Bray's One Month Mead

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WVMJ said:
I think the breaks mean when they have eaten 1/3 of the sugar and then 2/3 of the sugar. I believe most SOP add at the begining and then at the 1/3 break and stop adding, adding after half the sugar is gone is basically beleived to be to late as the yeast can sucessfully matabolize the nitrogen after the halwaypoint. Not that there is a real SOP established yet, just a guideline. ScottsLab has a nice fermentation handbook you can download from their website that explains some of this very well. WVMJ
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WVMJ is correct. It is when they eat 1/3 and 2/3. I know the established SOP says not to add after 1/2, but in my hands, adding after this point pushes the yeast through the last bit a lot faster. Proof is in my fermentation speeds. I know it's a can o wormies, but I stand by it. It was also thought mead needed to ferment for a year at one point, then SNAs were introduced from the wine industry. SOPs are only SOPs until someone debunks it.
 
WVMJ said:
I think the breaks mean when they have eaten 1/3 of the sugar and then 2/3 of the sugar. I believe most SOP add at the begining and then at the 1/3 break and stop adding, adding after half the sugar is gone is basically beleived to be to late as the yeast can sucessfully matabolize the nitrogen after the halwaypoint. Not that there is a real SOP established yet, just a guideline. ScottsLab has a nice fermentation handbook you can download from their website that explains some of this very well. WVMJ
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Oh, so when I showed the recipe to my local home brew store, he said that probably meant I was supposed to break up how I give my honey to keep the specific gravity down. So he was having me give nutrient every day for a week and then give the last third of the honey. I checked my specific gravity before I put my yeast in, and it was at 1.7. I thought that was pretty good for a 2/3 sugar break since the place I bought honey from sold it in pounds instead of gallons. Anyways, its already bubbling out CO2. So we will see how it turns out.

By the way, for the 5 gallon recipe, is it really supposed to be potassium carbonate? My brew store sells potassium sorbate and calcium carbonate. We thought it was calcium carbonate since the sorbate would stop it from fermenting.
 
JSappenf said:
Oh, so when I showed the recipe to my local home brew store, he said that probably meant I was supposed to break up how I give my honey to keep the specific gravity down. So he was having me give nutrient every day for a week and then give the last third of the honey. I checked my specific gravity before I put my yeast in, and it was at 1.7. I thought that was pretty good for a 2/3 sugar break since the place I bought honey from sold it in pounds instead of gallons. Anyways, its already bubbling out CO2. So we will see how it turns out.

By the way, for the 5 gallon recipe, is it really supposed to be potassium carbonate? My brew store sells potassium sorbate and calcium carbonate. We thought it was calcium carbonate since the sorbate would stop it from fermenting.
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It has to be potassium carbonate. Calcium carbonate makes the mead chalky. Potassium carbonate both buffers the ph and provides potassium, which is limiting in honey.
 
They are mixing up Staggerd Yeast Nutrient Additions and Step Feeding, 2 different proceedures that can happen at the same time. The things is that there really is not 1/3 sugar break if you are going to keep step feeding, Scott labs says to add more nutrients for a high OG but not sure what they recommend if you keep feeding honey. WVMJ

JSappenf said:
Oh, so when I showed the recipe to my local home brew store, he said that probably meant I was supposed to break up how I give my honey to keep the specific gravity down. So he was having me give nutrient every day for a week and then give the last third of the honey. I checked my specific gravity before I put my yeast in, and it was at 1.7. I thought that was pretty good for a 2/3 sugar break since the place I bought honey from sold it in pounds instead of gallons. Anyways, its already bubbling out CO2. So we will see how it turns out.

By the way, for the 5 gallon recipe, is it really supposed to be potassium carbonate? My brew store sells potassium sorbate and calcium carbonate. We thought it was calcium carbonate since the sorbate would stop it from fermenting.
Click to expand...
 
I was hoping the BOMM would translate to a SOP for any yeast, not just one yeast, its limiting only having this specific recipe for one yeast. If it was a procedure that could be applied to most yeasts that would be great. Drinkable and aged just right are 2 different things :) Someone one day will rig up a pump that dribbles little drops of nutrient in slowly like an IV, maybe another one to pump in a little honey at the same time! WVMJ

loveofrose said:
WVMJ is correct. It is when they eat 1/3 and 2/3. I know the established SOP says not to add after 1/2, but in my hands, adding after this point pushes the yeast through the last bit a lot faster. Proof is in my fermentation speeds. I know it's a can o wormies, but I stand by it. It was also thought mead needed to ferment for a year at one point, then SNAs were introduced from the wine industry. SOPs are only SOPs until someone debunks it.
Click to expand...
 
WVMJ said:
I was hoping the BOMM would translate to a SOP for any yeast, not just one yeast, its limiting only having this specific recipe for one yeast. If it was a procedure that could be applied to most yeasts that would be great. Drinkable and aged just right are 2 different things :) Someone one day will rig up a pump that dribbles little drops of nutrient in slowly like an IV, maybe another one to pump in a little honey at the same time! WVMJ
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This is the procedure I use for every yeast, but I understand if others have a different method. It can and has been applied to all the yeast I use with good result.

As far as drinkable versus aged right, this mead is more than just drinkable at one month. I tested it side by side with DV10, KIV-1116, & EC1118 along with numerous ale yeast. Wyeast 1388 is delicious at 30 days. I am not saying it could not benefit from age. What I am saying is compared to those yeast at one month, this one is delicious with none of the wine yeast associated off flavors. It has also impressed several mead makers over at gotmead. I see those guys as knowing what they are doing.

This protocol is essentially a beer brewers first mead which is my background. Anyone can make a JAOM, but not everyone really enjoys or wants a metheglin. Especially people from a non-sweet beer brewing background. On top of that, JAOM still takes 4-6 months to really be good.

As far as SOP, I find everyone does something a bit different. Some superstition, some what they have been told. I just do what works for me. If you follow the protocol, you make good mead. Drink in a month or a year is entirely up to the mead maker.
 
BOMM is staggered yeast nutrient additions using Wyeast 1388. That is kind of one of the standard ways to make mead with any yeast, but you found that 1388, with its higher alcohol tolerance than most ale yeasts, does the job quicker. Does it taste like ale? I ask because I am using SafAle-05 on a cyser, compared to D47 and QA233, and the SafAle tastes like beer while the others taste more like cider or white wine. We did the JAOM, to much bitterness from the orange rind, couldnt add enough honey to cover that up. THanks, WVMJ
 
WVMJ said:
BOMM is staggered yeast nutrient additions using Wyeast 1388. That is kind of one of the standard ways to make mead with any yeast, but you found that 1388, with its higher alcohol tolerance than most ale yeasts, does the job quicker. Does it taste like ale? I ask because I am using SafAle-05 on a cyser, compared to D47 and QA233, and the SafAle tastes like beer while the others taste more like cider or white wine. We did the JAOM, to much bitterness from the orange rind, couldnt add enough honey to cover that up. THanks, WVMJ
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Perhaps a bit of explanation is in order. I've been on a quest to delicious mead fast. Not "drinkable". I mean "damn this is good". My reasoning was that wine yeast have never had a selective process to be fusel free fast because most wines age for years. My logic was that beer yeast have been put through a fast product selection as I can produce high gravity beers very fast. Being the scientist I am, I applied the scientific method for finding what I wanted through screening yeast. I tested all yeast at high temperatures (70-80 F) and fermented honey only mead to dryness so that off flavors would be very apparent. So far, I've done the following experiments:

I've tested the following yeast in side by side identical Orange Blosson musts. ALL TASTINGS DONE AT ONE MONTH AFTER PITCHING

Group 1 - Documented as "Ale Yeast Experiment" at gotmead:
Wyeast Dry Mead - Control wine yeast. Not bad, but needs 1-2 years age.
US-05, or Chico Strain - Very beer like but clean. No off flavors.
Safbrew S-33 - Extremely beer like and very tart. No off flavors.
Wyeast 1272 - Stuck at 1.05. Deemed unacceptable for mead.
Wyeast 3787 - Extremely tasty and soft with peach notes at one month. No off flavors Never clears even after extensive aging. This success led me to the Belgian Ale Experiment due to this being the only Belgian ale.

Group 2 - Belgian Ale Experiment documented at gotmead:
Wyeast 3787 - Control, same as above.
Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison - pretty sulfury and funky. After 2 months it was better and still better than wine yeast.
Wyeast 3463 Forbidden Fruit - Crapped out at 1.02, but was a very good sweet mead. No off flavors. Highly suggested for sweet mead.
Wyeast 3522 Ardennes - Nearly the same as 3463, but not quite as good.
Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale - Very soft, clean flavor. Velvety with some peach notes. Very good as soon as the ferment is done. Crystal clear before the month is out. At two months, it is some of the best dry mead I've had. Does not taste like beer! Tastes like mead!

Group 3 - Varietal Honey Test
All Wyeast 1388 but the following honey were used to ensure that the success was not orange blossom honey specific.
Orange Blossom - Still very good dry. Repeatable results.
Palmetto - Very complex and tasty. I like this one backsweetened to 1.005.
Tupelo - Completely in love with this one. Backsweetened to 1.01.

I also have tested a Cyser using the BOMM method that is extremely good. Best cyser I've ever made in fact. Others at gotmead are in progress with a pyment and a JAOM BOMM. Results are not in yet, but it looks good so far.

Hope that helps explain all the work behind creating this recipe. Next testing will involve tannin and acid additions. I am ever on the the quest for the perfect mead!
 
I am going to try a 1 gallon batch of this tonight, but with ec1118. I listened to a podcast recently that suggested 1 g per gallon. Is that enough? Should I divide the pack up or use it all?
 
Oddball said:
I am going to try a 1 gallon batch of this tonight, but with ec1118. I listened to a podcast recently that suggested 1 g per gallon. Is that enough? Should I divide the pack up or use it all?
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It is not a BOMM if you use any yeast other than Wyeast 1388. While you will make good mead following everything else with EC1118, it will be 3-6 months before it is drinkable and one year before it is really awesome. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm saying it's not a BOMM.
 
loveofrose said:
It is not a BOMM if you use any yeast other than Wyeast 1388. While you will make good mead following everything else with EC1118, it will be 3-6 months before it is drinkable and one year before it is really awesome. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm saying it's not a BOMM.
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As far as the quantity..... I went with the whole pack. I tried to look it up but the opinions seemed to vary quite drastically. I hope that is ok. Are you sure it will take that long? I went with this yeast because the write up said the fermentation was fast and peaked at under 10 days at around 20C.

http://www.lalvinyeast.com/images/library/EC1118_Yeast.pdf
 
Done fermenting and ready to drink do not always go hand in hand. With wine yeast, it almost never goes hand in hand. Wine yeast make a lot of harsh fusels that take time to age out. EC1118 is one of the cleaner fermenters, but it still needs months to age after the ferment is finished.

The reason Wyeast 1388 is special is because it is ready to drink when the ferment is finished. Before if you like sweet mead. It also clears within a month unlike wine yeast.
 
Keepign your ferment on the cooler side will help with fussels greatly. But after reading a bunch of your experiments LoR, I'll probably be switching to those Belgian ale yeasts
 
So before I added my 5 lbs more of honey, i used my hydrometer and it had dropped from 1.07 to 1.042. What would that make the alcohol concentration?
 
Has anyone tried this recipe for a base mead to be turned into a melomel later? I've occasionally found myself at farmers markets and U-pick orchards wishing I had some show mead ready for secondary.

JSappenf, there are several online calculators you can use; here's one:
http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv_calculator.php

Your fermentation has a ways to go still!
 
rfsido said:
Has anyone tried this recipe for a base mead to be turned into a melomel later? I've occasionally found myself at farmers markets and U-pick orchards wishing I had some show mead ready for secondary.

JSappenf, there are several online calculators you can use; here's one:
http://www.rooftopbrew.net/abv_calculator.php

Your fermentation has a ways to go still!
Click to expand...

Many have tried, myself included, to great success!
 
If you want to calculate the finished %ABV, you'll have to do the calculation in two steps, since you added sugar twice.

I'm glad to hear that it works for melomels; have you tried this with raspberry honey?
 
loveofrose said:
Done fermenting and ready to drink do not always go hand in hand. With wine yeast, it almost never goes hand in hand. Wine yeast make a lot of harsh fusels that take time to age out. EC1118 is one of the cleaner fermenters, but it still needs months to age after the ferment is finished.

The reason Wyeast 1388 is special is because it is ready to drink when the ferment is finished. Before if you like sweet mead. It also clears within a month unlike wine yeast.
Click to expand...

Is there another yeast that would work as well as Wyeast 1388? My LHBS doesn't have it or the WL equivalent (Belgian golden). Is there any others that you have played around with that you could recommend?

Thanks
 
Well picked up some honey and Wyeast 1388 today and smacked the pack in preparation for tomorrow then as I was writing down my process for tomorrow and realized I do not have any potassium carbonate... How critical is this, how often did the yeast stall during your experience when not using compared to using it?
 
Atek said:
Well picked up some honey and Wyeast 1388 today and smacked the pack in preparation for tomorrow then as I was writing down my process for tomorrow and realized I do not have any potassium carbonate... How critical is this, how often did the yeast stall during your experience when not using compared to using it?
Click to expand...

So the local brew store told me to use the reverse osmosis water at my local grocery store. The drinking water is supposed to have enough minerals in it already.
 
I don't know if you guys are familiar with Joes Ancient Orange Mead (JAOM) or not, so let me explain it. In JAOM, the recipe explicitly states if you change the recipe in any way, you void all warranty.

The BOMM is no different.

If you change, exclude, substitute, omit, or otherwise, it may not work!
It is possible that it will work, but no guarantee !

Edit: I use Ozarka spring water. I find trace nutrients in the water are very important for clearing and yeast health.

Potassium carbonate is extremely important. I would not start without it. I operate under the mantra "Do it right, or don't do it at all". I made a lot of mead before potassium carbonate and around 60% stalled. Never tried it with 1388, so all bets are off.
 
You mentioned a Belgian yeast experiment so I thought you might know of others that would work. Sorry for wasting your time....
 
Where would you find potassium carbonate? My brew strore didn't have it.
 
Northern Brewer sells potassium bicarbonate. It has come to my attention that calling it potassium carbonate instead of potassium bicarbonate had caused some confusion. They are the same thing.
Sorry for any confusion!
 
Oddball said:
You mentioned a Belgian yeast experiment so I thought you might know of others that would work. Sorry for wasting your time....
Click to expand...

#49 post on this thread contains the results of the Belgian ale experiment. You are welcome to try one of those yeast, but they were not as good as Wyeast 1388. I merely want you to drink the best mead possible. I do not see answering questions or helping fellow mead makers as a waste of time. I am sorry if I made you feel that way.
 
loveofrose said:
I don't know if you guys are familiar with Joes Ancient Orange Mead (JAOM) or not, so let me explain it. In JAOM, the recipe explicitly states if you change the recipe in any way, you void all warranty.

The BOMM is no different.

If you change, exclude, substitute, omit, or otherwise, it may not work!
It is possible that it will work, but no guarantee !

Edit: I use Ozarka spring water. I find trace nutrients in the water are very important for clearing and yeast health.

Potassium carbonate is extremely important. I would not start without it. I operate under the mantra "Do it right, or don't do it at all". I made a lot of mead before potassium carbonate and around 60% stalled. Never tried it with 1388, so all bets are off.
Click to expand...

I guess I will be checking the final specific gravity. I will publish my possibly minor alterations if it works, I guess if it doesn't, it will serve as a warning....
 
loveofrose said:
#49 post on this thread contains the results of the Belgian ale experiment. You are welcome to try one of those yeast, but they were not as good as Wyeast 1388. I merely want you to drink the best mead possible. I do not see answering questions or helping fellow mead makers as a waste of time. I am sorry if I made you feel that way.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I read through the thread, but I must have overlooked that. I want to drink nothing but the best mead as well and just wanted to have a batch ready by Christmas (poor planning on my part). The closest HBS that has this yeast is not worth the drive or the $8 on top of the price of the yeast to have it shipped. That is why I was inquiring about other options. I will just have to play around with what I have available and see what happens...
 
Ok, got my potassium carbonate today and made a batch of this using 2lb 8oz north dakota clover honey. OG came out to 1.100. I made a second batch I'm dubbing jBOMM (my name is Jackson) using nottingham dry yeast. I completely expect the BOMM original to be better but I had exactly 2.5lb's honey left over and some nottingham, figured what the heck right? :mug:
 
Atek said:
Ok, got my potassium carbonate today and made a batch of this using 2lb 8oz north dakota clover honey. OG came out to 1.100. I made a second batch I'm dubbing jBOMM (my name is Jackson) using nottingham dry yeast. I completely expect the BOMM original to be better but I had exactly 2.5lb's honey left over and some nottingham, figured what the heck right? :mug:
Click to expand...

Lots of folks use Nottingham yeast. I've never done a side by side with 1388, so please let us know your tasting notes at 1 month!
 
Total noob to meads. I would really like to try to make a 1 gallon batch of this. I was having trouble clarifying the amount or wyeast to use for a 1 gallon batch. Do I use a whole smack pack for 1 gallon?
 
mastersplinter5 said:
Total noob to meads. I would really like to try to make a 1 gallon batch of this. I was having trouble clarifying the amount or wyeast to use for a 1 gallon batch. Do I use a whole smack pack for 1 gallon?
Click to expand...

That is correct. Smack the pack and let it go 2 hour to overnight, then pitch the entire pack in. Try to get every drop. I generally sanitize the corner, then cut it small enough that the nutrient packet doesn't come flying out with the yeast!
 
Just curious if you've tried hopping this? I have some challenger hops... I'm considering doing another batch in a month (crosses fingers) and dry hopping... Iv heard dry hopping does not age well though as the flavors dissipate quickly. What if I boil with just water then let it cool and add the honey and remaining ingredients? If this turns out to be 1 month then indeed this helps those who like to try new things, also kills the wallet since mead can be made faster :)
 
Atek said:
Just curious if you've tried hopping this? I have some challenger hops... I'm considering doing another batch in a month (crosses fingers) and dry hopping... Iv heard dry hopping does not age well though as the flavors dissipate quickly. What if I boil with just water then let it cool and add the honey and remaining ingredients? If this turns out to be 1 month then indeed this helps those who like to try new things, also kills the wallet since mead can be made faster :)
Click to expand...

I've not tried hopping this. I certainly will not discourage experimentation!
Let me know how it turns out!
 
Just some notes on this, already noticed in just the day these have been going the 1388 is off to a faster start, degassing the meads the 1388 appears to be more vigorous and less easily strained. I say less easily strained as the nottingham has subtle but noticeable sulfur odors coming off of it. I will not change the treatment of this mead to correct this. I will continue to treat both meads the same.
 
So I got a 1 gallon batch going. When I shake, how do I go about it without having an Mead explosion? Is foaming normal? Should I shake with the airlock on?
 

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