Badducky Beer Blog: Make yer Medicine

In my continuing efforts to include my wife, who enjoys neither beer nor wine, in my hobby, I have been reduced to making medicine for her.

Ancient herbal tonics.

I took a classic mead recipe, and a house favorite (in that, I really like it! And no one else in my house likes it!) called Joe's Ancient Orange Mead. (Google it. It's everywhere.) It's a simple recipe. 3 and 1/2 pounds of honey, an orange, a clove or two, a cinnamon stick, and some bread yeast. Top up a one gallon fermenter with this stuff, and shake it to aerate, then walk away for 2-3 months until it's done.

So, this batch involved a shift to aid my wife, who has a background in herbal medicine and holistic healing and nutrition. I asked her to provide me with herbs that she uses as a tea or tonic, because I was going to use the simple, tasty mead recipe as the vehicle to carry the medicine of her herbal, medicinal tonics. I have no idea what she handed me, but it was a tea blend she made custom for her occasional needs of it.

I added one tablespoon of the tea blend, before aeration.

When the orange drops, she will have her medicine ready to drink.

Notes on technique:

I like to grab a gallon jug of spring water from the grocery store for this one. I pour out half the water into a clean pot, and bring that to a boil, then turn it off. In the half-full jug, I pour the honey. Then, I use a few tablespoons of the boiled water to shake loose and dissolve the honey that's clinging to the walls of the plastic containers. I also top up the jug with hot water after everything is added.

Anyway, it's pretty simple. Notice my complex and elaborate fermentation lock of boiled foil held down with a rubber band... I just place the cap on top, to further protect the foil.

Pictures: