Categories: Beverages 
      Yield: 5 servings 
  
      7 lb Light honey                       1/4 ts Irish moss powder 
  1 1/2 lb Corn sugar                          1 lb To 6 lbs crushed fruit 
      1 oz To 6 oz fresh ginger root           3 oz Lemongrass, or other spices 
  1 1/2 ts Gypsum                              1 pk Champagne yeast 
      3 ts Yeast nutrient OR...              3/4 c  Corn sugar (bottling) 
    1/4 oz Yeast extract                   
  
  Boil 1 1/2 gallons of water, the honey, corn sugar, grated ginger root, 
  gypsum, citric acid, irish moss, and yeast nutrient for 15 minutes.  Turn 
  the heat off.  If you're going to add fruit (this is entirely optional, as 
  are the spices) then fish out as much of the ginger root shavings as you 
  can.  Then add your crushed fruit or concentrate and let it steep for 10-15 
  minutes.  Some ideas for fruit are:  Sour cherries, blackberries, 
  raspberries, blueberries, chokecherries, rhubarb, grapes, grape 
  concentrate... go wild here. 
   
  Pour the entire must (unsparged if fruit is added) into an open primary 
  fermenter and add about 3 gallons of cold water.  When cooled to 70 to 78 
  degrees, hydrate and pitch your yeast.  After the specific gravity has 
  fallen to 1.020 or within 7 days, whichever comes first, rack the brew into 
  a secondary fermenter.  Leave the fruit behind.  Age 1 to 1 1/2 months in 
  the secondary fermenter.  Bottle with 3/4 cups priming sugar. If using 
  spices or herbs as a flavoring, add them now by making a "tea" and adding 
  them at bottling time.  The flavors will be fresher and sharper. Some 
  suggested spices are lemon grass, citrus peel (just the zest, not the white 
  part), etc.  If using cloves, cinnamon, or hops go lightly on these. Adding 
  flavors in this manner also allows you to use different flavors in the same 
  batch, since you're just adding a "tea" to the mead at bottling time. You 
  can bottle two or three flavors at once this way! 
   
  This mead should age from 3 months up to a year to allow the harsh flavors 
  to mellow out.  Tasting at 6 months will show approximate flavor profile. 
  Serve well chilled. 
   
  Author:  Charlie Papazian