Lager a mead?

aliu630 · 11-17-2008, 04:23 AM

Has this been done before? I get the impression that it'll take more effort in getting proper fermentation. Any ideas on how the flavor profile will come out?

**BigKahuna** · 11-17-2008, 02:54 PM

IF you used quality Lager yeast, you could probably get 'er done...but you'd really have to go easy on your honey. I haven't seen a lager yeast that will tolerate the potentially very high alcohol content of mead.
Might be an interesting experiment though.

aliu630 · 11-18-2008, 02:24 AM

What would be considered a quality lager yeast? I'm not too concerned about hitting high alc %, but more w/ the sweetness if it pooped out too early I guess.

**BigKahuna** · 11-18-2008, 02:53 AM

I am a huge fan of Fermentis, and dry yeast, so my #1 would be Saflager S-23 Dry Lager Yeast
You'd probabaly expect cleaner taste from a Liquid, however I have NO experience with them to tell you. But WLP800 or WLP840, or Wyeast 2035 or 2007 should do very well.

aliu630 · 11-18-2008, 11:02 PM

thanks BK, I'mma find some time to try this out. Curious to see how this will turn out.

Jabic · 11-21-2008, 02:22 AM

I know that White Labs Zurich Lager Yeast (WLP 885) is known as one of the lager yeasts with high alcohol tolerance (listed as the only lager strain with "very high" alcohol tolerance I believe). I guess I'm only thinking of it because I'm fermenting a Vienna with that strain at the moment and it's one of the platinum strains that happens to be available around now. Now, this is the first time I've used the strain, so I can't speak to its actual performance.

Good luck, it sounds really interesting!

aliu630 · 11-23-2008, 03:59 PM

Thanks for the tip on the yeast Jabic! I think I will do 2 batches now w/ different yeasts and check out the results.

malkore · 11-24-2008, 10:59 PM

I'd do smaller batches. would hate to see 15lbs of honey turn into crappy mead if we find out lager yeast sucks for mead making.

I suspect it'll be just fine though...just being cautious.

aeowyn · 11-29-2009, 07:27 PM

If you use lager or ale yeast for a mead, it becomes a "small" or "short" mead. It's done/drinkable in 1.5 weeks or longer and is usually 6-9% alcohol by volume. I've got an awesome recipe (it's dead easy to make; it's hard to make small mead come out bad) that I've been using with ale yeast but now that it's cooler I think I need to switch to lager yeast because my fermentation is slow (can't remember now which yeast is better for the cooler temps but I'll experiment). Safale - 05 ale yeast is what we've been using in the Pacific NW. The recipe I'm using comes from a guy who brewed for personal use for years down in Calif. and is now trying to start a small meadery up here. Unfortunately he's finding that no one seems to have heard of small meads, even the OLCC and FDA!

jdinger29 · 11-29-2009, 07:45 PM

I have very little mead experience but it might be worth trying a braggot at lager temps. Then you are only fermenting half of the honey you otherwise would be. This actually sounds interesting, I might have to try it...