Q&A for How to Make Mead

You would use a gauge to tell the specific gravity of the solution before fermentation, which shows the maximum potential alcohol level.

There are a few strains of yeast used to make champagne, sparkling wine and cider. A highly common strain would be Lalvin EC-1118. EC-1118 would be a good choice for mead due to its high alcohol tolerance and acceptable temperature range. Addition of a yeast nutrient and energizer will help this strain to thrive.

Alcohol content varies based on the type of yeast you use, how much honey or other sweetener you use and how long you allow your mead to ferment. Tap water is fine.

You may have a stuck fermentation. Adding Lalvin EC-1118 or Wyeast 4632 will restart your batch. Normally it should only take 24 to 48 hours to see notable signs of active fermentation.

There are several different suppliers of yeast online, White Labs and Wyeast both have a great selection. To keep it sweet at 10-15% abv, you will need to use more honey or fruit juice or some other kind of sweet source. My recipe is be a five gallon batch with 18 lbs of honey, a half gallon of fruit juice to help the yeast out (apple in order to avoid flavor from it), and Sweet Mead Yeast from White Labs. If you can get honey from a local beekeeper, all the better.

Yes, but it will not yield as high of an alcohol content and the taste will be affected.

Yes, you certainly can!

You can add more honey to sweeten it. Add a little bit at a time and taste it. Continue to add honey until it has reached your desired sweetness.

Yes. I recommend the book Make Mead Like a Viking for other sources of wild yeasts.

In the primary stage, you should leave it until the fermentation stops, which is usually around a month. In the secondary stages and beyond, the longer you wait, the better.

You can use any yeast, but test with different types to get your desired dry/sweet results.

Toss it. Either one of the utensils or the bottle likely were not properly sterilized. Don't chance it. Mold doesn't belong in a fermentation process.

You can add a small amount of sugar into the bottle. There's some yeast left, and it will start producing CO2 (and alcohol) from the sugar.

Let it ferment a little longer and then siphon or "rack" the liquid into a new container. You may have to repeat the process a few times to achieve clear mead.

A very small amount of yeast is required. It will say how much to add on the yeast's directions for use.

In most places, yes. The general rule of thumb is if it's legal to make wine, then it's legal to make mead where you are. Mead isn't distilled, which means in the US it isn't subject to federal laws regarding distilled spirits like whisky or rum. That means it's up to your state laws. However, it's always better to be safe than sorry and face a hefty fine if you're breaking the law by making mead. Go to your state government's website and look for laws regarding homemade wine and alcohol. If you're unsure, try emailing or calling your local government to ask about it. You may need to get a license in order to start brewing mead.

It takes at least 4 weeks for the mead to be ready to be consumed. But, you can't just pop it open and start drinking it. During the fermentation process, a layer of sediment will form at the bottom of the container. Use a siphoning hose or tube to transfer the mead into another clean container to separate it from the sediment. Once you’ve siphoned the mead and separated it from the sediment in the container, seal the new container with an airlock to allow the gasses to escape. Eventually, sediment will collect on the bottom of that container as well, so when you're ready to harvest your mead, siphon the liquid into another clean container to separate it from the sediment again. You may need to repeat the siphoning process a few times until the mead is clear and no longer cloudy. Once it's nice and clear, you can enjoy your mead!

Yes! Mead, like a fine wine, only gets better with age. If you're making the mead yourself, once it's finished and ready for final bottling, use a siphon to transfer the mead from the container. Put a length of tubing from the container of mead to the bottom of the empty bottle, shake the hose up and down in the mead to start the flow, and fill the bottles from the bottom up to minimize exposure to oxygen, which can alter the flavor. Cap or cork the bottles as soon as you finish filling them. The longer the mead ages, the more flavorful and mellow it tastes. Stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight, your mead can last up to 2 years. But after that point, the mead can start to spoil and take on an acidic, vinegar taste.