How to rescue a mead

[user 39926]

So as an experiment, I knew what was going to happen but I had 1/2 a packet of yeast just lying about, I concocted a mead using cheap supermarket honey (Morrison's brand).

From racking into secondary, suspicions confirmed - watery, not much honey at all. I used the same recipe with some of the extra-special variety a few months back and by comparison that is much better.

Initial gravity 1.090 - from a reading just now (under by a finger nail) - 1.000. So it's fermented out, it has that going for it.

So I've got something with alcohol, but not much else going for it. Then a thought struck me - as this was an experiment anyway - anything cheap that I could stick into secondary, that may do something positive to this ?

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

Vodka soaked cinnamon stick?

 

[Jim Brewster]

Could you back sweeten it with more honey?

Are you saying the cheap honey is the reason it's not so good? Only brewed mead once and it wasn't so good either

 

[user 39926]

hmmm. Interesting on the cinnamon, I do have some ginger the freezer - could do something with that. Kind of reluctant to throw a decent honey into this brew, it'd revive it a bit, don't think it'd bring it back fully.

yes, it's the honey, if you use something a bit more expensive it does show (as said same recipe with a more expensive variety and you can tell). Maybe I could cut this with something, I mean it has alcoholic content.

 

[johncrobinson]

Mead is very much an acquired taste
The romance surrounding this ancient drink leads many astray.

I have made a lot of spiced mead's in my time,Some have come out quite nice ,However I would not go into full time production.
I prefer fruit wines.

 

[dwhite60]

Time.

What it needs is time. Bottle it and forget about it for a couple years.

Time fixes most issues with mead.

 

[johncrobinson]

True Time is the answer and the most precious of all commodities.

 

[user 39926]

Swift update. Initially watery as described - sampled a smaller bottle last week and still the same, but there is something there a slight (v tiny) don't know if improvement is the word I'd use. Not much honey, but it's slightly more rounded. May be OK chilled down.

So yep, time it is :) Going to forget about the rest for another 12mths and see again.