As I prepare to start my first batch (finally!), I've been looking around at different recipes, trying to ensure I've chosen good quantities, for my own recipe.
I've noticed that people use significantly different amounts for a similar result, from respected mazers.
For example, I'm looking at recipes for a dry show mead. On one hand Ken Schramm's dry recipe in his book says 10 pounds of honey, water to 5 gals. On the other hand, scaling down Oskaars dry show mead recipe, calls for 18 pounds for 6 gallons. From what I can see that's an enormous difference.
Oskaars mead starts out at 27 Brix (1.115), Ken's starts out at 1.080 and finishes at 0.998 (not sure what Oskaar's FG is, I couldn't see it in the recipe). Men's book recommends you start your OG at about 100 points above where you want the mead to finish.
Am I over thinking this? Should I just go with the 18 pounds of honey, water to just over 6 galls and see what comes of it? Or do people mix the must, test the OG then alter the recipe to get a specific OG to start?
Cheers
Tony
I've noticed that people use significantly different amounts for a similar result, from respected mazers.
For example, I'm looking at recipes for a dry show mead. On one hand Ken Schramm's dry recipe in his book says 10 pounds of honey, water to 5 gals. On the other hand, scaling down Oskaars dry show mead recipe, calls for 18 pounds for 6 gallons. From what I can see that's an enormous difference.
Oskaars mead starts out at 27 Brix (1.115), Ken's starts out at 1.080 and finishes at 0.998 (not sure what Oskaar's FG is, I couldn't see it in the recipe). Men's book recommends you start your OG at about 100 points above where you want the mead to finish.
Am I over thinking this? Should I just go with the 18 pounds of honey, water to just over 6 galls and see what comes of it? Or do people mix the must, test the OG then alter the recipe to get a specific OG to start?
Cheers
Tony