Ragnar’s Horn
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 - 1 gallon
ABV - 13.1%
Starting Gravity (SG) - 1.100
Final Gravity (FG) - 1.020 (Recommended)
Style - Metheglin
Ingredients
Wildflower honey - 2.5 lbs
Lalvin W15 - 4g
Go-Ferm - 5g
Fermaid O - 4.6g, 2.3g per dose.
Potassium carbonate - 2g
Fermaid K - 1.9g
Potassium sorbate - 0.6g
Potassium metabisulfite - 0.3g
Spice Blend
Juniper berries - 50g
Lingonberries - 30g
Dried ginger root - 5g
Meadowsweet - 5g
Sweet gale - 5g
Must Preparation
To a sanitized two-gallon bucket, add the honey, first dose of Fermaid O, potassium carbonate, and Fermaid K.
add 2 liters of water. We highly suggest using bottled water to avoid chloramines found in tap water.
Do not use distilled water.Mix until all the honey is dissolved.
Add water until slightly shy of the gallon mark.
Add the spices from the spice blend to the bucket.
Yeast Preparation
In a sanitized microwave-safe glass measuring jug, heat 125 ml of water to 101°F in a microwave.
Mix the Go-Ferm into the hot water.
Sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir vigorously.
After 10 minutes, add the yeast solution to the bucket.
Note: Do not allow the yeast to sit for longer than 15 minutes.
Fermentation
Store the bucket in a temperature range of 50-80°F. Around 65°F is best.
48 hours after pitching the yeast, add the second dose of Fermaid O.
Take a gravity reading every 3 days with a hydrometer until the gravity reaches 1.000 (10-14 days).
Once fermentation has concluded, transfer the mead into a sanitized carboy.
Stabilizing
Cold crash in a refrigerator until clear. (Optional) Cold temperatures speed clearing, but clearing will occur without it.
Rack the clear mead into a sanitized carboy.
Add the potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite to the carboy and mix well. Allow to sit for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally until clear.
Note: After stabilizing, there will be a harsh note resembling fusels in the mead for a few weeks. This is caused by the stabilizer and will age out as the stabilizer completes its protective purpose.A few days after mixing, cold crash in the fridge to speed clearing. (Optional)
Bottle into sanitized bottles.
Tips and Tricks
Place your bucket into a larger container to contain any potential spill over from fermentation.
If your home is cold, the top back of the fridge is great for keeping the fermentation warm.
A spray bottle of diluted sanitizer is great for sanitizing surfaces, especially hands.
The first time you use a non-graduated bucket, add a gallon of water at a time and draw a line for each.
