Tractatus de Magnetate et Operationibus Eius

Original Recipe:
Tractatus de Magnetate et Operationibus Eius

Folio 20r

//ffor to make mede. Tak .i. galoun of fyne hony and to þat .4. galouns of water and hete
þat water til it be as lengh þanne dissolue þe hony in þe water. thanne set hem ouer þe fier &
let hem boyle and ever scomme it as longe as any filthe rysith þer on. and þanne tak it doun of
þe fier and let it kole in oþer vesselle til it be as kold as melkwhan it komith from þe koow.
than tak drestisof þe fynest ale or elles berme and kast in to þe water& þe hony. and stere al
wel to gedre but ferst loke er þu put þy berme in. that þe water with þe hony be put in a fayr
stonde & þanne put in þy berme or elles þi drestis for þat is best & stere wel to gedre/ and ley
straw or elles clothis a bowte þe vessel & a boue gif þe wedir be kolde and so let it stande .3.
dayes & .3. nygthis gif þe wedir be kold And gif it be hoot wedir .i. day and .1. nyght is a
nogh at þe fulle But ever after .i. hour or .2. at þe moste a say þer of and gif þu wilt have it
swete tak it þe sonere from þe drestis & gif þu wilt have it scharpe let it stand þe lenger þer 
with. Thanne draw it from þe drestis as cler as þu may in to an oþer vessel clene & let it
stonde .1. nyght or .2. & þanne draw it in to an oþer clene vessel & serve it forth//

Redaction:

For to Make Mead

Dissolve 1 gallon of honey in 4 gallons of water.  Boil for as long as the scum rises.
Remove to a clean vessel.  Allow it to cool until it is the temperature of milk from the cow.  
Add the lees of ale or barm. Cover with cloth or straw. After a few days remove from lees.  
Allow it to stand for a day or two, then serve.

Notes:

This mead was brewed using killer bee honey

Because I did not have barm or lees available from ale, I used Lavlin KV1116 yeast in this recipe. 
(Ale yeast would have been more accurate, but I did not have any available when I started this batch.)
 The yeast was activated in warm water prior to being added to the carboy.

The recipe specifically states that it is important that the vessel be clean, and that the vessel be covered with cloth.  Instead of an open tub covered with cloth, this batch fermented in a sanitized glass carboy with an air lock.

Although the recipe implies that this mead was meant to be consumed in a couple of days, this batch of mead has been allowed to fully ferment and age in order to keep the bottles from exploding. 
The original text does state that it is acceptable to allow it to ferment longer for a sharper taste.
.2. at þe moste a say þer of and gif þu wilt have it swete tak it þe sonere from þe drestis & gif þu wilt have it
scharpe let it stand þe lenger þer with.