Doc’s Mead Recipe
Directions:
This is so ridiculously simple to make that it really boggles my mind that you
can’t find mead in stores everywhere. Raw Organic Honey has natural
antibacterial properties, so if you use raw honey you don’t have to worry about
your mead going bad while it’s brewing 
You can make it in 5-gallon batches in large glass jars called carboys, or you
can also make it a gallon at a time in the glass jugs that the apple cider from
your healthfood store comes in. Just make sure your jars and pots (and your
hands) are clean. You don’t have to sterilize everything, just use ordinary
good sense and cleanliness.
For 5 gallons I use 16 pounds of honey (about a gallon). Put it in a big pot
and add an equal amount of DISTILLED water. Heat just to simmer, until the
honey is melted and well stirred and mixed into the water. That way it won’t
separate out when you pour it into the jar. You can do the mixing-with-water
bit in batches if you don’t have a big enough pot. Pour the honey-water combo
into your jar and add 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The yeast won’t
work right if you don’t have some acid in the mixture. Add enough warm water to
fill up your container, leaving a little air space at the top. Take one packet
of yeast (baking yeast will work just as well, or you can use wine yeast from a
brew shop) and put it in 1/4 cup warm water with a teaspoon or so of honey.
Stir it up and let it sit till it’s foamy so you know the yeasties are alive and
happy. Pour the yeast mixture into the jug of honey-water and stir gently. You
can put a fancy brewer’s airlock on the top, or you can just stick a balloon,
rubber glove or condom on the top so the air bubbles have a place to go as the
yeasties do their thing, and the gases expand. DO NOT SEAL TIGHT OR YOUR
MIXTURE MAY EXPLODE!!!
When it stops bubbling and the rubber glove, or condom, etc stops expanding,
your MEAD is done. I generally siphon or gently decanter the clear fluid off
the top and pour the sediment (dead yeast, mostly) in the garden. Then I put
the clear MEAD (Honey Sherry) in another jar and let it sit for a while with the
top only resting on the opening just to make sure it’s done fermenting. If it
doesn’t do anything more, I’ll bottle the stuff in about 2 weeks. Otherwise,
wait till it stops fizzing and repeat the siphoning procedure. It’s drinkable
right away but it gets EVER so much better if you let it age a few months. It
does nothing but get better with age.
Proportions for 1 gallon = 2 pounds honey (a little less than a quart), 3
tablespoons of lemon juice, and water to fill your container. Still use a whole
packet of yeast. The little yeasties will do their thing in just the right
amount for however much honey is in your brew, so you don’t have to worry about
measuring it too carefully.
This Recipe will produce anywhere from 12 to 18+% alcohol, depending on the
particular strain of yeast you’re using. I’ve also added mashed fruit
(Apricots, Raspberries, etc.) , and used fruit juice and/or herb tea for part of
the water requirements. A particularly intoxicating version that uses a strong
herbal tea made from any combination of the following: Skullcap, Damiana, Lemon
balm, Passion Flower, Hops, Valerian, Orange peel, Mugwort, Allspice, or Cloves)
for half of the water requirements also works wonders and makes the recipe not
only more tasty but quite healing depending on the herbs used.
Happy brewing
