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Cinnamon Mead

A warming, spiced mead built on wildflower honey and Ceylon cinnamon. Cinnamon adds a gentle warmth without overpowering the honey character. Targets 12% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.

By Modern MazerPublished Version 1.0.0

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Batch size

5 gallons

Target ABV

12%

Fermentation

3–5 weeks

Conditioning

3–6 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.

Ingredients

  • 12 lbsWildflower honey
  • 4.5 gallonsFiltered water
  • 4 eachCeylon cinnamon sticks

    Add in secondary. Ceylon preferred over Cassia for lower coumarin content.

  • 10 gFermaid-O
  • 5 gFermaid-K

Yeast

Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets

Nutrient schedule

TimingNutrientQtyNotes
Day 0 (pitch)Fermaid-O2.5 g
24 hoursFermaid-O2.5 g
48 hoursFermaid-O2.5 g
1/3 sugar breakFermaid-O2.5 g
Day 0 (pitch)Fermaid-K5 g

Process

  1. Sanitize all equipment

    Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.

  2. Build honey must

    Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.

  3. Take OG reading

    Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.090.

  4. Pitch yeast and nutrients

    Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.

  5. Staggered nutrient additions

    Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.

  6. Monitor primary fermentation

    Check gravity every few days. Primary typically completes in 3–5 weeks.

  7. Add cinnamon in secondary

    Rack. Add cinnamon sticks in a sanitized muslin bag. Allow 1–2 weeks of contact. Taste regularly.

  8. Remove cinnamon and condition

    Remove cinnamon. Condition for 3–6 months.

  9. Package

    Bottle or keg.

Packaging

Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.

Safety notes

  • Never bottle a mead that has not fully finished fermenting.
  • Use Ceylon cinnamon rather than Cassia to minimize coumarin exposure.
  • Sanitize all equipment that contacts the must or finished mead.

Scaling notes

Honey and water scale linearly. Cinnamon does NOT scale linearly — adjust to taste. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.

Batch Scaling Calculator

Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.

Target ABV

12%

Original gravity

1.090

Final gravity

1.004

Sweetness

semi sweet

Finished volume

5 gallons

Gross starting volume

5.5 gallons

Expected loss

0.5 gallons(9%)

Ingredient quantities at original batch size
IngredientQuantityUnitScaling notes
Wildflower honey12lbs
Filtered water4.5gallons
Ceylon cinnamon sticks4each⚠ review
Fermaid-O10g⚠ review
Fermaid-K5g⚠ review

⚠ Ingredients requiring review

  • Ceylon cinnamon sticks: Ingredient "Ceylon cinnamon sticks" (id: cinnamon) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
  • Fermaid-O: Ingredient "Fermaid-O" (id: fermaid-o) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
  • Fermaid-K: Ingredient "Fermaid-K" (id: fermaid-k) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
Scaled quantities are mathematical estimates. Fermentation performance, yeast requirements, nutrient schedules, vessel headspace, temperature control, and legal requirements must be reviewed for the target batch size.

References & sources

Version history

  • v1.0.0— Modern Mazer

    Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 6.