Basic mead question

Hi all, I'm making a mead this weekend. I've only done this once before, so I'll make sure I'm doing this right:

12lbs orange blossom honey
Enough water to top off to 5 gallons

Shake (in carboy) to completely dissolve.

Dissolve five (5) crushed campden tablets. Let sit for 48 hours.

Pitch Wyeast Dry Mead Yeast, along with some Wyeast Yeast Nutrient.

Drink beer while waiting.

Look good?

Basically you have the right idea.

Couple notes.
You probably don't need the Campden. Honey is nearly sterile and a healthy yeast pitch will overwhelm any remaining organism.
Especially if you have soft water it may be a good idea to add a tsp of potassium carbonate to the must to buffer the must against sharp drops in ph. Honey provides very little buffering and fermentation will cause the ph to drop this can lead to stuck fermentation if the ph drops too low.

Leave in the fermenter a few weeks until it begins to clear, then transfer to a carboy and stick it in a dark corner for 6months to a year.

Craig

Can you define a healthy yeast pitch? I've got a smack pack of Wyeast Dry Mead. It's one of the "Activator" size ones. For beer, I'd normally make a starter. Can I just pitch this as-is?

If you haven't already, I'd suggest you read the "Making a Basic Mead" FAQ. It will help answer your questions. While you're there, you might also read the Rehydration and Staggered Nutrient Addition FAQs.

Some believe these steps are not necessary, but I (and other mead makers like Ken Schramm, Oskaar, wayneb, etc.) maintain that following these practices offer preventitive measures resulting in a succesful mead experience. In my case, many years worth...

After reading them, if you have follow-up questions, just ask...

I'd add some yeast nutrient/energizer to the must, very few nutrients in honey or water. I'd also make a starter. Regards, GF.

Just recognize that when, and how much, you add can be important. Also, it is possible to add too much nutrient, or too late in the fermentation process, which can contribute to off-flavors:

Too large an influx of nitrogen can also be harmful to the yeasts. It throws the cell's metabolism off-balance leading to flavor problems, nitrogen wasting, and can even promote "yeast suicide", and fermenting too fast can generate enough heat to kill the yeast.

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hightest: Good point, I've always assumed that anyone adding nutrient/energizer would follow the directions on the packet/container. It's good to point out that more is not always better. I've never stepped any nutrients, though if I make more high gravity musts, I think I will as it seems like both a logical idea & a good thing to do. Regards, GF.

One of the side benefits to using staggered nutrients is that typically it pushes the yeast to ~1% above its normal yeast tolerance. Both Ken Schramm and I have noted this and briefly discussed it via email.

Even though Ken's SNA protocol is slightly different than mine, they both have produced this effect.

hightest said:

One of the side benefits to using staggered nutrients is that typically it pushes the yeast to ~1% above its normal yeast tolerance. Both Ken Schramm and I have noted this and briefly discussed it via email.

Even though Ken's SNA protocol is slightly different than mine, they both have produced this effect.

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Now that's a handy bit of info to have, thanks! Regards, GF.

Well, not to ignore everyone, but...

I mixed up the must earlier, dropped in 5 (crushed) tabs of Campden that advertise 30ppm of SO2 in 1 gallon must (each). I'll pitch yeast on Monday night, along with a dose of nutrient.

Sound OK?

It is not necessary to use Campden tablets (or other sulfite producing chemicals) in a mead must unless you might be using fresh fruit (or fresh pressed juice).

The addition of that chemical (along with must boiling, up-front acid addition, etc.) are "old school" practices that can cause more harm than good.

FWIW, Campden tablets come in various strengths and metal-bases (sodium and potassium). The problem is that the tablets look similar so it's difficult to tell which is which...

hightest, that's pretty clear, thanks.

At what point can I pitch the yeast? Is 48 hours too long a wait?

One other thing - My OG only came out to about 1.097. Is that too low?

Sounds great to me! Good luck!

You should be able to pitch your yeast any time after 24-36 hr after adding the Campden tablets.

IMO, 1.097 is a bit low for a mead. I typically set a minimum OG near 1.105-1.110. Yet, when I use your recipe numbers (12 Lbs & water to make 5 gal) I get an OG of 1.085. So either your must is stratified (not mixed well) or your measurements are a bit off...

hightest said:

You should be able to pitch your yeast any time after 24-36 hr after adding the Campden tablets.

IMO, 1.097 is a bit low for a mead. I typically set a minimum OG near 1.105-1.110. Yet, when I use your recipe numbers (12 Lbs & water to make 5 gal) I get an OG of 1.085. So either your must is stratified (not mixed well) or your measurements are a bit off...

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I'd say my measurements are a bit off in trying to "find" 5 gallons in a 6.5gal carboy.

I mixed pretty fiercely for several minutes, so it doesn't appear stratified.

In this case, what are my options? Feed it with some more honey, or just leave well enough alone> If it ferments down to ~1.000, we're looking at about 12.7%abv. How low is that?

It's really your choice, but if it's already fermenting I'd let it finish and back sweeten later if it's too dry for your taste. There's nothing wrong with a 12.7% ABV. Personally, I prefer my meads at (or above) 14%,which usually takes 15+ lbs of honey per 5 gal batch depending uopn other ingredients used.

Once you're done with that carboy, I'd suggest that you calibrate it in 1 gallon volume increments. I've done that with all my glass carboys (3 gal, 5 gal, 6 gal, & 6½ gal) and it is very helpful - no more guessing...

It takes a little time but only needs to be done once. Use a 1 gal jug to fill the carboy 1 gallon at a time. At each gallon, mark the level with a black marking pen with a 1" horizontal line. When you're finished, use a clear sealing spray to preserve the level markings. That way you'll be able to clean the carboy without removing the gallon markers - mine have lasted for over 5 years.

hightest said:

It's really your choice, but if it's already fermenting I'd let it finish and back sweeten later if it's too dry for your taste. There's nothing wrong with a 12.7% ABV. Personally, I prefer my meads at (or above) 14%,which usually takes 15+ lbs of honey per 5 gal batch depending uopn other ingredients used.

Once you're done with that carboy, I'd suggest that you calibrate it in 1 gallon volume increments. I've done that with all my glass carboys (3 gal, 5 gal, 6 gal, & 6½ gal) and it is very helpful - no more guessing...

It takes a little time but only needs to be done once. Use a 1 gal jug to fill the carboy 1 gallon at a time. At each gallon, mark the level with a black marking pen with a 1" horizontal line. When you're finished, use a clear sealing spray to preserve the level markings. That way you'll be able to clean the carboy without removing the gallon markers - mine have lasted for over 5 years.

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You know, I did that. But I believe I measured the gallons wrong. On a 1 gallon glass jug, where's the measure? At the lip, at the neck, etc.?

greggdogg said:

You know, I did that. But I believe I measured the gallons wrong. On a 1 gallon glass jug, where's the measure? At the lip, at the neck, etc.?

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That's a very good question! Because I was uncertain, I use a 1 qt kitchen measuring "cup" (the Pryex type) to check my 1 gallon jug, in which 1 gallon was about 3/4" below the neck ring.

I'd bet there are variations in other 1 gallon jugs. So it would be wise to establish the proper 1 gallon fill level on your own jug before using it to calibrate any carboy...

hightest said:

That's a very good question! Because I was uncertain, I use a 1 qt kitchen measuring "cup" (the Pryex type) to check my 1 gallon jug, in which 1 gallon was about 3/4" below the neck ring.

I'd bet there are variations in other 1 gallon jugs. So it would be wise to establish the proper 1 gallon fill level on your own jug before using it to calibrate any carboy...

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Very true. I have a couple gallon carboys with the gallon mark to the neck and another that the gallon mark is on the shoulder.

This is such a noobish question, I'm embarrassed to ask it - I'm also too lazy to sanitize a thief and hydrometer flask.

Visually, there's almost no activity going on. No foam on top, save for a chunk of oddly white gunk. There's also barely any lees on the bottom. The must has darkened slightly, but smells like it's fermenting healthily. I pitched a smack pack of yeast (no starter, don't hit me) 36 hours after some campden.

Other than taking a gravity reading, are there cues as to whether fermentation has begun? I'm used to beer which pukes all over my basement because of krauszen.

Did you use an airlock? Because you will be seeing action in there for sure when its fermenting. Some ferment stronger, some less, but you should see activity none the less. Having said that, meads don't always have krauzen, so no worries about that.

Actually, I did what I do for my beer primaries - Sanitized aluminum foil.

Well in a bucket, without an airlock, and no noticeable krausen, it will be difficult to notice if it is fermenting or not. There should still be some bubbling evident on the surface, but in the end the hydrometer is the only sure fire way of knowing.

greggdogg said:

...Visually, there's almost no activity going on. No foam on top, save for a chunk of oddly white gunk. There's also barely any lees on the bottom. ... I pitched a smack pack of yeast (no starter, don't hit me) 36 hours after some campden.

Other than taking a gravity reading, are there cues as to whether fermentation has begun? I'm used to beer which pukes all over my basement because of krauszen.

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Depending upon your recipe's ingredients, the use of campden tablets is not necessary.

As to your question, there are several subtle indicators that a must is fermenting - bubbles, lees accumulation, air lock movement, etc. Personally, I find them to be insufficient to determine the state of a mead fermentation - especially if there is a developing problem.

Many years ago I also used hydrometers to measure a must's SG. Tiring of the need to sanitize, draw, and measure a sample, I found that I could use a refractometer to more easily accomplish the same task.

While the cost of a refractometer is greater than a hydrometer, that cost is easily offset by the ease of its use (IMO).

Assuming you do not have a refractometer, I suggest you get used to using a hydrometer to determine how your mead fermentation is progressing as honey fermentations are very different from that of beer. Of course you still have the option to make a SWAG...

OK, we hit the one month mark the other day. I took a sample. OG was 1.097, right now it's at 1.029. It's still sickly sweet, but I'm fermenting cool (62.5F).

Do you think the yeast will drop this another 30 points or so, or is it worth pitching a packet of montrachet yeast?

Also, how cold-tolerant is Wyeast Dry Mead? Will it actually ferment at 62?

greggdogg said:

Also, how cold-tolerant is Wyeast Dry Mead? Will it actually ferment at 62?

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It should work at 55° to 75°.

Nurmey said:

It should work at 55° to 75°.

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Ah. So why so slow a fermentation?

greggdogg said:

Ah. So why so slow a fermentation?

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Generally, there are 3 main factors that contribute to an ineffective (sluggish) honey fermentation:

1. Low ambient area temperature
2. Inadequate yeast nutrients
3. acidic must (low pH)

These are by no means the only factors, but they are often seen as the "major players". More information is provided in the Honey Fermentation Concerns FAQ...