Celtic Druid's Honey Mead - Meade - Metheglin

Total Time: 4321 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 4320 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gingerroot
• 2 lemons, juice and rind of, thinly pared peel
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 8 pints water
• 3 lbs flower honey or 3 lbs light honey
• 1 ounce mead, wine or 1 ounce baker's yeast

Recipe

• 1 equipement:.
• 2 very large pan - to hold 12 pints; thermometer; 8 pint fermentation jar; airlock; bottles.
• 3 bruise the ginger by folding it in to a clean cloth and hitting it with a hammer to release its flavour.
• 4 tie the bruised ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick and the lemon peel in a muslin cloth and put it into a 12-pint pan.
• 5 add the water and lemon juice and bring it to the boil.
• 6 allow to cool to 50c/122°f.
• 7 meanwhile, stand the honey in a warm place and allow to come to the same temperature.
• 8 add the honey to the lemon and ginger water and mix.
• 9 allow to cool to 21c/70f and then remove the muslin bag with the ginger and lemon peel in it.
• 10 crumble the yeast into the honey water and mix lightly.
• 11 pour the liquid into an 8-pint fermentation jar, it should reach about three quarters full, and fit the airlock.
• 12 leave until all fermentation has finished, racking if necessary.
• 13 leave for another 1-2 weeks before bottling and storing.
• 14 the mead can be drunk after 4-6 months, but is best if kept for several years!