A warming, spiced mead built on wildflower honey and fresh ginger root. Ginger adds a bright, peppery heat and a distinctive spice character. Targets 12% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
12%
Fermentation
3–5 weeks
Conditioning
2–4 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.
Add in secondary. Taste daily — ginger heat extracts quickly.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets
| 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.
Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.090.
Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Primary typically completes in 3–5 weeks.
Rack. Add sliced ginger in a sanitized muslin bag. Taste daily — ginger heat extracts quickly.
Remove ginger when desired heat is reached. Condition for 2–4 months.
Carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes CO2. Package into pressure-rated bottles.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before carbonating. Use vessels rated for carbonation pressure.
Honey and water scale linearly. Ginger addition does NOT scale linearly — adjust to taste. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.
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 | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildflower honey | 12 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4.5 | gallons | |
| Fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced | 4 | oz | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 6.
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