Adding candies to Mead

[ginkgo]

What to look out for when experimenting with candies on mead?
More yeast added than normally?
What would be decent ratio of candy liquid and honey?

 

[Tom Foolery]

One would still look at the OG and the alcohol tolerance of the yeast you’re planning to use. More yeast will not help ferment more sugars if the alcohol stops it. I would try replacing some honey with candi syrup by weight, if they have about the same sugar content.

 

[ginkgo]

Cheers!

I was planning on using LALVIN EC-1118 which seems to have alcohol tolerance up to 18%

They seem to have pretty close sugar content

So the yeast doesnt really care where the sugar comes from if the other stuff is comparatively little amounts?
Candy i'm wondering about consists of:
Sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, treacle, wheat flour, licorice extract (3%), ammonium chloride (3%), modified corn and potato starch, fully hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm kernel, coco), thickener (gum arabic), emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), humectant (glycerol), salt, flavor.

 

[Tom Foolery]

The yeast don’t care about the sugar, but you will. There are many different types of sugar and you can end up with off flavors and/ or fusel alcohol. So I’d stick with simple sugars. Now for the candy that you’re referencing.. I’m no chemist, but I’d avoid all the extra ingredients. You could find some all natural licorice flavoring, or star anise and work up to how strong you like it.

 

[AkTom]

People make all kinds of candy wine. I haven’t. Try it. There must be something to it.
Cheers

 

[Hilltop Honey Farms Mead]

A while back I made an elderberry mead that didn't turn out all that great and I ended up adding about 5# of skittles to a 5 gallon batch and let it sit on them for a month. It's aged out about a year since then and tastes like the aftertaste of having skittles in your mouth. It can be done!