Meads and ALC%

I made a mead a while back-

Using 12.5lbs of Fireweed Honey. Local to Alaska- Dunno if lower 48 can get that.

Using a sweet wine yeast it came out of fermenting after nearly a month. I bottled it and it was excellent. It was near 12% from my best estimate.

Ive heard +13% tend to become more bitter and less stay sweet.

Now I havent done any other types- But what seems to be the best overall type of honey to use? I have many options too. Fireweed, orange, clover, rasberry. etc.

Also I may not want to brew an entire 5gallon batch. Any pointers on how to do 2 gallon batches?

Well, each honey is a bit different. And some people like to add fruit, to make melomels.

If you want to do small batches, that's easy. Just do a 1-gallon batch and ferment in a clean sanitized Carlo Rossi (4L) jug. Or double it and do two. There are so many possilibities!

oo awesome idea...... Thanks!

I've got three one gallon jugs of clover honey fermenting with lalvin K1-v yeast, and I haven't decided what to do with them later. i might add fruit in the secondary, maybe spices, maybe absolutely nothing. I've got one gallon of three month old mead thats now aging on oak chips, and yet another that's just being left alone. That's the beauty of one gallon batches, I made a must for three gallons all at the same time, but now I can end up with three completely different meads if I want. I personally like fermenting meads in gallon jugs, I think it lends to better control, and if something somehow infects one, the other two gallons are safe. They're also easier to store when aging, cause we all know how long mead needs to sit around. I just started bottling a couple gallons of a pomegranate mead that will be one year old in january, and it still needs more time.

Go the small batch route, you'll be happy you did


mike

the type of mead being made matters.

i.e. you wouldn't wanna use orange blossom honey on a melomel or pyment, because all the lovely delicate flavor is going to be masked by the fruit/grapes.

i tend to only use clover because I'm always adding fruit or spices to my meads.

Sorry yes, forgot to mention. I only use clover as well, it ferments out the cleanest and lends itself to being added to. It's nice on its own though, just doesn't have the subtle flavor characters the other honeys have.

mike