Sack Serrano pepper mead

Going to put a one gallon test batch in the works. Recipe will be 5 lbs honey with one pepper and water to make a gallon. Should pectin enzyme be used to help with hazing or should I not be concerned. I'm also torn on wether the pepper should be in primary versus secondary. Any advice would be helpful.

I would start with less honey and do additions since I read that as 5lbs all at once. My sack mead was started on 4.04 lbs for a gallon. It's ultra sweet and is going to take a good while to clear out and not to mention drop in gravity. It's one that really needs a lot of management and watching.

I think with 1 pepper pectic enzyme might not be needed. Also would put the pepper in secondary, I've seen it done in primary also so really up to you.

Agree with Vex, unless you plan on step feeding, it sounds like way too much honey up front...as far as the Serranos, can't comment, have never used 'em....yet

Peppers are best added to secondary so that you can taste frequently and remove when just right. It is easy to to go to far on heat or vegetable flavors with peppers. Also, a mixture of different peppers tend to give a better effect than a single pepper. Your choice though.

A green one or ripe red one? One lone serrano in a gallon of mead isnt going to make much of an impression in heat or taste. WVMJ

All advice taken with a grain of salt... I'm not too familiar with step feeding so I am leaning towards 4 lbs up front and I've got some jalapeño and a habanero as well so maybe I'll seed and vein the Habanero to cut on the heat and make it a trio of peppers in secondary. Thanks

Here are two proven recipes you should read before finalizing your recipe.

Hot Mama Capsicumel BOMM: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/spicy-bomm/

Sweet Sack BOMM: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Sweet-bomm/

Jackstraw207 said:

Going to put a one gallon test batch in the works. Recipe will be 5 lbs honey with one pepper and water to make a gallon. Should pectin enzyme be used to help with hazing or should I not be concerned. I'm also torn on wether the pepper should be in primary versus secondary. Any advice would be helpful.

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I made a Serrano pepper mead by quartering 2 green peppers into the primary (1 gallon.) There were no problems clearing and it was a hit at parties, so much so that I'm currently making a 5 gal. batch with 10 peppers quartered. Remove the peppers when you rack to secondary, watch out for the seeds getting into the pump or filter. Let me consult my notes:
1/2/16
14# wildflower honey
10 Serrano peppers, quartered
Lalvin K1-1116
5 tsp yeast nutrient
Step feed and yeast energizer after one week
Two weeks after pitching yeast, I gently stirred to get yeast deposits off the peppers floating on top near the head space.
*K1-1116 is a very aggressive strain that resists infections. You will think the airlock is boiling, it bubbles so rapidly.*
OG 1.12
FG .995
ABV 16.37 Respectable
Racked off the lees and peppers 1/31/16
Bentonite (1.5 tsp) and potassium metabisulphite (1.25 tsp) added at racking.
Currently an orange-yellow color and clearing nicely. I will rack again and bottle when clear, hopefully around March.
The one gallon batch started sweet and then spicy on the pallet for 30 seconds. It went over well with Texans and Cajuns, not so well with the folks from Philadelphia. Sensitive palettes, you understand.
Pectin enzyme shouldn't be needed unless it fails to clear. That is the mazer's (you) call.