Fireball Mead from AHA Conference

Hello,
I'm getting ready to make a batch of fireball mead that was featured at the AHA Conference this year, but I have a problem: I only bought one pack of Narbonne yeast, but the recipe calls for two. Will one be enough? I went to the closest thing I have to a LHBS, but the only reasonable yeast they had was Red Star Montrachet, which I've heard is bad business for the most part. Should I just wait and order another pack of Narbonne or go ahead with one? Or will the Montrachet actually work?

Happy New Year!

Do you have a recipe for this so called Fireball mead.

You already have to wait a long time for your mead to be drinkable so why

not wait a few days for a second packet of yeast, If you are getting antzy

you can use Montrachet but you may not get the results you hoped for

What size batch are you making? One package should be ok for up to 5 gallons.

According to the directions, 18 lbs. of honey, plus nutrient and energizer, top to 5.5 gallons and add two packets. O.G. 1.135. Will one still work?

eulipion2 said:

According to the directions, 18 lbs. of honey... top to 5.5 gallons... O.G. 1.135.

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Those proportions yield a must whose OG is ~1.115 (20 points shy of 1.135)

hightest said:

Those proportions yield a must whose OG is ~1.115 (20 points shy of 1.135)

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Just putting my blind faith into the AHA and Zymurgy. That's what the article said. All the same, will one packet of Narbonne be able to handle that without any off flavors?

Thanks

eulipion2 said:

Just putting my blind faith into the AHA and Zymurgy. That's what the article said. All the same, will one packet of Narbonne be able to handle that without any off flavors?

Thanks

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It would not be the first time errors/oversights were made in published recipes. Even Ken Schramm's book has a couple OG errors.

Assuming the OG is in the 1.11x range, a single yeast packet should work - assuming proper rehydration with Go-Ferm, and following a SNA protocol. Otherwise, two packets would be better.

Well, I put the recipe into qBrew, and it gave honey's extract potential as 1.042, which would make the calculation correct. Other sources, including John Palmer's How To Brew and StrangeBrew give it as around 1.035, making hightest's correct. Perhaps I'll add a couple extra pounds of honey and dilute to where I want it to be.

As for the yeast, I've been pitching straight from the packet so long I forgot about starters... so I think I'll just make a starter rather than waste $5 on shipping an 80 cent packet of yeast. I wish I had a LHBS! Is there any drawback to a starter other than chance for contamination?

Thanks for all the feedback!

the only con with a starter is the extra risk of contamination. i wouldn't worry about that tho, you can just be super sanitary and you eliminate that risk.

Go with a starter.


also, why is it called fireball mead?

Looks like a traditional mead to me.

Do not make a starter with dry yeast!!! I think you should be fine with one package but if you are worried have the montrachet on hand. It will probably be drier but I do not think it will be bad.


Is this like the atomic fireball mead in Randy Moshers Radical Brewing?

It calls for about 15 lbs. honey, 50 atomic fireball jawbreakers 1 to 2 boxes of red zinger tea and some cinnamon oil. The recipe there only specifies "mead yeast" and not how much.

eulipion2 said:

Well, I put the recipe into qBrew, and it gave honey's extract potential as 1.042, which would make the calculation correct. Other sources, including John Palmer's How To Brew and StrangeBrew give it as around 1.035, making hightest's correct.

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Years ago, I attempted to use the beer brewing programs for mead and found them not suited to mead making. As I do not know the specifics of their calculation methodolgy, I can not say why this is so.

Nevertheless, the method I employ in my spreadsheet is based on sound concentration/dilution mathematical methods (C1V1 + C2V2 = CtVt) - Concentration and Volume.

So rather than try to figure out why other programs do not work, I created my own, tailored to the needs of the mead maker. It is as accurate as your measurements, is used by many mead makers, and is the basis for mead calculators found on other mead websites...

DUDE!!!! That sounds awesome....Is this the complete recipe?

Zymurgrafi said:

Do not make a starter with dry yeast!!! I think you should be fine with one package but if you are worried have the montrachet on hand. It will probably be drier but I do not think it will be bad.


Is this like the atomic fireball mead in Randy Moshers Radical Brewing?

It calls for about 15 lbs. honey, 50 atomic fireball jawbreakers 1 to 2 boxes of red zinger tea and some cinnamon oil. The recipe there only specifies "mead yeast" and not how much.

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I have Randy Mosher's book, which says 15lbs of honey. When did the extra 3lbs and 1/2gallon get added?

wow this really sounds tasty... i might have to put this together!

BeerRunner said:

I have Randy Mosher's book, which says 15lbs of honey. When did the extra 3lbs and 1/2gallon get added?

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I was merely inquiring whether this was the same recipe. Yes, the OP's recipe has more honey.

The AHA recipe is 18 lb honey, energizer and nutrient, and two packs of Narbonne yeast. Stop fermentation around 1.030-1.060, add potassium sorbate, move to secondary and add cinnamon oil.

I've had some of this. It does taste exactly like atomic fireballs!