Mead recipe. Video
Mead is a low-alcohol drink that has a rather ancient history and does not lose its relevance over time. And it is not surprising, because mead is distinguished by its unique taste and aroma. It is quite possible to revive the old days and try to make this honey drink at home.
Basic information about the drink
Over time, the recipe for the drink has undergone minor changes. Now there is no need to bury a barrel of honey in the ground and wait for the drink to ferment. The current mead uses heat in conjunction with yeast to reduce fermentation time. In fact, mead is a low-alcohol drink with a strength of 6-16 degrees, brewed on the basis of honey, water and yeast.
The main ingredient of mead is forest, flower, meadow or field honey, the taste of the drink depends on its type and quality. For cooking, take only light and fragrant varieties of honey. Fermentation of mead can take from 5 days to 5 months, the density of the drink and its strength depend on this period. If you add berries when cooking, the mead will only become healthier, because during fermentation, the fruits give up all their useful substances.
The recipe for cooking mead
Take: – 300 grams of honey, – 2 liters of water, – 5 grams of hop cones (sold at the pharmacy), – 1 teaspoon of dry yeast, – 0,5 teaspoon of nutmeg, – 0,5 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Boil water in an enamel saucepan, then, stirring constantly, pour in honey in a thin stream and cook this mixture for 3-5 minutes. Be sure to skim off the resulting foam. Then add the hop cones, nutmeg and cinnamon. Remove from heat and leave to cool with the lid closed. At this time, dilute the yeast with 3-4 tbsp. tablespoons of sweetened water and leave this solution for an hour.
In addition to the glove, you can use a water seal. It is not difficult to make it. Place one end of the rubber tube over the surface of the mead, and lower the other into a container of water
The honey solution should cool down to 40 ° C. Pour the prepared yeast into the warm solution. Cover again and leave to ferment until foam forms. After 2 days, pour the drink into a jar. Close it with a tight lid to prevent excess air from entering the jar. Instead of a lid, you can use a rubber glove so that the gases generated during fermentation stretch it, rather than creating additional pressure on the container.
To check the readiness of the mead, take a burning match and gently bring it to the neck of the container with the drink. If the match does not flare up, but continues to burn with an even flame, the mead is ready
Once the mead is ready, strain the drink through cheesecloth and pour into small plastic bottles. Close containers tightly and place in a cool place for 5 days. After this time, a delicious eight-degree drink is ready.
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