In Part 1, Rick explained the simple method for making mead, an ancient beverage of fermented honey.
Next Steps
Today, Rick racked the mead to a freshly washed carboy to get rid of the sediment that had started to build up over the past 5 weeks. We’ll keep half of the original concoction as-is to make a dry mead with nothing else added. The other half of the mead was racked onto elderberry juice, making it a melomel.
To make the juice, boil the elderberries in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes, then allow to cool slightly. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve or several layers of cheese cloth before adding it to the mead. This cooking and straining process is important so that you remove the toxins from the raw berries.
Both the mead and the melomel will get another round of yeast nutrient. Then we’ll move them to a quite spot in the basement for at least 9 months. Our plan is to then bottle the beverages and allow them to condition for a few weeks to add carbonation. We’ll then taste them several times over a few months to see how the flavors are developing.