From: Richard Blaszczyk <rblaszcz@onlink.net>
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996

Mead Notes & Recipes

Standard Mead recipe  - 5 gals
15 lbs honey
1 Tpsp gypsum
4 tsp acid blend
1/2 oz. yeast extract
1/4 tsp Irish moss powder
1/2 oz champagne yeast -re-hydrated @ 100 to 105 degrees F

Traditional Polish Mead

Trojniak  - ("Triple" -refers to water to honey ratio) - 5 gals 
22 lbs honey
3 gal water
10 tsp citric acid
2 tsp tartaric acid
1.5 tsp tanin
4 tsp yeast nutrient

Czworniak -("Quadruple" - refers to water to honey ratio) - 5 gals.
17 lbs honey
4 gals water
1 tsp tartaric acid
1 tsp tanin
4 tsp yeast nutrient

Additives to Polish Mead
hops - 2 ozs
1 tsp ginger
part of a stick of cinamon
1/2 stick vanilla
pinch of nutmeg
6 cloves
2 pepper corns
lemon skin
orange skin

champagne, sherry or Madiera yeast - rehydrated at 100 degrees F.

Directions
Boil water, add honey and citrus skins. Tie hops and spices in a 
cloth with a small stone so that the cloth bag sinks to the bottom.

 Boil the liquid and skim until clear.

Remove from heat, allow to cool.  Place liquid in primary 
 fermenter, add rehydrated yeast.  Skim, then rack to secondary 
 fermenter.  If using hop pellets, several rackings may be 
 required. Allow several weeks, or at least two to three years for 
 the Czworniak or Trojniak respectively.  The sugar reading should 
 be zero or less upon completion of fermentation. Bottle and age
 at  least one years.  Original recipe calls for aging between 
 seven and one hundred years.