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The Complete Guide to Making Mead: The Ingredients, Equipment, Processes, and Recipes for Crafting Honey Wine
Some stories suggest that mead was originally discovered when one of our not-yet-upright forebears stuck their hand in a fermenting bee hive and came away with a honeycomb containing a little more than they bargained for. Whatever the truth, brewers have brought this beverage into the twenty-first century, and you can rest assured that The Complete Guide to Making Mead is a thoroughly up-to-date, modern, and authoritative guide to homemade mead. Best of all, it has something for everyone, from the stone-cold beginner to the seasoned veteran. Award-winning mead-maker Steve Piatz begins with a brief history of the fermented beverage; a rundown of the various types of mead; and a discussion of the many types of honey that are available, their characteristics, and where to source them. Readers will be treated to discussions of yeast and special ingredients, as well as what equipment is necessary and reccomended and an illustrated and detailed look at the basic process. Readers will also discover advanced techniques, such as oaking, clarifying, aging, spicing, and blending. There are even sections on developing recipes and troubleshooting problems with the brewing process.With more than 100 color photos, The Complete Guide to Making Mead includes dozens of recipes for basic meads (honey only), melomels (honey and fruit), metheglins (honey and spices), and braggots (honey and malt).
160 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2014
68 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 25, 2019
Although I haven't yet tried my hand at making my own mead, I think this book looks like the best place to start. It certainly gives the beginner enough information to feel confident to give it a try. My daughter and I both enjoy drinking mead, and have talked about making our own to share with friends and family.
November 6, 2024
After almost 200 batches of beer I am finally diving into the world of mead, which feels like a new adventure on somewhat familiar grounds. This book looks like a great starting point for me, covering a nice list of topics like history, techniques, ingredients and recipes.
Since I haven't read other works on the same subject I can't compare it, but it feels like this is a very good starting point for any new mead maker like myself.
Since I haven't read other works on the same subject I can't compare it, but it feels like this is a very good starting point for any new mead maker like myself.
February 1, 2020
Essential book for mead making basics. solid on fundamentals and inspirational in it's approach to mead recipe development.
June 29, 2016
I've experimented with two small batches of mead. Both seem to be turning out well (to my untrained palate). However, I thought reading through a few resources on the topic might be helpful.
Piatz' Compete Guide to Making Mead is a good introductory guide on mead-making. I jotted down a few notes, particularly a chart detailing the sugar::water ratio, kind of acid, and pectin level for many fruits that one might add to a mead (or beer). Piatz also outlines a systematic methodology for a consistent mead fermentation, involving staggered nutrient additions and repeated stirring.
Once CGMM turns attention to sample recipes, the value of the book rapidly decreases. These are fine recipes, but nothing all that innovative or compelling. Many brewing books fall into one of two categories: either they have a so-so introduction and great recipes, or they have a quality intro and mediocre recipes. CGMM is in the latter category.
A good resource, but one I'm happy to let the public library system own--not one I'd buy for my own brewshelf.
Piatz' Compete Guide to Making Mead is a good introductory guide on mead-making. I jotted down a few notes, particularly a chart detailing the sugar::water ratio, kind of acid, and pectin level for many fruits that one might add to a mead (or beer). Piatz also outlines a systematic methodology for a consistent mead fermentation, involving staggered nutrient additions and repeated stirring.
Once CGMM turns attention to sample recipes, the value of the book rapidly decreases. These are fine recipes, but nothing all that innovative or compelling. Many brewing books fall into one of two categories: either they have a so-so introduction and great recipes, or they have a quality intro and mediocre recipes. CGMM is in the latter category.
A good resource, but one I'm happy to let the public library system own--not one I'd buy for my own brewshelf.
October 28, 2020
This is a very technical guide to mead making.
It breaks down what is standard in the homebrewing association and other organizations and what to expect when competing with mead.
I don't think it's the most helpful guide for beginners. Even the recipes are very technical and require precise measuring. There's flavor profiles of honeys and yeasts which may not mean anything if you're not familiar with what the final product should be.
If you want to get into competitions and technical mead making this may be a good book for you. It's easy to search the internet recipes for beginners to get started instead of diving in to this much information.
It breaks down what is standard in the homebrewing association and other organizations and what to expect when competing with mead.
I don't think it's the most helpful guide for beginners. Even the recipes are very technical and require precise measuring. There's flavor profiles of honeys and yeasts which may not mean anything if you're not familiar with what the final product should be.
If you want to get into competitions and technical mead making this may be a good book for you. It's easy to search the internet recipes for beginners to get started instead of diving in to this much information.
April 16, 2024
I'm a COMPLETE beginner to Mead making. I needed a little more explanation + handholding than this book provides. Already know what DAP, Fermaid K, and Go-Ferm are and why they're used? This could be a great book for you! Need those things explained? Buy a book more tailored for beginners!
I hope I'll pick this book back up in the future, but for right now, I'm going with a more beginner-friendly book!
I hope I'll pick this book back up in the future, but for right now, I'm going with a more beginner-friendly book!
October 9, 2022
This is an awesome book that makes entering the world of mead home brewing really accessible. A great primer on the process and some discussion on more advanced techniques. This will definitely be something I reference time and again as I do more in this fermenting arena.
October 21, 2017
A pretty good book
to introduce you to the art
to introduce you to the art
June 13, 2018
Useful guide focusing on ingredients, process, technique, and troubleshooting. Photos complement the text and literally illustrate concepts introduced.
December 18, 2018
The title truly says it all.
The text is concise, and to the point regarding the basics of handing honey fermentation. The full color images of each step, and the equipment offer confidence for the new brewer that the procedures are correct.
I appreciate that the focus is on the essentials. There is most assuredly discussion about the historical variations, and additions one can make to the mead. The charts, and worksheets add greater ease to creating a delicious batch of mead. A wonderful assortment of recipes to experiment for all types of meads. The ending troubleshooting chapter is a welcome inclusion.
The text is concise, and to the point regarding the basics of handing honey fermentation. The full color images of each step, and the equipment offer confidence for the new brewer that the procedures are correct.
I appreciate that the focus is on the essentials. There is most assuredly discussion about the historical variations, and additions one can make to the mead. The charts, and worksheets add greater ease to creating a delicious batch of mead. A wonderful assortment of recipes to experiment for all types of meads. The ending troubleshooting chapter is a welcome inclusion.
June 2, 2015
Considerably more detailed and picky than Ken Schramm's Compleat Meadmaker. Piatz has the benefit of coming a few years later with all the various things modern meadmakers have worked out in the intervening years.
Piatz doesn't have Schramm's charm and humour, and comes across as rather proscriptive about things my own research and experimentation indicate aren't very important. To be a be nitpicky, also, there are a few places where Piatz brings up a subject then says basically "but I don't do it that way, so I dunno if it works or not". Which is not especially complete, I guess?
Still, the recipes, and info on scaling them up and down, are more detailed than in Schramm, and there's quite a bit of good data. I'm looking forward to using the calculations for determining starting gravity when brewing with fruit, for example.
This is a useful book for a meadmaker, and probably the one I'd recommend for someone starting. It's not nearly as fun to read as Ken Schramm's book, though.
Piatz doesn't have Schramm's charm and humour, and comes across as rather proscriptive about things my own research and experimentation indicate aren't very important. To be a be nitpicky, also, there are a few places where Piatz brings up a subject then says basically "but I don't do it that way, so I dunno if it works or not". Which is not especially complete, I guess?
Still, the recipes, and info on scaling them up and down, are more detailed than in Schramm, and there's quite a bit of good data. I'm looking forward to using the calculations for determining starting gravity when brewing with fruit, for example.
This is a useful book for a meadmaker, and probably the one I'd recommend for someone starting. It's not nearly as fun to read as Ken Schramm's book, though.
September 30, 2014
I'm not interested in making mead, but my boyfriend mentioned it so I checked this book out for him from the library and wound up reading it. It was actually quite interesting because I didn't know you could make mead out of so many different things. I thought the main ingredient was just honey.
The author went through the processes and told you what things he used and what he thought was best. There were lots of pictures and some charts to show differences between ingredients and the flavors they bring.
Then there were recipes and a troubleshooting guide that I thought was pretty good from the information that I had just read.
I'm not an expert or even an intermediate on mead making so, from a beginner's perspective that knew absolutely nothing about mead making, this was interesting and informative.
The author went through the processes and told you what things he used and what he thought was best. There were lots of pictures and some charts to show differences between ingredients and the flavors they bring.
Then there were recipes and a troubleshooting guide that I thought was pretty good from the information that I had just read.
I'm not an expert or even an intermediate on mead making so, from a beginner's perspective that knew absolutely nothing about mead making, this was interesting and informative.
August 19, 2014
The instructions are clear, and laid out in an easy-to-follow format with plenty of pictures, which is nice for a complete beginner like me. This is exactly what I was looking for to start my beverage-crafting journey, and I look forward to referencing this book for years to come!
I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
August 20, 2014
All of the information in the book itself is valid, however there is a tone to it that seems like you're being talked down to. It's not particularly enjoyable to read but like I said, the info is good.
December 16, 2014
Fantastic guide. Not sure I want to follow is camden tablet-based method but this is the most thorough and well-illustrated guide out there.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews