)
1 quartered orange
1 Tbsp. fesh grated ginger
1/4 tsp. acid blend
ale yeast

Procedure:

Combine honey, water, quartered orange, grated ginger in brew pot and bring to boil. Skim froth from surface. Remove orange and ginger with a sanitized strainer after 30 minutes. Cool and pour into fermenter. Pitch yeast when must is 70-75 degrees F. Rack the mead when fermentation slows (after about 1 week) to secondary. Additional rackings may be necessary.The mead is drinkable when cleared, but imporves with aging. Total time til drinkable is about 2.5 months, hence teh name Quick Mead).

You can also ferment this one with a wine yeast or Mead yeast if you choose. I have found that it is fairly dry and gingery. Quite tasty infact.