Any honey variety is suitable for making mead. We suggest using a trusted supplier or exploring a farmers market for local varieties. The honey should be 100% natural for best results. Mead is THE foundation and main source of flavor in your mead. We’d suggest tasting a few varieties to get an idea of your favorite type of honey. With a wide range of flavors from citrusy Orange Blossom honey to marshmallow-y Meadowfoam honey, you can create a wildly different honey every time. Here’s what you can expect from a few of our favorite varieties:

Honey is named for the flower the nectar was collected from (thanks to bees)! We recommend using 100% natural honey for the best results. Here’s what you can expect from a few of our favorite varieties:

• CLOVER: classic & widely available, this honey is sweet with a gentle tangy aftertaste.

• ORANGE BLOSSOM: floral, fruity & citrusy. This variety is best sourced from a reputable supplier or local farm, as it can often be artificially flavored.

• BUCKWHEAT: dark, strong, earthy & slightly spicy. Best used in combination with another variety of honey for balance.

• TUPLEO: floral, often sweeter & more “buttery” than other honey varieties.

• WILDFLOWER: flavors vary in each region & season. This is the name given to honey made from nectar of multiple flowers (or when the bees’ diet is unknown). No two batches are alike.

• MEADOWFOAM: tastes like toasted marshmallows and smells like vanilla. Need we say more?

You’ll need roughly ten 12oz bottles (or eight 16oz bottles). We recommend using swing-top bottles, like Grolsch beer bottles. You can always buy a couple of 6 packs and use the empties. OR you can use our Mead Bottling Kit. Swing tops bottles are also available at craft stores or your local homebrew shop.

In order to get the best performance from your yeast, it is important to keep the fermentation temperature consistent. The ideal temperature range is between 65° - 73°F. In the winter, these temps are easier to maintain at home. But if the ambient temperature at your house is outside of this range, here are some tips:

To decrease the fermentation temp:

• Find a room in your house where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate much (like a closet). Avoid warm garages.

• Wet a hand towel with cold water and wrap around the carboy.

• Place the carboy in a large cooler or other plastic container. Place a few frozen water bottles or ice packs in the cooler. Replace with new ice packs daily.

To increase the fermentation temp:

• Wrap a dry towel or blanket around the carboy. Fermentation naturally creates some heat, so covering the fermenter can help boost the temperature by about 5°F.

• Place the carboy on a shelf or upstairs (heat rises).

• Avoid cold surfaces (metal, marble, concrete).

• In extreme cases, set the carboy on a heating pad set to low. Always exercise caution when using electronics around liquids - make sure the jug is dry and there are no signs of leaking.

The easiest way to craft crystal clear mead is to use a technique called Cold Crashing. Once the mead is completely finished fermenting (at least 30 days) & ready to bottle, you can use this technique.

Once the mead has fermented for at least 30 days, place the carboy (with airlock installed) in the fridge. It will stay in the fridge for 3-5 days. During this time, the residual yeast that might still be floating around will be drawn to the bottom of the jug. This helps clarify the mead and makes it easier to keep sediment out of your bottles. After 3-5 days in the fridge, take out the carboy and proceed with bottling! Be gentle so you don’t stir up any sediment or mix it back into the mead.