Burquebrewer
Well-Known Member
This is the best short mead (though I guess its really a pyment if I add grape juice??) I've ever made or had. Delicious and easy to drink at 2 months, even better at 4 mo, 6 mo, etc...
I first made it because I love the profile of this yeast when fermented in the high 60's. Slightly peppery, noticeable bubble gum, goes well with the honey and white grape. So, I thought i'd share.
recipe for 5 gallons:
11 lbs of locally sourced unfiltered Wild Flower Honey
1/8 gallon or 16 oz of all natural white grape juice
three cups of raisins
2 liter starter (WLP 515 Belgian Antwerp Ale Yeast)SG 1.040 made with half light DME and half honey. I like to make my starters 36 hours before pitching, let them sit on a stir plate for 6 hours, pull them off, then swirl them periodically to keep yeast in suspension. I did not chill then decant the starter because I felt the malt would add additional nutrients for the yeast...
1) do not boil the honey! Heat 1.5 gallons of water to about 90F and then mix in the honey and a 2 teaspoons of yeast energizer and a 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutirents.
2) Add white grape juice
3) top off to 5.25 gallons
4) pitch starter at 68F.
5) aerate/degas daily by shaking for first 5 days
6) add SNA's every couple of days or per your schedule
7) add raisins to secondary at 3 weeks and transfer must on top of raisins.
8) rack again at 6 weeks. cold crash in the tertiary fermenter.
9) Bottle at 8 weeks. enjoy a bottle right away if you like the mead still. If you like it carbonated, carbonate with corn sugar or white grape juice, or in the keg by force carbing. ( I like mine still
)
I first made it because I love the profile of this yeast when fermented in the high 60's. Slightly peppery, noticeable bubble gum, goes well with the honey and white grape. So, I thought i'd share.
recipe for 5 gallons:
11 lbs of locally sourced unfiltered Wild Flower Honey
1/8 gallon or 16 oz of all natural white grape juice
three cups of raisins
2 liter starter (WLP 515 Belgian Antwerp Ale Yeast)SG 1.040 made with half light DME and half honey. I like to make my starters 36 hours before pitching, let them sit on a stir plate for 6 hours, pull them off, then swirl them periodically to keep yeast in suspension. I did not chill then decant the starter because I felt the malt would add additional nutrients for the yeast...
1) do not boil the honey! Heat 1.5 gallons of water to about 90F and then mix in the honey and a 2 teaspoons of yeast energizer and a 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutirents.
2) Add white grape juice
3) top off to 5.25 gallons
4) pitch starter at 68F.
5) aerate/degas daily by shaking for first 5 days
6) add SNA's every couple of days or per your schedule
7) add raisins to secondary at 3 weeks and transfer must on top of raisins.
8) rack again at 6 weeks. cold crash in the tertiary fermenter.
9) Bottle at 8 weeks. enjoy a bottle right away if you like the mead still. If you like it carbonated, carbonate with corn sugar or white grape juice, or in the keg by force carbing. ( I like mine still
)
