Wanting to start a Strawberry Mead

Hello,

I am wanting to begin a Strawberry Mead. I have only brewed two batches of beer in the past - both being successes. It's been a few years since I've been in the game (if you call that being 'in the game') and I want to make a good mead.

My wife's family raises bees and sell quality honey at the local farmer's market. I will probably buy some of their honey, to get a local flavor. I suppose I will buy frozen strawberries. It's a shame since Louisiana grows excellent strawberries; I could wait until season!

I was wondering of some yeast suggestions and actually some basic mead knowledge. Any links to some good mead resources would be highly appreciated.

I have a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, 5 gallon glass carboy and a plastic bucket as well. I can keep the mead fermenting in a dedicated refrigerator with a thermostat.

Again, any and all suggestions are welcome, especially beginner stuff.

Thanks!

May I suggest The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0937381802/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Also cruise around the forums and check out old topics. A lot to be learned out there. Check out some of the stickies.

I made a strawberry mead this spring. I used lavlin 71b for my yeast. I put half the strawberries in primary and half in secondary. Looking back I would put them all in primary. Make sure you oxygenate the must and do the staggered nutrient additions. They should be detailed in the sticky.

Thanks for the suggestions about the primary and secondary. I'll definitely check that book out over the holidays.

I use 71B in my strawberry mead.

Bush_84 said:

I made a strawberry mead this spring. I used lavlin 71b for my yeast. I put half the strawberries in primary and half in secondary. Looking back I would put them all in primary. Make sure you oxygenate the must and do the staggered nutrient additions. They should be detailed in the sticky.

Click to expand...

Just curious Bush, why would you have put all of them in the primary?

I have a strawberry mead going right now. I put 5 pounds of strawberries in the primary and when they lost color I racked onto 5 more pounds and when they loose color I will do it one more time onto another 5 pounds. I am using 15 pounds of clover honey. My yeast is K1-V1116. I am doing staggered nutrients. My OG was 1.095 and all seems to be moving along just fine. Got it sitting at 70 degrees been going for about 3 weeks now.

MeadWitch said:

Just curious Bush, why would you have put all of them in the primary?

Click to expand...

Arg.....sorry didn't see that typo. Hope I didn't ruin anybodies day, but I would put them all in SECONDARY not primary.

Bush_84 said:

Arg.....sorry didn't see that typo. Hope I didn't ruin anybodies day, but I would put them all in SECONDARY not primary.

Click to expand...

How did it turn out? Have you had any samples?

Bush_84 said:

Arg.....sorry didn't see that typo. Hope I didn't ruin anybodies day, but I would put them all in SECONDARY not primary.

Click to expand...

I was wondering, I personally think you get more flavor from the fruit in secondary than in primary, but I have done both.