Mead

Ingredients

• 0.5 l honey
• 2 l water
• 5 g dried hops (pharmacy)
• 0.5 lemon (unprocessed, sliced thinly)
• 1 apple (sliced thinly)
• 1 star anise piece
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1.5 kg honey
• 4 l water
• 2 g yeast nutrient salt
• 20 g lactic acid
• 5 g wheat flour
• pure yeast (port wine, Malaga or Burgundy)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Crush the star anise slightly with the back of a knife. Place it together with the lemon slices, apple slices and raisins in a small cotton bag and seal well. Then bring the bag, honey and water to a boil in a pot of appropriate size, let cool in the pot. Remove the spice bag, pour the liquid into a large bowl. The vessel should hold at least 3.5 liters, preferably 4 liters. If needed split between two containers. Cover the opening with a kitchen towel and secure with a band. Let ferment at room temperature for about 20 to 30 days (temperature dependent). When the liquid no longer crackles softly, fermentation is finished. Transfer the resulting mead into bottles. Stored cool and dark it keeps for at least five months.

2. 2.

   Warm water and honey to about 50°C, stir until the honey dissolves. Cool to about 25°C, add remaining ingredients, pour mixture into a fermenter. After 2 to 3 months fermentation is complete. Remove the settled yeast and store cool.

3. 3.

   Add spices before or after fermentation as desired. Suitable options include Linden blossoms, Elderflower, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, hops and ginger.