Ultimate T’ej
Disclaimer: This recipe is for personal use only.
Mead Master’s Note
T’ej has been served in Ethiopia since at least 3000 BC. It is an ancient beverage that is still served in T’ej houses. Often, the T’ej served in these establishments is subpar because ancient mead-making practices are still in use. Gesho sticks are added to honey water and wild fermentation occurs. This yields mixed results.
For years now, I’ve been perfecting my own modern-day T’ej recipe. I thought I had fully perfected the mead, but I decided that I needed to attempt to further improve the recipe to be worthy of a You to Brew box. Ultimately, I decided an African tea called Honeybush could add a nice spice note to the T’ej in addition to gesho flavors. I was truly amazed at how much the mead was improved!
I enjoy this mead straight out of the cold crashed fermentor. It often doesn’t make it to a bottle. I don’t bother stabilizing it because it doesn’t last that long! (If you bottle, please do stabilize for safety).
For a truly authentic experience, create some Ethiopian dishes that pair beautifully with Ultimate T’ej.
Enjoy!
Mead Specifications
Batch Size - 1 gallon
ABV - 16%
Starting Gravity (SG) - 1.135
Final Gravity (FG) - 1.015
Style - Metheglin
Ingredients
Wildflower honey - 3.4 lbs
Wyeast 1388 Smack Pack
Fermaid O - 8.6g, 4.3g per dose.
Potassium carbonate - 2g
Fermaid K - 1.9g
Potassium sorbate - 0.7g
Potassium metabisulfite - 0.4g
Spice Blend
Gesho enchet - 21g
Honeybush tea - 15g
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
Remove Wyeast 1388 packet from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
Burst the internal nutrient packet in the Wyeast 1388 pouch.
Tip: It helps to trap it in a corner before smacking it.Allow the packet to expand for at least 15 minutes. It should swell to demonstrate yeast activation.
Sanitize the pouch corner that will be cut.
Once the yeast and must are at similar temperatures, cut the corner off the pouch and pitch the yeast into the fermenter.
Tip: Do not allow the yeast to sit for longer than 15 minutes.
Fermentation
Store the bucket in a temperature range of 68-78°F. Around 72°F is best.
Take a gravity reading every 3 days with a hydrometer until the gravity reaches 1.015 (10-14 days).
Once fermentation has concluded, transfer the mead into a sanitized carboy.
Stabilizing
ULTIMATE T’EJ IS SUPPOSED TO BE CLOUDY. IT WILL NOT AND SHOULD NOT CLEAR!
Rack off yeast cake into a sanitized carboy. Remove the spice bag here.
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.
