2 Old Recipes for Mead I am going to try next

Below is a recipe for mead from the 17th century "To every quart of Honey, take four quarts of water. Put your water in a clean Kettle over the fire, and with a stick take the just measure, how high the water cometh, making a notch, where the superficies toucheth the stick. As soon as the water is warm, put in your Honey, and let it boil, skimming it always, till it be very clean;
Then put to every Gallon of water, one pound of the best Blew-raisins of the Sun, first clean picked from the stalks, and clean washed. Let them remain in the boiling Liquor, till they be throughly swollen and soft; Then take them out, and put them into a Hair-bag, and strain all the juice and pulp and substance from them in an Apothecaries Press; which put back into your liquor, and let it boil, till it be consumed just to the notch you took at first, for the measure of your water alone.
Then let your Liquor run through a Hair-strainer into an empty Woodden-fat, which must stand endwise, with the head of the upper-end out; and there let it remain till the next day, that the liquor be quite cold.
Then Tun it up into a good Barrel, not filled quite full, but within three or four fingers breadth; (where Sack hath been, is the best) and let the bung remain open for six weeks with a double bolter-cloth lying upon it, to keep out any foulness from falling in.
Then stop it up close, and drink not of it till after nine months. This Meathe is singularly good for a Consumption, Stone, Gravel, Weak-sight, and many more things. A Chief Burgomaster of Antwerpe, used for many years to drink no other drink but this; at Meals and all times, even for pledging of healths. And though He were an old man, he was of an extraordinary vigor every way, and had every year a Child, had always a great appetite, and good digestion; and yet was not fat."

Simplified this is mead made very much like today yeast is found in the “sack’ barrel and raisins. Standard for boiling water is very different then today the smallest bubbles where a boil. I am going to use this theory and try the recipe. 

Next is From norsetradesman.com 


Equipment & IngredientsTo initiate a wild fermentation you’ll need the following equipment and ingredients:

• • A 3-5 gallon open-mouthed vessel (glass, ceramic or food-grade plastic)
  • A wooden stir stick
  • A clean cheesecloth, towel or t-shirt large enough to cover the opening of the vessel
  • At least one quart (2.5 lbs.) of raw, unfiltered honey (pasteurized honey won’t work)
  • One gallon of spring water (or other clean, un-chlorinated drinking water)
  • 4-5 organic raisins
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, or a whole lemon or orange
  • A small handful of any wild botanical such as wildflower (violets and dandelions are good) petals (no greens!) as an optional additional source of wild yeast and nutrients
  • Any organic fruit such as berries, grapes or plums with a nice white powdering of natural yeast (just a few to start – also optional)

Mix the honey and water together in a stockpot beforehand on medium-low heat to ensure the honey fully dissolves. Or, warm the honey container in the sun or but setting it in a pot of warm water beforehand. Next, mix the honey and water together thoroughly in your open-mouthed container, stirring with your stir stick to fully dissolve the honey. Drop in raisins and other botanicals / fruits. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice, or squeeze a bit from a whole lemon or orange.
Next, place the vessel in a warm, dark corner (about 70 degrees F / 21 C with no direct sunlight is ideal) and cover with a cloth, keeping the stir stick in or laying it carefully across the top of the vessel. You will want to return to the vessel at least three times daily to give the must (unfermented mead) a vigorous stir for 2-3 minutes at a time. This will incorporate any yeast that has dropped in from the air or is on the ingredients into the overall liquid. It also provides aeration, which is important for a strong fermentation.
Ancient cultures such as the Vikings would have saw this as a mystical process. Some would meditate quietly, sing, chant, or invoke their preferred god(s); while others would yell, dance, and bang on things loudly. The goal was to wake up the bryggjemann or “brewing spirits.” Give it a try – come up with your own ritual. In about five days (sometimes longer in the winter), you’ll give it a stir and will be greeted by a fizzy, foamy head on what is now officially mead.
You can have a quicker fermentation (1-2 days) by adding a packet (5 g) of commercial yeast once you’ve added all of the other ingredients. However, the aeration is still important, so you should still keep it in an open vessel and stir a couple of times a day. At this point you have a mead starter, which you can then use in place of packaged yeast to start a new mead.

I am not going to do open air I am going to use a Air lock and see how it goes wish me luck!