Bray’s One Month Mead (BOMM)

Disclaimer: This recipe is for personal use only.

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Mead Specifications

Batch Size - 5 litres
ABV - 12%
Starting Gravity (SG) - 1.090
Final Gravity (FG) - To taste, personal preference.
Style - Traditional

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Ingredients

• Wildflower honey - 1.5kg

• Wyeast 1388 Smack Pack

• Fermaid O - 4.6g

• Potassium carbonate - 2.6g

• Fermaid K - 2.5g

• Potassium sorbate - 0.9g

• Potassium metabisulfite - 0.5g

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Must Preparation

1. To a demijohn, add the honey, Fermaid O, potassium carbonate, and Fermaid K.

2. add 2 litres of water. We highly suggest using bottled water to avoid chloramines found in tap water.
   Do not use distilled water.

3. Mix until all the honey is dissolved.

4. Add water until slightly shy of the 5-litre mark.

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Yeast Preparation 

1. Allow the Wyeast 1388 yeast package to reach room temperature.

2. Activate the yeast by breaking the internal “smack” packet.

3. Wait for the yeast packet to swell. In general, this should take 10-15 minutes. Sometimes, it can take longer. If it doesn’t swell at all, the yeast may be dead due to poor storage or transport.

4. Pitch once the must and yeast are within 5°C of each other.

5. Add airlock to the demijohn.

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Fermentation

1. Store the demijohn in a temperature range of 20-22°C.

2. Take a gravity reading every 3 days with a hydrometer until the gravity reaches 1.000 (7-10 days).

3. Once fermentation has concluded, transfer the mead into a sanitised demijohn.

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Stabilising

1. Cold crash in a fridge until clear. (Optional) Cold temperatures speed clearing, but clearing will occur without it.

2. Rack the clear mead into a sanitised demijohn.

3. Add the potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite to the demijohn and mix well. Allow to sit for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally until clear.
   Note: After stabilising, there will be a harsh note resembling fusels in the mead for a few weeks. This is caused by the stabiliser and will age out as the stabiliser completes its protective purpose.

4. After 24 hours, add the following to your desired sweetness:

   Dry - do nothing.
   Off-Dry - add 75 g honey (1.005)
   Semi-Sweet - 150 g honey (1.010)
   Sweet Mead - 220 g honey (1.020)

   Note: If you aren’t sure, I suggest starting with off-dry. Allow to stand a few days, and taste. You can always add more, but you cannot take it back!

5. A few days after mixing, cold crash in the fridge to speed clearing. (Optional)

6. Bottle into sanitised bottles.

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Tips and Tricks

1. Place your demijohn into a larger container to contain any potential spill over from fermentation.

2. If your home is cold, the top back of the fridge is great for keeping the fermentation warm.

3. A spray bottle of diluted sanitiser is great for sanitising surfaces, especially hands.

4. The first time you use a non-graduated bucket, add 5 litres at a time and draw a line for each.

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