In Salr Rennanda Uirscéil

Traditional Open Ferment Mead. Satebloom Brew.

The Honey and water mixture was heated on a wood burning iron Stove. Although a cast iron Stone would have been post period, a wood sourced fire would have been the method by which it would have been heated to desired temperature. The aluminum stock pot is also post period but the vessel used to contain the mix would have been similarly a large metal kettle or tun.
using a period utensil to stir the water/honey mixture.
Most period recipes refer to using a spoon to scrape the scum off the heated honey/water mixture.
pot placed directly on the flame as best possible. The mixture was warmed but not boiled to preserve some wild yeasts.
Crock with sanitized protecting open mouth as fermentation begins
This is a week after setting aside the heated honey water mixture into a period crock vessel. In addition to wild yeast from being outside and naturally occurring yeast found in the honey, I helped to jump-start the fermentation by using a stick to stir the lees of previous batches and stirred this mixture with the lee-laden stick. a damp and sanitized cloth was used to cover the opening of the vessel and tied securely with twine, both period practices. After three weeks, the mead was racked into an oak aging barrel along with a bag containing flowers to flavor the mead.
The Mead in the oak aging barrel. the particulates are elder flower having escaped the bag in which they were kept in the mead to add their flavor to the mead, as is described by several recipes (although the flowers used, jasmine, honeysuckle and elder flower are not specifically described in any extant recipes). It was kept in the aging barrel for three months as described by several recipes.
a new toasted oak barrel. I had to fill with boiling water the day prior to adding the mead to allow the wood to swell and seal any leaks in the barrel, as well as wash any loose debris or dirt.

A Traditionally Open Fermented mead with non-traditional flavors, Elderflower, Jasmine, and Honeysuckle. Named Satebloom as a derivative of the Norse word for sweetflower, Saettblom.

BeskarBear

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