Need simple 3gal recipe

[Okie Parrish]

Looking for a simple 3 gal mead recipe....the plan is to split into 3 smaller batchs at secondary and flavor each differently

Never made any mead b4 thats why I'm wanting to split it and try multiple flavors

I was thinking leaving 1gal unflavored.
1gal I think ill crush some blackberrys into carboy b4 racking
Still cant decide flavor for last gal

A recipe to start with is what I need most but always open to any advice your willing to share

 

[meadmaker1]

I dont really have a recipe. Wouldnt follow it if i did.
About two lbs per gallon of water and fermaid k per instructions.
One over ripe banana and the juice from 1 lemon per gallon
Lavin d47 or 71b yeast
I have a habit of using apple juice in place of water but not always, i generally am making fruit wines. Adding fruit after primary adds to the need for aging

 

[StevenD55]

When you use apple juice

I dont really have a recipe. Wouldnt follow it if i did.
About two lbs per gallon of water and fermaid k per instructions.
One over ripe banana and the juice from 1 lemon per gallon
Lavin d47 or 71b yeast
I have a habit of using apple juice in place of water but not always, i generally am making fruit wines. Adding fruit after primary adds to the need for aging

2 + questions:

What is the reason for the banana?

Do you use clear apple juice or with some pulp? And if with pulp is pectin enzyme a good idea?

 

[BernardSmith]

Coming to this a little late, but in my opinion if Okie Parrish has never made a mead then Okie would be better making three one gallon batches but making each batch sequentially rather than all together so that Okie can see the strengths and weaknesses revealed by the previous batch.

In my opinion, the best way to learn how to make mead well is to make what is called a traditional mead - that is honey, water, yeast and nutrients: no other additions. Trad meads are absolutely naked and there is no place to disguise or hide flaws. What I would do is look for three different varietals. Varietals can all hold the spotlight. Okie might select the same yeast and could for this "experiment" decide on the same ratio of honey to water for all three batches or could make one a session mead - say 1.5 lbs of honey to make a gallon, the second, say 2.5 lbs of honey and the third, perhaps 4 lbs with the last pound being used to step feed the yeast. When mead makers can make a great traditional mead the world is their oyster because they then really understand how to take care of the yeast.