Colsos Brewery - Recipes

Colsos Brewery

Recipes

Natural Mead

14–18% ABV · Built for Long Aging

⚙️ Batch & Targets

Batch Size

5 L finished (start ~7 L must)

Why start at ~7 L

Volume loss occurs during fermentation and racking

• Fruit/foam loss (if used)

• Sediment (lees)

• Transfers between vessels

Starting larger ensures ~5 L clean finished mead

Target

ABV: 14–18%

OG: ~1.100–1.120

FG: ~1.000–1.010

🧪 Ingredients

• Honey: 2.0–2.3 kg

• Water: to volume

• Yeast: EC-1118 or high tolerance yeast

• Nutrient: 5–6 g (staggered)

• Citric acid: ~3–4 g

OR juice of ½–1 lemon

• Optional: 1 black tea bag (tannin)

🔥 Process

1. Heat part of water to ~35–45°C

2. Dissolve honey fully

3. Add citric acid or lemon juice

4. Add remaining cold water to adjust volume

5. Cool must below 28°C (ideal: 20–24°C)

6. Pitch yeast + nutrients

7. Ferment at 18–22°C

8. Stir first 3 days

9. Ferment dry or near dry

10. Rack off sediment

🧷 Stabilization

Potassium metabisulfite

→ wait 12–24 hours

Potassium sorbate

→ wait 12–24 hours

Then backsweeten

⏳ Aging

Transfer to glass carboy with airlock

Age under airlock:

Minimum: 1–3 months

Recommended: 3–6+ months

Store in a cool, stable place

Avoid direct sunlight (light degrades flavor and aroma)

Björkskugga Mead

Start: 7 L → Finish: ~5 L

Target ABV: ~16%

Ingredients:

- 3.0–3.3 kg honey (1.6–2.0 kg bochet + 1.2–1.3 kg step feed)

- Birch water to 7 L

- 15 g chaga

- 8 juniper berries

- 4 g citric acid

- 1 g tannin

- 6 g nutrient

- EC-1118 yeast

- 5 g bentonite

Process:

- Bochet honey to deep amber

- Chaga decoction (20–30 min)

- Combine with birch water to 7 L

- Add acid, tannin, nutrients

- Cool <28°C, pitch yeast

- Ferment 18–22°C

Step Feed:

- Start OG ~1.100

- At SG 1.020–1.030 → add 200–300 g honey

- Repeat until ~1.2–1.3 kg added

Stabilization:

- Meta → 12–24h

- Sorbate → 12–24h

Clearing:

- Add hydrated bentonite

- Settle 3–7 days

- Rack

Finish:

- Backsweeten 100–200 g

- Age minimum 3 months

- Optimal 6–12+ months

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