1.5 lbs fresh cramberries in infusion - with 64 oz water & 7 lbs sugar
water to 6 gallons total volume
6 tsp yeast nutrient
8 drops or 6 tsp pectic enzyme
1-3 tsp yeast energizer (optional - use this if fermentation is too slow)
Lalvin #1118 wine yeast
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
At bottling:
Invert Sugar Solution
- (8oz sug/gal mead)
- if you wish to increase sweetness, 1.5 tsp Potassium Sorbate prevents refermentation
6/8 tsp Potassium Metabisulfite
honey from honey bottles and add to honey.
Chop fresh cranberries. Make infusion by gently boiling berries in 2 Qt water and 7 lbs sugar until fruit starts to look 'translucent'. The infusion pulls the greatest amount of flavor out of the fruit. Add to honey.
Next add cool water to make 6 gallons total volume. Stir honey into solution
in water. If SG is too low, add honey to reach 1.100 - 1.120 SG
Put yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme into 4-8 oz water to put it into solution. Add this to honey mix and stir.
Take SG NOW and record for your records!
Test temperature to throw yeast. Temp should be between 65 - 80 degrees F.
A bit over 80 will still be OK. Throw yeast. Add air lock.
When SG = 1.020 - 1.040, rack wine to a new 3 gallon carboy. What's left behind CAN be used to cook meat and makes a GREAT gravy. This may be any time from day 6 through day 30. If mead is fermenting too slow, you can add 1-3 tsp of yeast energizer dissolved in water and reseal with air lock.
When fermentation stops, mead will be fully clarified. This may be any time
from 2 to 4 months. Taste test mead for sweetness.
If you wish to raise the SG to a higher level to have a sweeter wine, you can add Invert Sugar (sugar dissolved in water by gently boiling) till you reach the level of sweetness or SG desired. 8oz sugar put into solution per gallon raises SG one level.
Record Finish SG now for your records.
Add Potassium Sorbate & Potassium Metabisulfite and stir into mead.
You can then bottle the mead. We bottle mead in beer bottles.
To make your mead even better, filter it before you bottle it to remove sediment and winemaking chemicals. This makes the mead smoother and drinkable sooner. It also enhances the appearance of the mead by improving clarity GREATLY.
Mead should be 6 mo. old before drinking.











