Small batches and other challenges

Just now looking into doing some mead brewing...first time brewing anything, really. I've stopped by a couple LHB shops, and they sell 5- and 7-gallon kits. I'm thinking smaller, though, for a couple reasons: limited space for brewing and storing (I live in an RV), and I'd like to try a wide host of varieties, especially here in the begining. A local friend recommended doing at least 5 gallons at a time because of the amount lost during the process, but I was wondering if there are good ways to do a couple gallons at a time...equipment to support that size of batch, etc.

The other concern I've got is temperature. I think fermenting over the summer will be okay...I can keep the RV down in the lower 80's, which sounds about right for fermenting from what I've heard. I wonder about the cooler weather, though. Personally, I prefer not to heat or cool the air all too much, but I wonder about how that would affect the mead...during all steps from fermentation to storage. Any thoughts there?

Thanks in advance. I'm looking forward to my first brew sometime soon.

Why not try a simple, quick mead, like Joe's Ancient Orange Mead? Quick in mead terms, that is- not real quick in people's terms! I use one gallon jugs all the time for fermenters. A perfect one is from Carlo Rossi wine- it's a 4L jug that works great as a primary, then you can rack into a one gallon jug. A #6 stopper (available from any brewstore) fits perfectly, along with the airlock. I have about a dozen one gallon jugs just for small batches of mead and wine and cider!

Wine yeast like warm temperatures, but I've been able to ferment in the upper 50s with the right yeast. Once it's done, cold temperatures are great for aging and clearing. You can make it in the summer and early fall, and age and store in the winter and spring, bottling in about one year.

Actually for most wine yeasts a fermentation temperature range of 66 through 72 degrees F is about right. Much warmer than that and although the yeast will ferment faster, they will also produce more higher-order alcohols (fusels) which will result in harsh flavors that take a while to age out of your mead. Much lower than that range and fermentation can slow to a crawl - or even stop outright. There are of course variations on this range with specific strains of yeast, but in general I've found 66 to 72 F to be the "sweet spot" for most mead ferments.

@YooperBrew: That sounds awesome...and easy enough that I think I'll try to get something going over the next couple days. Question for you, though: you mention that it should not be distrubed/shaken/etc. This brings me back to my dilemma of living in an RV (that moves every couple/few weeks)...is a couple hour's travel down the road going to jack with this mead? ...other meads?

@wayneb: Thanks for the thoughts...seems to be some conflicting info out there. Both LHB stores I stopped at seemed to think meads prefer warmer temps than wines or beers...recommended 80-85 as optimal. Maybe it's just the yeast they're using. Is that something that's listed on the label/info for the yeast...preferred temps, etc?

Nepsis said:

@YooperBrew: That sounds awesome...and easy enough that I think I'll try to get something going over the next couple days. Question for you, though: you mention that it should not be distrubed/shaken/etc. This brings me back to my dilemma of living in an RV (that moves every couple/few weeks)...is a couple hour's travel down the road going to jack with this mead? ...other meads?

@wayneb: Thanks for the thoughts...seems to be some conflicting info out there. Both LHB stores I stopped at seemed to think meads prefer warmer temps than wines or beers...recommended 80-85 as optimal. Maybe it's just the yeast they're using. Is that something that's listed on the label/info for the yeast...preferred temps, etc?

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Well, if the mead/wine/cider isn't clear, then shaking it up a bit might lengthen the clearing time. Otherwise, it'll be fine.

Wine yeast do like higher temps, but you can look at the manufacturer's website to be certain. There are some that go happily up to 90 degrees. I've never heard of getting fusel alcohols with wine yeast. Well, there are probably some- I mean, sometimes I make a high ABV wine that is "hot" for a few years. But that's because the wine pushes 18% ABV, not because of fermentation temperatures.

Good to know...I can be a bit more patient (I think) so long as I know I'm not messing it up on bumpy rides down the road. Ingredient shopping this afternoon and n00b mead-making this evening.

YooperBrew said:

Wine yeast do like higher temps, but you can look at the manufacturer's website to be certain. There are some that go happily up to 90 degrees. I've never heard of getting fusel alcohols with wine yeast. Well, there are probably some- I mean, sometimes I make a high ABV wine that is "hot" for a few years. But that's because the wine pushes 18% ABV, not because of fermentation temperatures.

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It likely is both that you've gone as high in ABV as you have (higher concentrations of ethanol will have correspondingly higher concentrations of fusel production, since yeast stress is the "prime" reason that the higher order alcohols are produced), and that you are fermenting at a higher temperature. Just because the spec on a particular yeast strain says it will ferment to 90F, doesn't mean that it produces organoleptically satisfying results at those temperatures. I have noted an increase in fusel production in those batches that I have fermented "hot" in years past, as have others who have made lots of mead. Our observations correlate well with published data from the commercial wine industry, too. As just one example, have a look at this Google Books page, taken from "Wine Science" by Ron Jackson (and note especially the last paragraph on the page):
Wine science: principles, practice ... - Google Books

So, cooler ferments (within the spec limits of your yeast) will produce cleaner, less harsh results.

Oh, and as for some LHBS folks thinking that meads need to be fermented warmer -- well, that is information that was anecdotally determined from the early days of meadmaking in this country (and I was around making mead back then - in the early 80's - so I know when all this "expert opinion" was first formed). Without a complete understanding of how fermentation works in mead musts, it was observed back then that you could "goose" a sluggish fermentation by warming it up a few degrees. Hence the old rule of thumb, that meads like to be fermented warm, came into being. It ain't necessarily so. In fact, with proper early management of oxygenation and nutrient additions, meads pretty much like to percolate at the same temperatures as wines using the same yeast strains.

Gotcha. Thanks for the info...and the link to the book. I've got plenty to learn, and sources are always welcome.

Picked up the ingredients for Joe's Ancient Orange Mead at lunch today, and planning on putting it all together this eve...two batches: one by the recipe and one to experiment a bit...maybe grapefruit, minor tweak-age to the spices...nothing too crazy yet. I think I'm especially interested in this one because it seems to hail back to the days when things were much more basic. I'm curious about other more "primitive" recipes. What did folks do 3000 years ago when climate control wasn't really an option, and purifying yeast colonies wasn't a consideration?

I'd throw up a caution about grapefruit - when all the sugars are fermented away, the result is extremely bitter. A little fruit goes a very long way in a melomel!

As far as what folks did those many thousands of years ago, well they pretty much fermented anything that they thought could be fermented, in many combinations that we might consider "odd" today. Not knowing anything about yeast, they simply fermented over and over in vessels that produced "the good stuff" early on, and I suspect they hoped and prayed that batches didn't spoil. One neolithic (9000+ years ago) brew which left remnants in a flask that had been buried with a Chinese tribal chieftan was discovered several years ago, and found from mass spec. analysis to have contained a mixture of hawthorn berries, possibly grapes, rice, and honey. So, how's a stone age "methomel" sound to you?

To answer your original question though: buy smaller carboys'. I have two 2.5gallon carboys, and a 3 gallon carboy, plus two 5 gal. carboys, and two 7 gallon buckets (one for beer, one for wine...just for primary).

one gallon is doable but you do lose a lot, and when you consider most mead has to age a while, you end up storing 6-8 bottles (12 oz) for months, and then its gone in a couple of sittings.

2.5 or 3 gallon sounds like it would be about right for what I'm thinking...small enough to allow for multiple batches and "experiments" and large enough to enjoy the outcome. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for some of those.

wayneb said:

I'd throw up a caution about grapefruit - when all the sugars are fermented away, the result is extremely bitter. A little fruit goes a very long way in a melomel!

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I went ahead with the grapefruit concept, but after reading this only used half of a grapefruit -- four slices -- in the batch. The other batch was just as the recipe called for...more details to come.

wayneb said:

As far as what folks did those many thousands of years ago, well they pretty much fermented anything that they thought could be fermented, in many combinations that we might consider "odd" today. Not knowing anything about yeast, they simply fermented over and over in vessels that produced "the good stuff" early on, and I suspect they hoped and prayed that batches didn't spoil. One neolithic (9000+ years ago) brew which left remnants in a flask that had been buried with a Chinese tribal chieftan was discovered several years ago, and found from mass spec. analysis to have contained a mixture of hawthorn berries, possibly grapes, rice, and honey. So, how's a stone age "methomel" sound to you?

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haha...stone age "methomel"...sounds...curious. I'd be down for giving it a sip or two. I think part of my interest in the older variants have to do with learning how people got along for thousands of years before all of the modern conveniences that influence every aspect of our contemporary lives. That's probably partially why I live in an RV now...the other reason being that it's the most conducive way to accomplish my current job. Life in the RV, then, would be the other major factor in my interest in older brewing methods. Since I'm limited on space and climate control, it kind of seems that going back to the basics may prove useful for successful brews. But, of course, I hate to go too primitive and end up with a bunch of wasted batches.

Anyway, got the couple batches of Joe's Ancient going, but will have to write about that in a bit.

On the other hand, I love small batches especially for mead....no need to waste 40.00 on amazing honey for your first round.........perfect it, then scale up. IMHO.