Cappings for mead...

[Queens59]

I want to use my capping water for mead - but I can't find out how that affects the amount of actual honey I need instead. Any suggestions please as I am a first timer?

 

[oliver90owner]

I would suggest you need a good hydrometer, if you are not following a simple weight/volume recipe as a starter. Or if it does go wrong you won't know what actually was the cause, for certain.

 

[Queens59]

Suddenly I see a cheap recipe becoming very expensive...

 

[Nellie]

If you were to weigh your cappings before you wash them and after they've had a chance to dry out a bit you'd have a pretty good idea of the weight of honey that was there.

A hydrometer isn't that expensive, or needn't be.

 

[Arfermo]

Suggest you invest in a wine making book or borrow from a library. To make mead or any other wine it is really essential to have a hydrometer. There is nothing very special about them either. When you have one, make up the must and bring the specific gravity up to about 1080, add various additives to make the wine ferment according to the wine recipe you decide to use, a sachet of dried wine yeast (champagne type best imho to get best fermentation and highest alcohol) and a tsp of bentonite to help it clear when fully fermented. Then sit back and wait - and enjoy. With 30 or more years of making wine and currently Competition Sec. for a wine club I know what I am talking about.

 

[aberreef]

I mad a mad guess at quantities last year and am pleased with the results. I did use the hydrometer on one of the 6 demijohns I set up and the sg was about 1.090. No idea what it is now but it tastes pretty good although not clearing very well; it still has a bit of a haze to it.

My recipe:-

Cappings + a little extra honey
Juice of 1 lemon or a tsp of citric acid
Yeast + nutrient

When I siphoned it off the sediment I added about 1/2 jar of honey per gallon.

 

[Queens59]

Arfermo - you lost me at ' make up the must...' I have several books, but they just didn't mention using cappings - only honey and I was hoping I could do it without too much new kit (a) Money b)Moving soon...I may go with honey Rum or Vodka...

 

[aberreef]

Kit wise you'll need :_

brewing bucket
Demijohn(s)
Bungs with airlocks
Hydrometer
Steriliser
Yeast
Nutrient
Citric acid (or lemons)

The bits will set you back £30-50 to start off but will be good for making all sorts of homebrew Look on fleabay and you may find some demijhons second hand or some homebrew shops sell plastic ones which are really cheap

 

[Tom Bick]

For demijhons I use the 5L water bottles.

They do have ribs in the plastic that can catch a bit of sediment but otherwise works fine.

I use them twice then clean and recycle.