Quicker/lighter mead?

[smallkiller]

I'm looking for something easy to drink with an ABV of 5-8% I've noticed that a normal mead can take months to perfect. I'm thinking if you cut the materials or cut the fermentation a bit short with pasteurization you can skip the aging and have a nice, sweet mead. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, but at least you guys understand what I'm shooting for. Something that can be made in about the time a beer can be made.

 

[Tw0fish]

Generally higher octane and less sugar = longer ferment. So 5-8% and sweet sounds like a fine compromise for a mead.

Were I you I'd spring for a hydrometer and make Joe's Ancient Orange and Spice mead.. and just crash it (stick 'er in the fridge, preferably to right above freezing) when it hits 5-8. I have a batch going that's been at it for a bit, but I've tasted it a few times along the way and at no point has it been less than quite pleasurable [\QUOTE]

Actually, that's gonna be My Old Advice. My New Advice would be as follows - start with a SG that youd enjoy (I've heard 1.015 is nice for sweet ciders, dunno bout meads really).. add 8% abv (that's 8 / 131 =0.0610) and add that to your finished gravity to get.. 1.076 as a starting gravity.

So to do it forwards, start with like 1/3gal water and add honey until you hit 1.076.. ferment down to 1.015 and pop that bottle right into the fridge. Solid?

And someone, please, double check my math?

 

[smallkiller]

Thank you so much! I'm just trying to construct a nice, sweet, easy drinking mead. The wine appeals to me but 6 months is just too much time to be hogging up a carboy! It's unacceptable. Have you tried pasturzing it around 1.015? Just straight up honey and water? Oh yeah brotha, we solid

 

[Atek]

following

 

[smallkiller]

If people are following I might as well keep y'all posted. Started it up today. 1 gallons worth, water and 2 lbs of honey just put it slightly over 1.075. Red star Cote Des Blank yeast is doing the heavy lifting. Fermentation is life and well within the first several hours. I plan on stopping it in the vicinity of 1.015 or whichever taste pleasantly sweet. Also starting up the grape mead recipe for giggles.

Note: I wanted to make a 5 gallon batch but I realized the bee population issue hasn't gotten any better so honey prices are through the roof.

 

[Drunkula]

as a subsistence brewer (using food stamps to brew booze) I have crashed my meads in the fridge every time. too impatient and desirous of a drink to wait. always worked well when I've tried it. But then I'm still just learning like the rest of y'all.

 

[smallkiller]

Exactly what I wanted to hear. What gravity? Or just till the taste started to stray from good?

 

[ajbram]

I'm looking for something easy to drink with an ABV of 5-8% I've noticed that a normal mead can take months to perfect. I'm thinking if you cut the materials or cut the fermentation a bit short with pasteurization you can skip the aging and have a nice, sweet mead. Not trying to reinvent the wheel, but at least you guys understand what I'm shooting for. Something that can be made in about the time a beer can be made.

If it interests you, I recently brewed a lighter mead in hopes of it being ready for xmas (picture below). It's a sparkling short mead... I used 10lb of clover honey for a 5 gal batch, also 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 vanilla beans and a couple handfuls of orange peel. I started the fermentation at the start of November (O.G. = 1.070). 2 weeks in primary brought it down to 1.000 and then 3 weeks in secondary with the orange peel took it to 0.996. I backsweetened with about 1lb of manuka honey and bottled on Nov 29.

As of last night, the mead is a nice off-dry sparkler. Mice mousseaux texture like a good prosecco. The orange is the dominant flavour, and I wish the vanilla was a little more apparent. No off flavours at all, and it's very clean and clear. There is a slight orange oil aftertaste that's disappearing by the day and will definitely be completely gone with some age.

Moral of the story is that it can be done and you're on the right track. Keep us posted, and if you need any advice on it, let me know.

 

[Atek]

That looks delicious!

 

[Drunkula]

to taste mainly. I have a hydrometer and such but it's really all about how it tastes. I measure Gravity when making the wort simply to ensure I don't overwhelm my yeast.

 

[smallkiller]

Update. The fermentation is slower than expected. The grape mead next door to it is chugging away. I'm thinking of starting a second one with a big big starter to really make sure things kick off. I think the yeast were some how shocked. Still fermenting though so we are still in the game.

 

[ajbram]

Try pitching some nutrient. Honey has lots of sugar, but is pretty deficient in other things that yeasties like.

 

[Huskysibe]

If it interests you, I recently brewed a lighter mead in hopes of it being ready for xmas (picture below). It's a sparkling short mead... I used 10lb of clover honey for a 5 gal batch, also 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 vanilla beans and a couple handfuls of orange peel. I started the fermentation at the start of November (O.G. = 1.070). 2 weeks in primary brought it down to 1.000 and then 3 weeks in secondary with the orange peel took it to 0.996. I backsweetened with about 1lb of manuka honey and bottled on Nov 29.

As of last night, the mead is a nice off-dry sparkler. Mice mousseaux texture like a good prosecco. The orange is the dominant flavour, and I wish the vanilla was a little more apparent. No off flavours at all, and it's very clean and clear. There is a slight orange oil aftertaste that's disappearing by the day and will definitely be completely gone with some age.

Moral of the story is that it can be done and you're on the right track. Keep us posted, and if you need any advice on it, let me know.

Can you post your yeast you used and if you used nutrients and degassed? Thanks, I am new to mead making.

Billy

 

[Tw0fish]

Try pitching some nutrient. Honey has lots of sugar, but is pretty deficient in other things that yeasties like.

Yeast nutrient or raisins (Cos it's wine yeast, or at least that's the reason twas given to me.)

Wow, I just got back from a little wintertime getaway and am really quite excited to see that this project is playing out for ya! Keep us updated.. I am eagerly following

 

[smallkiller]

I had stopped the fermentation at about 1.020(may very depending on your idea of sweet) and it was clearing up great and has enough residual honey flavor to hid the lack of maturity. IT WORKED Just use the little 1 gallon carboys and submerge them in a pot and heat up to 180 and let it cool on it's own. Should take about 20 minutes. It's a big of a cheap tasting mead but totally awesome to have quick results. I had a second one that I fermented dry, and my god it's like gasoline. Huge difference. I believe I used a lavlin D-47 dry yeast. Only used 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrient and gelatin fining to clear it up.

 

[ajbram]

sorry... I've been slacking off on this thread for a while . I used Lalvin Ec-1118. It's a monster which means it will cut through just about anything you put in its path, but its also pretty clean at the end, so it works well. I did use nutrient and degassed once or twice.

Now that it's been in the bottles for a couple months it has gotten really nice and drinkable. Orange is still dominant, but the aftertaste is gone. It's very clean and the honey character is starting to shine through again.

Cheers!