A light, elegant traditional mead built on acacia honey — one of the most delicate and prized European varietals. Acacia honey is nearly colorless, with a mild vanilla and floral character that ferments to a clean, refined mead. Targets 11.5% ABV with a semi-dry finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
11.5%
Fermentation
4–6 weeks
Conditioning
4–8 months
Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.
Premium European varietal. Nearly colorless, mild flavor.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets
Preserves delicate floral esters of premium varietal honey.
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 2.5 g | |
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-K | 5 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Warm 1 gallon of water to 100°F. Dissolve honey gently. Cool before adding.
Add honey solution to fermenter. Top up with filtered water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.086.
Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–70°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Fermentation typically completes in 4–6 weeks.
Rack off lees. Minimize oxygen exposure.
Condition for 4–8 months.
Bottle or keg.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.
Honey and water scale linearly. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly — recalculate using TOSNA for any batch size change.
Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.
Target ABV
11.5%
Original gravity
1.086
Final gravity
1.002
Sweetness
semi sweet
Finished volume
5 gallons
Gross starting volume
5.5 gallons
Expected loss
0.5 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia honey | 12.5 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4.5 | gallons | |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 2.
A refined traditional mead built on linden (basswood) honey — a European and North American varietal with a distinctive minty, slightly woody character. Linden honey produces a mead with excellent complexity and a long, clean finish. Targets 12.5% ABV with a semi-dry finish. 5-gallon batch.
A bold, robust traditional mead built on dark buckwheat honey. Buckwheat honey is one of the most intensely flavored varietals — earthy, molasses-like, and deeply complex. This recipe targets 13% ABV with a semi-sweet finish that balances the honey's natural intensity. 5-gallon batch.
A delicate, floral traditional mead built on single-varietal orange blossom honey. Orange blossom honey contributes a light citrus-floral character that ferments clean and bright. Targets 12% ABV with a semi-dry finish. 5-gallon batch.