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.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
12%
Fermentation
4–6 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.
Single-varietal, raw or minimally processed.
Chlorine-free.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets
Preserves floral esters; well-suited to varietal honey meads.
| 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 completely. Cool before adding to fermenter.
Add honey solution to fermenter. Top up with filtered water to 5.5 gallons. Mix thoroughly.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.090.
Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrient additions. Ferment at 65–72°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 3–6 months. The mead will clarify naturally.
Bottle or keg. Allow to age at least 3 months before serving.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging. Still mead may be bottled in standard wine bottles.
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
12%
Original gravity
1.090
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange blossom honey | 13 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4.5 | gallons | |
| Fermaid-O | 10 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 5 | g | ⚠ review |
| Potassium metabisulfite (Campden)(optional) | 1 | packets | fixed |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 2.
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