Mead has a history of over 5000 years. Because of its rarity, it is often used as a ritual and ceremonial drink. It is also known as “God’s wine” because it is “God’s drink” and “God’s manna”.
Four ancient wines: Chinese mead, Persian wine, Scandinavian mead, and Mongolian horse milk wine
In the Old Testament, according to the tradition of the time, newlyweds were supposed to drink mead every night for a month after their wedding? The fruit of the “honeymoon” would be born nine months later, and the secret to a happy marriage was mead.
Mead is made from pure natural honey and mineral water, with no other substances added. Its color, aroma and taste are naturally formed and unique in taste. This wine has a rich aroma and a slightly sweet and mellow taste.
In terms of nutritional value, the mead contains 17 amino acids, glucose, fructose, VA, VE, minerals and other physiologically active substances essential to the human body, including amino acids, VE and fructose and minerals with high levels of sodium, calcium and phosphorus. The metabolic process of these physiologically active substances explains the health benefits of mead for the human body.
2. What is mead?
What food safety regulations or technical specifications should be followed in making mead? Currently, there are no fixed national or industry standards for mead. Here we have collected some of the technical parameters for mead from abroad for your reference. These are shown below.
3. Honey Selection
Mead is made from “seven parts raw material and three parts process”. As you can see, the raw material has an impact on the quality of the mead. Likewise, mead should be made with honey.
3.1 It is recommended to use raw honey, which is the original product of the bee farm and has not been processed in any way. Of course, this raw honey is not easily available. If you want to come back, you can also choose bottled honey from the supermarket. It is best to buy a large brand or quality honey. Also, the higher the sugar content, the better. Generally speaking, honey has a sugar content of about 70%.
3.2 The taste of honey varies depending on the source of the flowers and the style of mead it produces. You can make mead with one type of honey, or you can mix several types of honey.
3.3 You can also consider adding fruits such as cherries, strawberries, and plums to make a fruit mead with a unique flavor. Or add spices such as cloves and cinnamon to give it a different flavor. If using one type of honey (single flower honey), it is recommended to use a honey with a rich or distinctive flavor, such as the most commonly used orange blossom honey. If making a fruit mead, choose a honey with a lighter, softer flavor so that the fruit itself is not overpowered, such as lilac honey.
Making wine is like cooking. There are no set formulas or process patterns without breaking the rules. The important thing is to innovate and choose the best measures according to the local conditions.
4. Raw honey composition analysis
As can be seen from the table, the sugars in honey are mainly glucose and fructose. The composition and acidity of the sugars is similar to that of ordinary fruit and can be completely metabolized and utilized by brewer’s yeast. It does not require yeast for fermentation as in the case of cereal wine. In addition to yeast, yeast contains microorganisms such as yeast, mold, and bacteria, which are potentially risky to the taste, flavor, and stability of mead later in the process, so it is possible to achieve mead production by choosing between regular mead and fruit wine yeast.
5. Selection of auxiliary materials
Cleaning and disinfection: Hygiene management is a basic requirement for winemaking. Standard steps such as alkaline washing, acid washing and water washing are strictly followed in conventional factories. In general workshops and home brewing, equipment and tools can also be cleaned and sanitized using sulfites, high white wine or cooking alcohol.
Yeast: Based on the composition analysis of honey, it can be determined that alcoholic fermentation of mead can be done using traditional fruit wine yeasts such as Angel BV818.
Nutrition: Alcoholic fermentation is the process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol. During this process, the yeast needs to be supplemented with the right nutrients to maintain its growth, reproduction and metabolism, such as nitrogen, minerals, vitamins and other trace elements.
Filtration, clarification and organoleptic optimization: After alcohol fermentation, the original wine enters the storage stage. Prior to marketing, it is necessary to clarify and filter the original wine, such as bentonite, in order to improve the quality stability and aesthetics of the mead. Some meads will also be blended according to taste requirements, such as fruits and spices, to meet the needs of different consumer groups in the market.
6. Classification of Mead
According to sugar content: dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet
According to the alcohol content.
Low white wine: below 18℃ (current brewing mainstream)
White wine: 18-30℃
High alcohol: above 30 degrees, mostly 40-50 degrees (relatively rare)
According to the brewing method: fermentation liquor, distillation liquor and preparation liquor
7. Brewing of mead
There is a saying in the beer industry: “seven points of hygiene, three points of technology”, which shows the influence of hygiene management on the quality of liquor. Similarly, no matter what kind of mead is brewed, hygiene is one of the key factors to be considered first.
Fermented mead.
Yeast type and dosage: Use conventional fruit wine yeast, such as BV818, with a dosage of 300-400g/ton of fermentation solution.
Sugar content and dilution method: The sugar content of honey is usually about 70%, so you can dilute 1.5-2.5 times the volume of honey with water. After dilution, the sugar content is about 30-20%. Dry or sweet mead can be made as desired. The diluted honey ferment does not need to be boiled at high temperature and is directly inoculated with yeast and nutrients for fermentation.
The acidity (PH) does not need to be adjusted according to the above dilution ratio.
Nutrient selection and dosage: There are usually two types of fermentation nutrients: inorganic salts and organic salts. Inorganic salts, such as ammonium phosphate or ammonium sulfate, can supplement nitrogen sources, but lack trace elements. Therefore, it is recommended to use an organic nitrogen source that is rich in nitrogen, minerals and vitamins, such as Angel Ferment FN502.
Choice of fermentation temperature: Medium to low temperature is recommended for the fermentation of honey fermented wine. Try to maintain as much floral and fruity aroma as possible, but do not exceed 25°C. Avoid fermenting at temperatures above 30°C.
Monitor the fermentation process: If conditions permit, check the sugar content and temperature 1-3 times a day. Generally speaking, fermentation can be completed within 7-15 days, depending on the sugar content and temperature.
Post-fermentation processing and post-maturation storage: the usual filtration and clarification processes are followed.
Blending of the wine.
The first is the adjustment of the fermentation substrate. Auxiliary ingredients are used to adjust the fermentation broth, which can reduce the cost of the mead and add different styles of mead.
The first is the adjustment of the fermentation substrate. Fruits (grapes, apples, oranges, lemons, cherries, etc.)
? Flowers (cinnamon, lavender, acacia, jasmine, etc.)
? Spices (cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, coriander seeds, etc.)
The second is the adjustment after fermentation. The above-mentioned raw materials or edible alcohol are used to soak or directly mix the raw wine that has completed ethanol fermentation to reduce the cost, increase the alcohol content, and enrich the quality and character.
The above-mentioned raw ingredients or edible alcohols are used to infuse or directly mix the raw wine with completed ethanol fermentation to reduce the cost, increase the alcohol content, and enrich the quality and character. Fruits, spices, etc., edible alcohol.
Distilled spirits.
Direct distillation of fermented liquor (dry) to increase the alcohol content. Therefore, the higher the alcohol content of fermented spirits, the better, to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Considering the nature of honey and the style and characteristics of mead, it is not recommended to use honey as a distillate. It is better to use fermented liquor and medium liquor as the main liquor. Winemaking is the perfect embodiment of technique and art! It is recommended that the first brewers start with one type of honey and do not make too much at once. When you have experience, you can adjust the ratio of honey, water and other ingredients yourself. As you become a “seasoned driver”, your taste and creativity may lead to amazing creations.
