(Braggot, Bracket, Brackett, etc.)
by Larry Bristol – Foam Rangers Homebrew Club, Houston, Tx. 1983
Unique among the various classes of drink is ale mead. Using honey as its sole source of fermentables, it may validly claim the title of mead, yet its alcohol content is more in the range of ale. It also shares many ingredients and brewing techniques with ales, yet contain no grain of any kind. Ale mead is an interesting and unique addition to your collection of recipes.
The method for brewing ale mead is essentially identical to that of making beer from extract. The fermentable materials are dissolved in water, boiled with hops (or other flavoring ingredients), fermented with brewing yeast, and conditioned in bottles. Importantly, for those of us who like to sample the fruits of our efforts soon after the work, ale mead is aged like beer (weeks or months) instead of the years required for most “regular” meads.
The basic recipe for one gallon of ale mead is as follows:
Ingredients:
1# honey
1 gal. Water
Hops (see below)
1 tsp. Citric acid
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 pkg dry yeast
Method:
Dissolve honey in one gallon of hot water. Heat until boiling, add hops and boil for 40 minutes. Add remaining hops and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Force-cool to room temperature as quickly as possible. Add citric acid, yeast nutrients, and water to bring volume to one gallon. Add yeast, then ferment, bottle, and condition as you would ale.
The recipe above leaves several unanswered questions, such as the type of honey that should be used. This matter is left to the discretion of the brewer. You should keep in mind the assumption that “the best honey makes the best mead.” In any case, select a natural honey with no additives or preservatives.
Similarly, the recipe leaves the quantity and type of hops unspecified. This matter is also left up the brewer, but should be selected carefully since most of the flavor of the brew will come from this ingredient. Fuggles are a good choice, as would be any “fruity” hop. Using pellets, measure the hops by counting pellets, about twenty-four for the first boil and eight near the end. Other flavoring ingredients (such as ginger) may be used in place of hops for interesting variations.
The flavor of Ale Mead is light and delicate so a lager-type yeast is recommended. This type of yeast tends to contribute less to the flavor of the finished product. Depending upon the type of honey used, however, an ale yeast may produce excellent results.
Ale mead should be fermented at a cool room temperature (depending on the type of yeast). The citric acid and nutrients are essential to fermentation, which will be slow to start, and will last from four to eight weeks. A fermentation lock should be used during the entire process; racking into a secondary vessel is advisable after the brew is completely clear (after about four weeks). The final gravity will be zero or lower!
The brew should be bottled, normally using about ¼ cup of corn sugar per gallon for conditioning. Ale mead should be sparkling like dry champagne, will not form a “head” like beer and should be aged at least eight weeks after bottling.
Ale mead allows a great deal of room for experimentation with types of honey, hops, yeast, and nutrients. Because of this, it is an excellent way for both new and experienced brewers to evaluate the flavoring qualities of various ingredients.
For more information, refer to MAKING MEAD, by Byron Acton and Peter Duncan, Amateur Winemaker, 1980, SBN 900841 07 9
Crescent City Brew Talk 