This is the way I make my mead, though be warned, I've no idea how strong it turns out!It tastes stronger than Continental Beers but not as strong as wine. Tastes great! ;D It's only fairly sweet so if you add 5-6lbs as suggested by fluffygrue, it'll be sweet! I've no idea what it tastes like after 6 months as I've never had any last that long! :)
Ingredients
1.8Kg (4lb) Brown Honey
1 Large Lemon
200g (7 oz) demerara sugar
20g (3/4 oz) citric or tartaric acid
3.5 l (6 pints) warm water
500g raisins (Optional if not using Yeast Nutrient)
1 Packet Winemakers Yeast + Yeast Nutrient
1g Potassium Sorbate
1 Campden Tablet
Process
Dissolve the honey in warm water, and add the acid. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and strain it. When the must (honey + water) is cool, stir in the lemon juice and add the yeast. Pour it into a demi-john, fit an airlock and ferment in a warm, dark place for a week. Take off the airlock and stir in the sugar. Replace the airlock, and leave it until there are no new bubbles in the airlock for a few days.
Rack the wine into a sterilized jar using a piece of sterilized tubing, and then add a crushed campden tablet and the potassium sorbate to end the fermentation permanently.
Wait until you can read a paper through the demi-john then siphon off into bottles, taking care not to disturb the sediment.
Leave to mature for 6 months before drinking unless you can't keep your mucky mitts off it like me!
