Someone asked me for this so I'm going to share with the rest of the class. . .
It's a lot easier than it sounds. If you just go step-by-step it's very simple and the champagne yeast makes a stronger mead with a light fizz on the tongue.

Tools Required:


At least 1 3 gal glass carboy
1 3 gal cooking pot
B-Brite (for sterilization)
1 grater
1 thermometer
1 measuring cup
1 funnel
1 strainer
Cheese cloth
1 bottling kit
1 fermentation lock with plug
plastic wrap & rubber band


Basic Recipe:

2 3 gallon carboys (only 1 is necessary, I use the other to rack the mead into)
1 fermentation lock w/stopper
2 gallons water
10 lbs honey
4 oranges
2 lemons
24-30 whole cloves
1 packet "Red Star" champagne yeast

Bring water and honey to a slow, rolling boil. Add oranges and lemons w/zest along with the cloves. Remove the white rind before putting it into the batch as this gives it a bitter aftertaste. Once it begins to boil set a timer for 45 mins to one hour. Remove “scum” as it accumulates during boiling.

Let cool. Strain mead through cheese cloth into 3 gallon carboy. Add champagne yeast. Note: yeast must be mixed in measuring cup (1/2 cup water) between 105 & 110 degrees. Any hotter than that and it will kill the yeast.

Cover carboy with plastic wrap & rubber band. Twice a day remove the plastic and “stir” the mead (shake up the mead) to allow oxygen to enter for the yeast. Mead should “froth”.

After 10 days rack the mead into a second carboy and seal with a fermentation lock. After 1 month you may bottle the mead if you’d like. Allow mead to sit for at least 9 months.

Comments:

If you’re using a fruit you can cut back to 2 oranges and 1 lemon, but you should use 3 quarts of fresh fruit, or 6 ounces of dried fruit/berries. If you’re using a gallon of juice cut back appropriately on the water. When you rack the mead you transfer it from one carboy to another leaving the sediment at the bottom of the first carboy. I use B-Brite to sanitize all my equipment. I let it soak for about an hour, then rinse the heck out of it. You can purchase this and the carboys/fermentation locks from any brewing store. . .

I’ve bought a better corker, and have now begun using #9 size corks, which work far better than #7’s.