Elder flower mead recipe
An elder flower flavoured mead recipe perfect for summer days.
Equipment:
- 2 x 5 l Demijohn
- 5 l stockpot
- Hydrometer
- Thermometer
- Bung
- Airlock
- Funnel
- Spoons
- Siphon
I used yeast Lalvin 71B from Lallemand
https://mr-malt.se/jast/vinjast/torr/lalvin-71b-1122-vinjast-5-g
For sterilizer I used pbw https://mr-malt.se/utrustning/rengoring/rengoringsmedel/pbw-450-g-1-lb
Ingredients:
- 1,4 kg Honey
- up to 4,5 l Water
- 5 g Yeast - Lalvin 71B
- 50 gram Dried elder flowers
Instructions:
-
Wash
Wash a demijohn.
-
Sterilize demijohn
Fill the demijohn with water and sterilizer.
-
Wait
Wait 30 minutes.
-
Wash stockpot
Wash the stockpot.
-
Sterilize stockpot
Pour the sterilized water from the demijohn in the stockpot.
-
Wash extra equipment
Wash a spoon, a funnel, a hydrometer, a bung and an airlock.
-
Sterilise equipment
Put the equipment in the stockpot with the sterilized water.
-
Wait
Wait 10 minutes and rinse the equipment thoroughly and put them in a dish rack.
-
Dissolve honey
Dissolve the honey with 1 l of new fresh spring water in the stockpot. If nessesary heat the water to a max ~32°C to dissolve the honey completely.
-
Fill the demijohn
Pour the must in to the demijohn.
-
Oxidize the must
Swirl and shake the demijohn to oxidize the must.
-
Fill up with water
Fill up with water to desired amount of must.
-
Measure the gravity
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Add the yeast
Pour the yeast in to the demijohn.
-
Bung with an airlock
Put on a bung with an airlock on the demijohn.
-
After 24h degas.
Oxidizing the mead can turn it into vinegar, do not shake, swirl lightly to degas the mead.
-
24h nutrients
After 24h add nutrients.
-
Fermentation
Let it ferment for at least one week.
-
Measure the gravity.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
After 1 week degas.
Oxidizing the mead can turn it into vinegar, do not shake, swirl lightly to degas the mead.
-
1 week nutrients
After 1 week add nutrients.
-
Fermentation
Let it ferment for at least one more week.
-
Measure the gravity.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Add the dry elder flower
Put the dried elder flower in the demijohn.
-
More fermentaiton
Let it rest for at least one more week.
-
Measure the gravity.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Clean and sterilize
Clean and sterilize the second demijohn.
-
Rack to second
Rack to the second demijohn
-
Pasteurize
Heat the mead, prefarbly in a water bath, to 60˚c (120˚F) let it be so for 22 minutes to pasteruize it.
-
Cool down
Let the mead cool down
-
Rest
Let it rest for at least 2 weeks.
-
Bottling.
Transfer into bottles.
-
Enjoy,
Drink, enjoy and scold in the company of good friends!
To calculate the ABV you can use the formula:
(OG - FG) / 7.5 = ABV
OG : Original °Öchsle
FG : Final °Öchsle
After fermentation my result: (103 - 28) / 7.5 = 10 ABV
Or this formula:
(OG - FG) x 131 = ABV
OG : Original Gravity
FG : Final Gravity
After fermentation my result: (1.103 - 1.028) x 131 = 9,825 ABV
30-05-26 Prime fermentation
30-05-26 OG: 103
02-06-26 Swirl and added nutrients
16-06-26 OG: 32
16-06-26 Swirl and added nutrients
23-06-26 OG: 28
23-06-26 Added the elder flowers
04-07-26 OG: 28
07-07-26 Back to demijohn and pasteurized
25-07-26 Bottled
