A premium traditional mead built on rare Tupelo honey from the Apalachicola River basin. Tupelo honey has an exceptionally high fructose content that resists crystallization and produces a uniquely buttery, floral mead. Targets 12.5% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
12.5%
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 single-varietal. Source from reputable Apalachicola region producers.
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 — avoid overheating to preserve aromatics. Cool before adding.
Add honey solution to fermenter. Top up with filtered water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.094.
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. Tupelo mead benefits from extended aging.
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
12.5%
Original gravity
1.094
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tupelo honey | 13.5 | 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.
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