Expert: Chris Bushman - 7/16/2004

Question
Hi Chris:
I just started homwebrewing after I tasted a mead a friend of a friend made, that tasted better then anything I've ever tasted. I am looking for recipes for a mead that tastes more like a beer then a sweet desert wine. Would this be called an ale mead, or would it possibly have other names? Do you have any recipes for a bitter/beer like mead? Please let me know. I would greatly appreciate your help. Thanks!
-David

Answer
Hi David,

There are all kinds of special names for meads made with extra ingredients.

A mead made from honey and malt is called "braggot".  If you do a Google search, it will give you a couple of thousand pages to read about it.  It's not my favorite style of mead so I don't have any personal recipes.

If you like your mead less sweet, you can just brew it with less honey (about 12# for a 5 gal batch) and end up with a dry mead.

I like "melomel" style meads.  That's mead made with fruit or fruit extract. I sometimes add Oregon Brand fruit puree since they are already pasturized.

I've also made "cyser", mead made with added apples.  We have an apple tree in the back yard and it works well. The apples are a bit too tart for eating but just right for dry cyser.

Happy brewing David,

Chris Bushman
Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society
North Hollywood, California