So far I have brewed about six gallons in various flavors, Ive been using a 1.5 liter wine bottle as my fermenter and to save a little money Ive been using a balloon instead of a bubbler. Pretty much, Ive been doing it on the super cheap side to see if its A. enjoyable B. tasty and C. affordable. So far i have been enjoying each brew that Ive made, the best having been the Strawberry and Honey Crisp Apple.
That being said, Ive kind of been winging it as far as this process goes. I do, per 1.5 liter bottle 2.5 cups honey, about a half pound of fruit, and a packet of yeast. I add the water, add the honey, add the fruit, add the yeast, cap, shake for a good few minutes, then i uncap, place the balloon over the mouth and add a hole I then store it in the basement for two weeks where after the balloon looks limp I transfer to a new bottle where I cap it and let it sit to clear, after two or three weeks I strain it through a cheesecloth and finally bottle it. (Sorry this is so long)
Is any part of this wrong or is the process subject to user preference? Ive drank and shared it with many people, some have liked it some have not. I guess thats not wholly uncommon. I guess what Im asking is does anyone have any tips or tricks that they use for their mead and how about recipes? Is my process way too simple?
I guess if it feels easy sometimes I feel its wrong.