July 29, 2018

My mead kit is on the way, and I am making preparations for my first batch. Based on  some vlogs I watched on YouTube, I think I need to get some yeast nutrient and energizer. It doesn’t come with the kit, but it sounds important. Honey and water don’t provide an ideal environment for yeast, and the nutrient and energizer ensure that the yeast have a happy place to thrive and do their thing.

I’ve decided to make a blueberry mead for my first batch. There are a lot of opinions about whether to add fruit at the beginning, during primary fermentation, or after primary fermentation is done. It sounds like the former provides a more subtle flavor and aroma and the latter creates a more pronounced flavor and aroma. I decide to put my fruit in the primary. Mead expert Steve Piatz agrees with this approach, so I feel validated (although there are plenty of experts who go with the other approach – you can’t really go wrong and it all depends on your preferences).

In reading some recipes, I decide to follow advice to add some lemon juice to the mix to even out the flavor. Also, Jen provided a great suggestion of using lavender. We have a ton of lavender in the house, and I decide to make a lavender tea in place of the water. This will (hopefully) impart a nice flavor and aroma to the mead.

My recipe is below:

• Brew 1 oz lavender in 1 gallon water – steep until water is completely cool
• Mix lavender tea with 3 lbs honey in fermenter
• Add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice in fermenter – aerate
• Add 2 lb frozen blueberries
• Add nutrient and energizer per instructions
• Pitch yeast (1 oz Red Star Premier Rouge, rehydrated per the instructions on the packet)
• Measure the SG
• Lock until done + 3 days
• Taste, maybe add fruit, and rack