I havent been able to do any brewing for the last few years because of babies but Im looking to get into it by making my first mead. The only thing that makes me a bit leery is that recipes Ive seen indicate that mead takes a long time to get drinkable and Id prefer something that is ready to drink within 3 months or so after pitching the yeast. Is this possible?
What Ive been thinking is shooting for a relatively low ABV (maybe 7.5% tops) since that goes hand in hand with less aging. In order to keep it from getting too thin and dry Im thinking of trying to get my hands on the wimpiest yeast that I can find so that some honey sweetness gets left behind. Im also thinking of putting in maybe a gallon of apple juice since apple juice (in my experience) starts fermenting really fast and easy which might help build up some yeast to chip away at the slower to ferment honey and apple tartness might complement the honey sweetness but not overpower the more subtle honey flavor. I could use corn syrup I suppose or caramelize some sugar in the frying pan and throw that in but Im leaning towards honey with just a bit of apple juice.
Spice like cinnamon and cloves are, sadly, right out. SWMBO thinks they taste like (oriental) medicine and wont drink it if it has them.
One advantage Ill have is that Ill be putting the carboy in a space kimchi refrigerator so I can regulate the temperature right down to the degree. Im not sure what kind of honey to get, Ill poke around the Korean internet to see what I can buy in bulk/on sale. Maybe itll be from some kind of flower that people here havent used much of. For my very first beer I put in about two pounds of some kind of random raw honey and the floral smell it gave the beer was just incredible, will try to replicate that
Am I on the right track? Any suggestions? Whatd be some good strains of yeast for a relatively low ABV mead that isnt tooooooooo dry? How much honey can I get away with and still have it be drinkable in three months or so or should I just stick it out and make something bigger and wait six months?
What Ive been thinking is shooting for a relatively low ABV (maybe 7.5% tops) since that goes hand in hand with less aging. In order to keep it from getting too thin and dry Im thinking of trying to get my hands on the wimpiest yeast that I can find so that some honey sweetness gets left behind. Im also thinking of putting in maybe a gallon of apple juice since apple juice (in my experience) starts fermenting really fast and easy which might help build up some yeast to chip away at the slower to ferment honey and apple tartness might complement the honey sweetness but not overpower the more subtle honey flavor. I could use corn syrup I suppose or caramelize some sugar in the frying pan and throw that in but Im leaning towards honey with just a bit of apple juice.
Spice like cinnamon and cloves are, sadly, right out. SWMBO thinks they taste like (oriental) medicine and wont drink it if it has them.
One advantage Ill have is that Ill be putting the carboy in a space kimchi refrigerator so I can regulate the temperature right down to the degree. Im not sure what kind of honey to get, Ill poke around the Korean internet to see what I can buy in bulk/on sale. Maybe itll be from some kind of flower that people here havent used much of. For my very first beer I put in about two pounds of some kind of random raw honey and the floral smell it gave the beer was just incredible, will try to replicate that
Am I on the right track? Any suggestions? Whatd be some good strains of yeast for a relatively low ABV mead that isnt tooooooooo dry? How much honey can I get away with and still have it be drinkable in three months or so or should I just stick it out and make something bigger and wait six months?