A competition-oriented show mead built on a single-source wildflower honey. No adjuncts — honey, water, yeast, and nutrients only. Designed to showcase the terroir and character of the honey. Targets 13% ABV with a semi-dry finish. 3-gallon batch.
Hero image — add via media slot
Batch size
3 gallons
Target ABV
13%
Fermentation
4–6 weeks
Conditioning
6–12 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.
Use a single-source honey from a known apiary for best terroir expression.
Use RO or low-mineral filtered water to let honey character shine.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin D47 — 1 packets
Enhances honey character; keep below 65°F.
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 1.5 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 1.5 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 1.5 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 1.5 g | |
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-K | 3 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Dissolve honey in 0.5 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 3.3 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.098.
Pitch D47. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 60–65°F.
D47 must be kept below 65°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity every few days. Fermentation typically completes in 4–6 weeks.
Rack off lees.
Condition for 6–12 months. Show mead benefits from extended aging.
Bottle in wine bottles.
Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging. Extended aging is strongly recommended for competition entries.
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
13%
Original gravity
1.098
Final gravity
1.005
Sweetness
dry
Finished volume
3 gallons
Gross starting volume
3.3 gallons
Expected loss
0.3 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-source wildflower honey | 8 | lbs | |
| Filtered water (low mineral content) | 2.7 | gallons | |
| Fermaid-O | 6 | g | ⚠ review |
| Fermaid-K | 3 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 2 supplement.
A competition-style traditional show mead built on raw, unfiltered local honey. A show mead uses only honey, water, and yeast — no additives, no fruit, no spices. The goal is to showcase the honey's terroir in its purest form. Targets 14% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 1-gallon batch for precision. Designed for BJCP Category M1A Traditional Mead.
A clean, approachable traditional mead built on mild clover honey. Clover honey is the most widely available varietal and produces a neutral, lightly sweet mead that showcases pure fermentation character. Targets 11% ABV with a dry finish. Ideal for beginners. 5-gallon batch.
A distinctive, medicinal-forward traditional mead built on New Zealand Mānuka honey. Mānuka honey has a strong, herbal, slightly bitter character with well-documented antimicrobial properties. This recipe targets 13% ABV with a dry finish that lets the honey's unique terroir express fully. 5-gallon batch.