Honey Mead & Blackberry Mead (2.5 L)

This easy small-batch mead recipe shows you how to make both a traditional honey mead and a blackberry fruit mead at home. Using only honey, water, and yeast (plus berries for the fruit version), you’ll learn how to ferment, stabilise, and backsweeten for clear, delicious mead that’s ready to enjoy in just a few weeks.

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Stats

Regular Mead

• OG 1.106
• FG 1.002
• ABV 13.6 %

Blackberry Mead

• OG 1.087
• FG 1.004
• ABV 10.9 %

Batch Size: 2.5 L (0.66 gal) each
Fermentation Temperature: 20 °C (68 °F)
Fermentation Time: 4 weeks

Ingredients

Base Must

• 620 g (1.37 lb) honey (we used Archibalds Orange Blossom)
• 2 L (0.53 gal) water
• A few grams (~1 tsp) of Mangrove Jack’s Mead Yeast

(Makes roughly 2.5 L / 0.66 gal finished mead)

Blackberry Mead Additions

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) frozen blackberries, added in a brew-in-a-bag during fermentation

Stabilising Agents (per 2.5 L / 0.66 gal batch)

• 0.2 g (0.007 oz) Potassium Metabisulphite
• 1.5 g (0.05 oz) Potassium Sorbate

Backsweetening

• 106 g (3.74 oz) honey — for the regular mead
• 103 g (3.63 oz) honey — for the blackberry mead

Step-by-Step Method

1. Prepare the Must
Combine 620 g (1.37 lb) honey with 2 L (0.53 gal) water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes, skimming off any foam. Pour into a sanitised fermenter and allow to cool to about 25 °C (77 °F).

2. Pitch the Yeast
Once the must has cooled, take a gravity reading. Add a few grams (~1 tsp) of Mangrove Jack’s Mead Yeast and seal with an airlock.

3. Blackberry Mead Variation
Place 1 kg (2.2 lb) of frozen blackberries inside a brew bag and add to the fermenter. Take another gravity reading after the fruit addition. The bag keeps skins and seeds contained for easy removal later.

4. Fermentation
Maintain 20 °C (68 °F) for around four weeks. Swirl gently every few days to keep the yeast active.

5. Cold Crash
When fermentation is complete, remove the blackberry bag from the fruit batch. Cold crash both meads at 1–2 °C (34–36 °F) for several days to help them clear.

6. Racking
Siphon the clear mead carefully off the sediment into a new, clean vessel.

7. Stabilisation
Add 0.2 g (0.007 oz) Potassium Metabisulphite and 1.5 g (0.05 oz) Potassium Sorbate per 2.5 L (0.66 gal) batch to prevent refermentation. Wait 24 hours before back-sweetening.

8. Backsweetening & Bottling
Add honey to taste — 106 g (3.74 oz) for the plain mead, 103 g (3.63 oz) for the blackberry version. Stir gently until dissolved. Bottle and enjoy. The mead is drinkable immediately but improves beautifully with age.

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Notes

The regular honey mead finishes drier and stronger, showcasing floral honey character at 13.6 %.
The blackberry mead sits at 10.9 %, bursting with berry aroma and soft colour.
Both clear nicely after cold crashing and stabilising — ready to sip, share, or age for a richer flavour.

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