Ancient Orange Mead Recipe - simple to make

[Beanie]

If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me! - Pete Seeger

Mission

This mead breaks all the rules. It uses BREAD YEAST! And there are no rackings, or stirrings, or any care and feeding whatsoever. Super easy. Just mix it all up in a one gallon glass jug and let it sit for 3-5 months.

Ingredients

* 3.5 lbs honey
* 3 little clementine oranges cut in eighths or smaller (rind and all)
* 1 small handful of raisins
* 1 stick of cinnamon
* 1 whole clove
* 1 teaspoon of Fleismanns (Red Star will work) bread yeast
* water for just under 1 gallon



General Assembly

Clean and prep the 1 gallon glass jug

* Scrub and rinse the glass jug well.

Prepare the must

* Dissolve honey in some warm water and put it in the jug. Wash oranges well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights. Push em through the jug opening -- rinds included.
* Put in raisins, clove, and cinnamon stick. Fill to 3 inches from the top with cool water. Do not fill too high because this mead will foam a lot initially.
* Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.
* When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast.
* Install water airlock. Put in dark, semi-warm place. A kitchen pantry or closet works great. It will start bubbling in about an hour (maybe less).

Further notes

DO NOT RACK
DO NOT FEED
DO NOT DISTURB OR DO ANYTHING AT ALL FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS

The mead will settle and clear on it's own. When it's beautifully clear, rack it carefully (so as not to disturb the very silty yeast) to another container and serve it chilled.

Wow! Try it with a shot of cream floated in the glass. This mead smooths out with age (they all do), so you might consider bottling and hiding it away somewhere.

[Beanie]

If you don't have an airlock, you can use some larger diameter clear pvc tubing and a bottle of water. Make a hole in the cap of the gallon jug so the pvc tube fits and seals well. Stick it in an inch. Run the other end of the tubing into the bottle filled with boiled water or sanitizer (better). Make sure that end stays under water.

The point is to allow CO2 to escape the fermenting gallon jug but not let oyxgen in.

[fennimo]

yay, arts and crafts that result in booze

[Beanie]

Yeah the best part is that you don't need anything special to make it. Just whatever you can get at the store.

[FatSean]

Sounds pretty cool. Are you a mead fan?

[Beanie]

not yet