Valentine's Brew

The build

Makes. 5 gallons

Vessel. Open-top bucket, about 6.5 gallonsNot a glass carboy — rose petals and honey form an airtight layer that seals a narrow neck. See the note below.

Yeast. A packet of whatever brewer's yeast you fancy. Champagne yeast is the one used here, because it keeps going to around 15% — and your local homebrew store will happily point you at the right one for what you are making.

Water. Spring water if you can get it, otherwise whatever you have. Everything else goes in first, then back-fill to about the 5 gallon line.

Fermentables

• Honey — 12 lbsAlready reduced for the apricot. This is what goes in, not a figure to cut down.
• Dried apricot — 5 lbsIts sugar is why the honey comes down.

Flavorings

• Dried rose petals and buds — 1 lbDried, not fresh, and edible grade. Buds as well as petals.
• Vanilla beans — About 13 whole podsWhole Madagascar beans, not extract. Thirteen is what he used — any number works.

Also goes in

• Yeast nutrient — Per the packetNot required. Worth it anyway: underfed yeast gets stressed, and stressed yeast is where off flavors come from.
• Pectic enzyme — Per the packetFor clarity. Pectin is what leaves a fruit mead hazy.

Scaling. All of these scale down. A single gallon bottle of fresh apple juice with some of it swapped out for honey will get you a small batch, no special kit required.