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Recipe: Superstition Samba-Hopped Mead
From Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona, this homebrew-scale mead recipe gets a tropical boost from Samba hops in the fermentor.
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“Recently, we hosted Marble Brewery from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make a delicious collaboration,” says Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery. “Marble brought us fresh Samba hops, which contributed an amazing tropical-fruit character to this hopped mead.”
MEAD
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
OG: 1.120
FG: 1.020
ABV: 13%
“Recently, we hosted Marble Brewery from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to make a delicious collaboration,” says Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery. “Marble brought us fresh Samba hops, which contributed an amazing tropical-fruit character to this hopped mead.”
MEAD
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
OG: 1.120
FG: 1.020
ABV: 13%
[PAYWALL]
INGREDIENTS
17 lb (7.7 kg) your favorite honey
3.5 gallons (13.2 liters) spring water
1 lb (454 g) Samba hops, dry hop on Day 2 (see below)
Diammonium phosphate (DAP)
Fermaid K
Potassium carbonate
Potassium metabisulfite
YEAST
2 packs of Wyeast 4242 Fruity White Wine
DIRECTIONS
Day 1: Clean and sanitize everything. Mix the honey and water until thoroughly blended. Mix in 8 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K. Oxygenate the must using an oxygen stone and pure oxygen for about 5 minutes. (This high quantity of oxygen is needed to ensure complete fermentation.) Pitch the yeast.
On Day 2 of fermentation, after degassing for the day (see below), add the hops and mix thoroughly. During fermentation, the hops will float on top; mix them back in daily while mixing in nutrients and degassing.
Until the gravity drops below 1.080, add more oxygen daily. Until the gravity drops below 1.060, degas to pull CO2 out of solution. (Gently shake the vessel to begin releasing gas; gradually increase intensity until you can shake heavily without foam rising and it’s entirely flat. A stainless-steel drill aerator is a great option but go slow.) Also, until the gravity drops below 1.060, add 4 oz (113 g) each of DAP and Fermaid K and 1 tsp (5 ml) potassium carbonate daily.
After the gravity drops below 1.060, you do not need to manage daily anymore. Allow about 2 weeks for fermentation to complete. When it is finished, add 0.2 oz (6 g) of potassium metabisulfite.
Fining: Use the method you prefer and let it clear up as long as you’d like; if you can cold crash it, even better. Rest in secondary for 6–8 weeks, ensuring that fermentation is complete. Then bottle or keg and serve slightly chilled.
MEADMAKER’S NOTES
Managing fermentation is one of the keys to making great mead. The goal is to provide an optimal environment that keeps the yeast happy and healthy with oxygen, nutrients, degassing, and slightly raising the pH.
Photo: Courtesy Superstition Meadery
