Norwegian Inspired Juniper Mead Recipe

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This mead recipe is for a Norwegian-inspired juniper mead featuring meadowsweet (meadwort) and fermented with Selland kveik culture. It comes to us by way of master meadmaker Steve Fletty, who is of Norwegian heritage. The unique juniper-steeped water creates a very wonderful piney, fruity, base for the mead. (You can see a similar juniper steep infusion performed on a much larger scale in this epic Northern Brewer Farmhouse Brew Day video.) Fletty received flakes of the special Selland kveik culture directly from the Selland farmstead of Ivar Geithung (Vossestrand, Norway) who Fletty and Chip are joined by in this fun Chop & Brew tasting notes video. Fletty made this mead using common juniper foraged in Minnesota. Below are his process and fermentation notes.

WARNING: Not all varieties of juniper are safe for consumption. Many are toxic and would be dangerous to use in foodstuff and beverages. Research your local juniper through master gardeners or university extensions to make sure you use something safe.

Making the Juniper Infusion

Ingredients

6 gallons water

24 oz juniper fronds with berries

Process

Heat water to 160F and remove from heat. Add juniper fronds, cover the kettle and let steep overnight. 

Mead Version 1: Half Infusion/Half Water + Meadowsweet

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs wildflower honey
  • 1.5 gallons water
  • 1.5 gallons juniper infusion
  • 4 g Fermaid K
  • 1.5 g DAP
  • Selland kviek culture

Process

Combined water and infusion. Stirred honey into the water/infusion mix. Added nutrients. Pitched Selland kveik.

Fermented for about 12 hours at ambient temperature, approximately 72F. Used Fermwrap to heat carboy to 98F until fermentation was complete. Final gravity was 1.000.

Backsweetened to 1.020 with meadowsweet simple syrup (see recipe below.) Fined with SuperKleer. Kegged and force carbonated.

Meadowsweet Simple Syrup:

Ingredients & Process

  • 2 lbs wildflower honey
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 3 g dried meadowsweet flower

Heat honey and water to 190F, remove from heat. Add meadowsweet, steep 30 minutes, strain.

Mead Version 2: Full Infusion / No Meadowsweet Syrup

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs wildflower honey
  • 3 gallons juniper infusion
  • 4 g fermaid k
  • 1.5 g DAP
  • Selland kviek culture

Process

Stirred honey into the juniper infusion. Added nutrients. Pitched Selland kveik.

Fermented for about 12 hours at ambient temperature, approximately 72F. Used Fermwrap to heat carboy to 98 F until fermentation was complete. Final gravity was 1.000.

Backsweeten by adding 2 lbs 10 oz honey to get to 1.028. Fined with SuperKleer Kegged and force carbonated.

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