Orange Blossom Traditional Mead

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Orange Blossom Mead

The following beer recipe is featured in the July/August 2021 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

Recipe courtesy Matt Weide.

This is a quick, easy recipe that I have found to work very well. I like using Lalvin 71B yeast, which can withstand high osmotic pressure from the sugar.
For an interesting variation, try replacing 10 percent of the orange blossom honey with a complementary varietal like quince blossom honey, which also has floral fruity notes that will provide layers to your final mead.

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The following beer recipe is featured in the July/August 2021 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

Recipe courtesy Matt Weide.

This is a quick, easy recipe that I have found to work very well. I like using Lalvin 71B yeast, which can withstand high osmotic pressure from the sugar.
For an interesting variation, try replacing 10 percent of the orange blossom honey with a complementary varietal like quince blossom honey, which also has floral fruity notes that will provide layers to your final mead.

Ingredients:

  • HONEY
  • 12 lb. (5.44 kg) orange blossom honey
  • WATER
  • 2.5 gal. (9.5 L) RO or spring water, UV treated
  • YEAST
  • 15 g Lalvin 71B
  • ADDITIONAL ITEMS
  • 20 g GoFerm
  • 10 g Fermaid K, divided into three additions

Specifications:

Yield: 3 US gal (11.4 L)

Directions:

Rehydrate yeast in GoFerm and about 350 mL water at 100°F (38°C) and let sit for 15 minutes. Mix the honey with water using a wine whip and add O2 with a sintered stone for 60 seconds.

Atemper the yeast and GoFerm solution with about 50 mL of must every 5 minutes until it is within 10°F (6°C) of desired pitch temperature. In the first 24 hours, add another 60 seconds of O₂ and ⅓ of the Fermaid K. On day 3, add ⅓ of Fermaid K, and then add the remaining ⅓ on day 5. Be sure to vigorously wine whip twice a day in first 72 hours to degas. After the third day, I try to not form a convex cone so as to not draw O₂ into the must, but I do continue to stir for at least 7 days.


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