This recipe for Smoked Mead comes to us by way of two-time Mead Maker of the Year (2007, 2016) Steve Fletty of the St. Paul Home Brewers Club. It will be featured in an upcoming full-length episode of Chop & Brew, but we wanted to share the recipe now in case fans are interested in making their own version of the mead – perhaps for Mead Day on August 4, 2018? This mead includes a blend of both regular and smoked honey. For the smoked portion, Steve poured the honey into a metal casserole dish and place it on a Weber grill with wood chip smoke box. See process notes in the recipe below.
Steve specifically used Trader Joe’s brand of mesquite honey for both the smoked and non-smoked honey. Feel free to experiment with not only the variety of honey you use, but the type of wood chips and smoking method. In retrospect, Steve says that he thinks he could’ve smoked the full amount of honey, but is happy for the way this blend turned out. He also says that some of the fruit woods would be fun to play with, as well as some darker and richer honey.
Learn more about Steve Fletty’s mead method and madness in his two-part Chop & Brew “Mead Masters” episode: Part 1 | Part 2
If you do accept the smoked mead challenge and make this mead (or some variation), we’d love to know about it. Post your photos on social media and tag @chopandbrew and #smokemeadeveryday.
Smoked Mead
OG: 1.090
FG: see below
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs mesquite honey, unsmoked
- 6 lbs mesquite honey, smoked (see notes below)
- 3 gallons water
- Yeast nutrients
- Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale yeast starter