1 mouthful of hydrogen peroxide and water or hard liquor
1 tbsp. added to 1 gal. warm water Logic One Step No-Rinse Cleaner for sterilizing everything used
4 gals. of purified premium drinking water, aerated and remineralized with calcium, magnesium, and potassium
1 clean kitchen, wipe down counters, sinks, stove, etc. with bleach and water to kill bacteria, make clean as possible!
Making the must!
Pasteurize in 3 gal. cook pot at 165 F degrees for 10 mins. the mixture of honey, water, raisons, lemon peels and juice. Stir well to mix water and honey. Use strainer to skim off any bee butts, legs, wings, etc. that float to top of must during heating.Turn off heat and cover pot with lid. Let stand for about 12 hours so it can cool to room temperature. You can also cool the pot in the refrigerator or with ice in the sink. The must has to cool enough so the yeast won't die when pitched.
Read the directions on the yeast packet for temperature range and how to wake up yeast before it is pitched.
Brew 5 cups of strong English Black Tea using purified premium drinking water.
Remove lemon peels from the must after it has cooled to room temperature.
Rinse mouth with hydrogen peroxide and water or hard liquor.
Rack the must by siphoning with clean racking tube into clean carboy and use clean large funnel for pouring in the raisons.
Add cooled tea and orange juice.
Per directions wake up the yeast! [Lalvin D-47: Dissolve the dry yeast in 50ml (2 oz.) of warm, NOT HOT, water at 40-43 C or 104-109 F. Let stand 15 minutes without stirring, then stir well to suspend all the yeast.]
Using the clean small funnel, pitch the yeast into the carboy!
Top off carboy by filling with purified water, 2 1/2 inches from bottom of stopper of blow off tube. (Do not allow blow off tube opening to get plugged up!)
Install clean stopper and blow off tube.
Slosh carboy around to aerate must and force air out.
Place carboy in dark closet or room or cover to protect yeast from light. Room temp should be about 68 F - 75 F degrees.
If fermentation does not begin within 24 - 48 hours do the yeast step all over again.
Fermentation lasts at least 1 or 2 months.
Must should be racked montly into another carboy leaving sediment behind. This would be a good time to add flavoring.
Top off with purified water at 5 gals. Taste test the must at each racking.
Bottle when mead is clear enough to read newsprint held against side of carboy.
Be more patient than our ancient ancestors were. The best mead takes 1 - 3 years.