Greetings, First Time.

Hello all, semi-first time mead maker here.

I started my first batch of traditional sweet mead about a month and a half ago, passed primary, been racked once and collecting sediment as I type!

I just came across the forum here.

I am also hoping to start a pumpkin & brown sugar sweet mead very very soon, unfortunately, my yeast order was marked as "back ordered" after sitting at their site for 4 days, so now I am unable to start this weekend and looking for another place.

Anyway, I do sweet meads only, and not just sweet but, "help the bottle is stuck to my hand" sweet. I have never been able to drink wine, esp dry, semi-dry, or semi-sweet. However, I came across a sweet mead at our local Renn Fest and flipped.

I also drink Cider, but have not made any yet.



I will ask while I am here, what do others recommend for Sweet Mead Yeast?

I have struggled to find a variety of low, mid and high ABV yeasts for Mead that I can identify as good. There are times, for example my Pumpkin Mead, where I'd prefer a lower 8-10% ABV, and others with my Traditional where I prefer the 18%.

Frank

My first mead is fermenting now, I used White Labs WLP720 Sweat Mead Yeast. They sell their chamagne yeast for dry meads.

Good luck with your mead, and keep us posted

- magno

There are a ton of yeasts that can be used for mead making but I will stick to the scope of your question.

For a low % ABV I would go with White labs Sweet Mead yeast (10-12%)

For a medium % ABV I have had great luck with Lalvin's 71B-1122 & D47 (14%)

For a high % ABV I like K1V-1116 (16%+) . . . also great if you just want a quick/dry mead (it will go and go and go)

For something I wouldn't want to drink I would try one of the Sherry yeasts (21%+) . . . but to me that would be insane and would probably take several years to blend.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for the yeast information, yes that helps.

I enjoy the kick, however I am not a sipper of Mead, but a drinker, so I prefer a larger quantity of lower ABV Mead for the job. :cross:

Because I did not have a lower ABV yeast, I went with my usual Lalvin 71B-1122 and after only 5 days 5/12-5/18 went from 1.152 to 1.057 SG. I stopped fermentation there manually at 12.7%

Although I realize that the yeast should stop at about 14%, my Traditional fermented out to 17% on the same yeast, and I did not want this one going that high.

Not counting the sediment still suspended, it has a fantastic burnt orange coloration and sweet taste, but to my dismay, I do not notice much of a pumpkin flavor...perhaps if it continues to sit in the primary.