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I've read that K1-V1116 is actually one of the best yeasts to use for a cyser. I plan on using it for my next one. Other than that, I've used D47 (still aging) and Wyeast 1388 (currently bottle conditioning...).

Was there a calc error? Seems like it should be: 557.5 + 1 + 5 = 563.5

While mead will always improve with age, that is not entirely true. A lot of this depends on fermentation management during primary (proper pitching rate, SNA's, pH buffering, degassing, oxygenation), and yeast selection. That's what makes the BOMM good after one month, and great after 3 or 4...

bernardsmith's 100% right about that hydrometer reading being way off. To get a better idea of gravity estimates, use the mead calculator. While it may not be 100% correct (honey's sugar content varies), it will give you a pretty good idea of where you should be. The one on GotMead? is having...

No, I mean acid blend. It's basically a powdered blend of different types of food/fruit acids (citric, malic, and tartaric acids), and is available at most homebrew shops and online. The effects are immediate, and it's easy to overdo, so if you use it, I'd suggest taking a sample and sprinkling...

I would be more concerned about missing the timing on the carbonation and having a bottle explode on the stovetop (or dishwasher? really?) than I would be about the flavor changing. The safest ways to get something sweet carbonated is to either 1) use an unfermentable sweetener or 2) stabilize...

It's not so much that it needs to remain in the bottle, as it is that it needs to be aged in general. In fact, many recommend bulk aging (aging the entire batch in one vessel) over bottle aging, as it means the entire batch will age more uniformly. Lack of storage space and spare carboys...

71B is a solid yeast that can definitely produce a quality mead within a relatively short period of time (yes, even under a year), especially if you use good modern techniques. Just be sure to keep up with racking. While 71B is a great yeast, it has been known to do some weird things when left...

As far as I know, people swear against the heat sanitation of the must/honey prior to pitching the yeast. I've never heard of anyone heating the finished mead to kill the remaining yeast. I'm still pretty new at this, though, so I could be wrong. Also, remember, heating a sealed container of...

Speaking of BOMM's, loveofrose just posted about this on his site a few days ago: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/

What yeast did you use? What was the OG, FG, and final ABV of the cider?

I'm pretty curious about this too. I have a bottle of commercial Dwojniak sitting at home that's 16%, and, if I remember correctly, Vikings Blod definitely clocks in around 19%. It's possible that it must be under 14% to be called a mead, otherwise they consider it a "honeywine" (even though...

Yep, I've never tried it personally, but I figured I'd throw it out as a precaution, as I've seen that repeated pretty often. Realistically, though I'm sure 6 or 8 months would be perfectly fine, but I definitely wouldn't bulk age for, say, 2 years in a plastic carboy.

From what I understand, PET is not good for long-term aging, as oxygen will gradually permeate the plastic.

While some SO2 is produced during fermentation, I wouldn't worry about it this early. You'll experience all number of weird smells and flavors in primary.

So far this year: 1 - Bochet 1 - Vanilla Chai 2 - OB traditional 1 - Cyser 1 - Wildflower Traditional 1 - Blueberry Vanilla 1 - Concord Pyment 1 - Niagra Pyment 1 - Sichuan Metheglin 1 - Sichuan Cyser 11 gallons 475.5 + 11 = 486.5

I would avoid boiling them, as cooking fruit causes the pectins to gel up, and can cause a haze that just never quite goes away. If you wanted to heat them, I would pasteurize them by keeping them at a low simmer of 160 - 170F for about 15-20 minutes. This should be enough to kill anything in...

I've never had Oliver or Chaucer's, but I have heard that they are overly-sweet, not-so-great examples of mead (especially the Oliver, which has a whopping 40/100 score over at RateBeer). That said, if you know where to look, you can find great examples of commercial meads. In the Cleveland...