A few years back, September 2009 to be precise, I fermented my first batch of mead. I was 23, fresh out of college with a little bit of spending money, and thought why not try my hand at making some homemade alcohol. It can't be that hard. I had never tried mead before, but thought beer was overdone and wasn't a huge wine fan at the time (how many guys are in their 20s?), and why not start with the drink of the Vikings? If it was good enough for Beowulf, it must be good enough for me!
Three and a half years later, I'm still making mead, although not as much as I want to. I currently have 13.5 gallons under airlock, but I could always use some more.
For those who don't know what mead is, you aren't alone. And when I say I make mead, most people ask, "How you make meat?" thinking I'm a farmer of sort. Mead is simply fermented water and honey. Many ingredients can be added to make variants of mead, including fruits (melomel) and spices (methyglyn). For those interested in more about mead, stay tuned. Or if you aren't patient, check here: www.gotmead.com. It's the best repository of mead knowledge I've found, and the folks are friendly too!
I recently decided on a name for my fictitious closet meadery, Terrapin Bluffs, and a logo (things I'll explain in later posts). So, I figured the next step might as well be to document all my merry adventures making the world's oldest (arguably) fermented beverage. So this is my journey, or more appropriately, will be.
