How to Make Mead: The Beginner's Path
Mead is perhaps the oldest alcoholic beverage in human history—ancient, natural, and elegant. Made from honey, water, and yeast, mead has been enjoyed for thousands of years across virtually every culture. Despite its ancient origins, mead is experiencing a modern renaissance, with craft meaderies appearing worldwide.
Making mead at home is surprisingly straightforward. With just honey, water, and yeast, you can create everything from light, dry table wines to rich, sweet dessert-style beverages. In this guide, we'll walk you through the fundamentals of mead making.
Understanding Mead
Mead is simply fermented honey water—honey diluted with water, then fermented with yeast. The simplicity is part of its beauty, but it also means that quality ingredients and proper technique are essential.
Types of Mead
- Traditional Mead: Honey, water, and yeast only—no additives
- Melomel: Mead made with fruit
- Metheglin: Mead with spices
- Pyment: Mead made with grapes (or grape juice)
- Cyser: Mead made with apples (hard cider)
- Braggot: Mead made with malted grains
Mead Styles by Sweetness
- Dry: Fermented to completion, no residual sugar
- Semi-Sweet: Some residual sugar remains
- Sweet: Significant residual sugar
The Basics: Ingredients
Honey
The most important ingredient. Quality matters:
- Raw honey: Unpasteurized, unprocessed—best flavor
- Local honey: May have local pollen benefits
- Varietal honey: Different flowers = different flavors
Avoid:
- Processed honey (cooked, pasteurized)
- Honey with added sugar or corn syrup
- Old or crystallized honey (may not ferment well)
Water
Use clean, filtered water. Tap water with chlorine can harm yeast—let it sit overnight or use filtered water.
Yeast
While wild yeast can work, using wine yeast gives more predictable results:
- EC-1118: Reliable, alcohol-tolerant, neutral
- DV10: Good for dry meads
- QA23: Enhances aromatics
Yeast Nutrients
Mead requires nutrients just like grape wine. Use a wine yeast nutrient according to package directions.
Basic Traditional Mead Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs honey (about 3.5 cups)
- 1 gallon water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 packet wine yeast (EC-1118)
Equipment
- 1-gallon carboy or jar
- Airlock and stopper
- Hydrometer
Method
Clean and sanitize your fermenter, airlock, and all equipment.
Heat 1 gallon of water to about 110°F (43°C). Add honey and stir until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.
Use your hydrometer to measure the Brix. It should be around 14-16° Brix for a dry mead.
Add yeast nutrient according to package directions.
Rehydrate yeast according to package directions, then add to the must. Stir gently to distribute.
Cover with an airlock and ferment at room temperature (65-75°F/18-24°C). Fermentation should start within 24-48 hours and last 2-4 weeks.
When fermentation is complete (gravity stable for 2-3 days), rack to a clean carboy.
Age for at least 3-6 months. Mead benefits from aging.
Bottle and store. Mead can be enjoyed young but improves with age.
For sweeter mead, stop fermentation early by refrigerating (cold crashing) or adding sulfites. For very sweet mead, you can also add honey after fermentation is complete.
Understanding Honey Concentrations
The ratio of honey to water determines your mead's character:
| Style | Honey per Gallon | Expected ABV |
|---|---|---|
| Light/Short | 1-2 lbs | 5-8% |
| Standard | 2.5-3 lbs | 10-14% |
| Rich/Sweet | 4+ lbs | 14%+ |
🔬 Why This Works: The Chemistry of Mead
Mead fermentation is simpler than grape wine in some ways, more challenging in others:
Honey Composition: Honey is primarily fructose and glucose (simple sugars that yeast can ferment directly). Unlike grapes, honey has little to no nitrogen or other nutrients—hence the need for yeast nutrients.
No Native Acidity: Grapes have natural acidity from tartaric and malic acids. Honey has almost no acidity, so mead can taste "flat" without adjustment. Consider adding acid blend.
Osmotic Pressure: Very high honey concentrations can actually inhibit yeast due to osmotic pressure. Starting with very high-gravity musts can lead to stuck fermentation. For high-alcohol meads, consider step-feeding sugar.
Popular Variations
Melomel (Fruit Mead)
Add fruit during fermentation:
- Add 1-2 lbs of crushed fruit per gallon
- Use berries, stone fruits, or citrus
- Add pectic enzyme if fruit is high in pectin
- Rack off fruit after 1-2 weeks
Metheglin (Spiced Mead)
Add spices during aging:
- Common spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla
- Add a small amount to taste
- Remove after desired flavor is reached
Cyser (Apple Mead)
Mix honey and apple cider:
- Replace half the water with apple cider
- Follow standard mead process
- Can allow malolactic fermentation for smoothness
Common Problems
Fermentation Won't Start
- Temperature too cold—warm gently
- Honey may be too old or poor quality
- Not enough nutrients—add more
Fermentation Stops Too Early
- May have too much honey (high osmotic pressure)
- Temperature may have dropped
- May need more nutrients
Flat Taste
- Needs more acidity—add acid blend
- May need aging—mead improves with time
Cloudy
- Needs more time to clear
- Can fine with bentonite
Aging and Serving
Aging
Mead improves dramatically with age:
- Age at least 3-6 months minimum
- Premium meads improve for years
- Store in cool, dark place
Serving
- Serve slightly cool (50-55°F for dry, 45-50°F for sweet)
- Use wine glasses
- Can be paired with cheese, nuts, or dessert
Conclusion
Mead is one of the simplest and most rewarding beverages to make at home. With just honey, water, and yeast, you can create something ancient, elegant, and delicious.
Start with a basic traditional mead. Taste it as it ages. Experiment with fruit and spices. Most importantly, enjoy the process—this is winemaking at its most elemental.
Ready for another alternative? Check out our guide to Making Cider.