Ragnar’s Horn

Written By Bray Denard, PhD

Disclaimer: This recipe is for personal use only.

Mead Master’s Note

I love making historical meads. The thrill of bringing back a beverage long lost to time is an adventure. In addition, these historical meads rarely taste like anything you’ve experienced before. 

Vikings get a lot of attention for their fighting prowess, but Viking was just a job description that involved seafaring and trading more than fighting. Most of the Nordic people were farmers and foragers. They had a full understanding of herbs and spices from generations of trial and error. Lingonberries were a staple as they still are today. Many herbs were used both for taste as well as medicine. Some items were obtained from an extensive trading network setup by these master sea voyagers. 

In reality, we don’t have any written language from the Viking age. All we have is a knowledge of ingredients available and cultural anecdotes that continue to this day. Ragnar’s Horn is only one of many possible meads that could have been made during the age. I hope you enjoy this well-balanced mead that we have created!

Skol!

Mead Specifications

Batch Size - 5 litres
ABV - 13.1%
Starting Gravity (SG) - 1.100
Final Gravity (FG) - 1.020 (Recommended)
Style - Metheglin

Ingredients

Spice Blend

  • Juniper berries - 65g

  • Lingonberries - 39g

  • Dried ginger root - 6.5g

  • Meadowsweet - 6.5g

  • Bog myrtle - 6.5g

Must Preparation

  1. To a sanitised ten-litre bucket, add the honey, first dose of Fermaid O, potassium carbonate, and Fermaid K.

  2. add 2.5 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.

  5. Add the spices from the spice blend to the bucket.

Yeast Preparation

  1. In a sanitised microwave-safe glass measuring jug, heat 165 ml of water to 38°C in a microwave.

  2. Mix the Go-Ferm into the hot water.

  3. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir vigorously.

  4. After 10 minutes, add the yeast solution to the bucket.

Note: Do not allow the yeast to sit for longer than 15 minutes.

Fermentation

  1. Store the bucket in a temperature range of 10-26°C. Around 18°C is best.

  2. 48 hours after pitching the yeast, add the second dose of Fermaid O.

  3. Take a gravity reading every 3 days with a hydrometer until the gravity reaches 1.000 (10-14 days).

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

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

  5. Bottle into sanitised bottles.

Tips and Tricks

  1. Place your bucket 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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Bray Denard, PhD
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