warming and spicing store bought

UnoriginalUsername · Mar 25, 2005

Alright, after reading much of this site, I probably look *really* wimpy buying my mead, but alas, I am a college student and could never afford all the equipment. My grandmother would like to try some hot mead, so I bought a bottle of the stuff I like (from a local winery--winehaven) and now I would like to learn how to heat it up and spice it, ren fest style. Terribly sorry if this has been asked before or is not what you guys do, but I am having a terribly hard time finding a receipe, and instructions for heating without damaging the wine. Thanks in advance for help!

Val · Mar 25, 2005

Honestly I've never heard of heating mead, so I wouldn't know where to start. Try searching for mulled cider recipes, and go from there.

On a slight aside, I got all my equipment for brewing for under $100, that's including two 5-gallon carboys and the honey for my first batch.

My point is, if you want to brew, it needn't be that expensive.

JoeM · Mar 25, 2005

I stated in college with a plastic carboy from a watercooler that cost me $5, an airlock that cost $1, and some syphon tubing from home depot for 75 cents.

smilingwyvern · Mar 25, 2005

There is a little tool you can use called a muller. It is like a branding iron you heat up and stick it in the mead. You can also pour the mead in a pot and heat it on a low temp. Don't heat it too quik it will leave a bad taste and don't heat it too long for the same reason. Get it too where it is like a warm tea then add your spices and let steap. Try the spices steaped for a little at first and if you want more let it steap more.

Oskaar · Mar 25, 2005

I just nuke mine in the microwave at a lower power setting (like power level 7 for 5 minutes) and it works like a champ! No off flavors, no muss no fuss.

cheers,

Oskaar

UnoriginalUsername · Mar 26, 2005

Thanks

How would I spice it? Make a tea bag and put cinnamin and clove? I'm not sure what spices to add. Does a muller spice it?

Oskaar · Mar 26, 2005

Nah, all a muller does is heat the thing up like one of those immersion plug in water heaters that you drop in your mug for coffee or tea when you're travelling and such.

A lot of stores carry little packets of mulling spices here in California, but if you can't find those you can just make a little tea steeping ball with some cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, orange rind, etc. That should give you that classic mulled taste.

Cheers,

Oskaar

Dan McFeeley · Mar 26, 2005

UnoriginalUsername said:
Alright, after reading much of this site, I probably look *really* wimpy buying my mead, but alas, I am a college student and could never afford all the equipment. My grandmother would like to try some hot mead, so I bought a bottle of the stuff I like (from a local winery--winehaven) and now I would like to learn how to heat it up and spice it, ren fest style. Terribly sorry if this has been asked before or is not what you guys do, but I am having a terribly hard time finding a receipe, and instructions for heating without damaging the wine. Thanks in advance for help!

The equipment isn't as expensive as you might think. Can you afford a bottle of one of those jug wines, about a gallon? Get one and you've got a carboy. Get two and you've got two carboys, one for the primary fermentation, the second to finish it out in.

Stoppers and airlocks, tubing, ect. are about all you need to round out your equipment supply. If you're living in an apartment then you'll have a stove, maybe a nice stockpot for cooking. That's all you need to make mead!

Back to your question -- there's been a lot of good suggestions, but I'd add the use of a crockpot. I used to make a nice mulled wine recipe using a crock pot -- bottle of dry red, bottle of port, cup of apricot brandy, mulling spices, can of appricots chopped, almonds and raisins. Simmer in the crockpot for a few hours, strain through cheese cloth and serve hot. Really nice!

Gonzo · Mar 26, 2005

Dan McFeeley said:
Back to your question -- there's been a lot of good suggestions, but I'd add the use of a crockpot. I used to make a nice mulled wine recipe using a crock pot -- bottle of dry red, bottle of port, cup of apricot brandy, mulling spices, almonds and raisins. Simmer in the crockpot for a few hours, strain through cheese cloth and serve hot. Really nice!

Damn, that sounds good!

David Baldwin · Mar 26, 2005

Dan, That mulled wine recipe sounds very nice. I'll have to give that a try.

For mulled wine, I also use the crock pot, and the packets of mulling spice from Chaucers. I tried Chaucers mulled once... once was enough...

I've not tried any other meads mulled.

Joe's Ancient Orange recipe is a great one to get you started cheap. It's proportioned for a 1 gallon batch.

Just make sure you follow the directions EXACTLY as he has it.

UnoriginalUsername · Mar 27, 2005

I guess it could be done, I wonder if I could get away with it in a dorm

? Mom's house works too---Thank You to everyone who replied, and now you have my little wheels turning

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