mead in 5 months?

[billysensible]

Hey,

I"m getting married on June 21 and would like to serve mead instead of champagne (and in addition the homebrew, of course.)

Is there any good sweet mead recipes that will be good in this short amount of time? And if so, might you share that recipe with me?

[andyp]

I'm making my first mead now...and it's just a simple one...so I'm not too helpful on the recipe side. However, have you listened to the mead show in the archives? It's not exactly a step by step, but it does give you the notion that even a 3-week mead is drinkable....though I'm giving mine about 9 months. Perhaps you should check out http://www.gotmead.com/ as they seem to have the most extensive info I've seen on it.

Another thought is making a bubbly hard cider. I've made the Apfelwein from this recipe http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14860 , and it's really nice. Dry, bubbly, and a good amount of alcohol too! You could use a lower attenuating yeast if you want it a bit sweeter, or just use a more traditional cider recipe with real cider yeast.

Hell, make both mead and cider and see which one you want to use!

Good luck, and congratulations!

[yabodie]

Head over to gotmead.com and follow Joe's Ancient Orange mead to the T.

This is a quick mead and based on the reports very tasty.

Give it a try...

[Thirsty Boy]

I did the Joes Ancient Orange mead, but didn't quite follow it to the T

Left out the sultanas or raisins, used Cumquats instead of oranges and used Fermentis Safbrew S33 yeast.

Designed the gravity so that the Safbrew would turn up its toes at the rated 11.5% alc and still leave the mead semi sweet.

Force carbed and counter pressure filled.

Drinking well in 3 months and really well in 6

I'd say a lower gravity for you if you want it "dry" ish as a champagne replacement and/or use a champagne yeast

But I'm only on my second mead, so I could be full of rubbish

Thirsty

[BadRock]

Cumquats

You said Cumquat's! That's all, couldn't help myself.

[Thirsty Boy]

given sufficient provocation - a turtle will eat a cumquat............

[smurfe]

I have made numerous variations of the Joe M's Mead and every batch has been great. I did a Kumquat as well and it was my first award winning wine. I basically followed the directions and DID use the non-rising bread yeast. IMHO it is as good or better than any commercial or traditional recipe Mead I have tasted.

[Thirsty Boy]

Nice.. really nice.

My second mead was mandarin version of the same thing.. not nearly as nice. To citrusy and I thought the cumquats (whichever way you spell them:) were a better balancing flavour in a mead, they are a little bitter and I thought that added balance to the whole deal.

Your stuff looks awesome. Great packaging and award winning too.

Now I want to make another batch of mead damn you...

Thirsty