Bray's One Month Mead

[MarshmallowBlue]

Time will tell if I can leave some in a bottle for 3 months or not, I'm betting on "no".

Batch 3 was started as soon as I could clean and sanitize the equipment.

The trick here is to make more than you can drink. This will let bottles age. Speaking of, I'm running dangerously low on mead in supply.

 

[loveofrose]

Got my first batch going! Found some Orange Blossom honey at Wally World -- 12oz for $3.85. Newbie questions:
Why no water in the air lock for the first 7 days?
How does de-gassing every day help?

I never put water in the airlock because I want the CO2 to escape for exactly the same reasons I degas. CO2 drops the pH and O2 exchange is a good thing early in the ferment. Also, degassing suspends the yeast into solution so that they won't get lazy. By the way, Oxidation is a non issue in mead. You would have to try very hard to oxidize mead.

 

[loveofrose]

I just racked batch #2 to a new bottle for drinking at 31 days. I have an immature mead pallete and am far FAR from a conniosuer. But for this batch I had much more sucess in final clarity, and when I removed it from the "primary" I added what was left from the 3lbs of honey. To make room in the 1Gal bottle I had no choice but to drink it. In my noob opionion is was DELICOUS! Probably too sweet and green for you old hands but I can definitely say I like this stuff. Time will tell if I can leave some in a bottle for 3 months or not, I'm betting on "no".

Batch 3 was started as soon as I could clean and sanitize the equipment.

Sounds like we have a new addict..I mean mazer.
Time to get some 5 gallon carboys!

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I never put water in the airlock because I want the CO2 to escape for exactly the same reasons I degas. CO2 drops the pH and O2 exchange is a good thing early in the ferment. Also, degassing suspends the yeast into solution so that they won't get lazy. By the way, Oxidation is a non issue in mead. You would have to try very hard to oxidize mead.

Water in airlocks is to prevent other things from getting in. Not necessarily oxygen.

 

[Edbert]

The trick here is to make more than you can drink. This will let bottles age. Speaking of, I'm running dangerously low on mead in supply.

I think you sir underestimate me...hic.

Sounds like we have a new addict..I mean mazer.
Time to get some 5 gallon carboys!

Could be, I did not have the spontanouse explosion this time either, now that I have cleaned the film off of all the crap on the baker's rack.

Was going to ask about a 5gal recipie anyway. I like the method you gave for draining x ounces of water from the ozarka bottle and filling to the line etc. Can you calculate a similarly foolproof method for a 5-gallon batch?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I think you sir underestimate me...hic.

Then you just need to make more. Get a second job to buy honey if you need to.

 

[loveofrose]

I think you sir underestimate me...hic.


Could be, I did not have the spontanouse explosion this time either, now that I have cleaned the film off of all the crap on the baker's rack.

Was going to ask about a 5gal recipie anyway. I like the method you gave for draining x ounces of water from the ozarka bottle and filling to the line etc. Can you calculate a similarly foolproof method for a 5-gallon batch?

Sure. I have a line on my carboy for just that purpose. Things change a bit for a 5 gallon batch. First, you need to make a yeast starter. Second, nutrient addition do not scale up in a linear fashion due to the massive amount of yeast in a starter. The upside is that it usually ferment to 1.00 in less than 7 days.
I'll post it as soon as I round up the protocol.

 

[loveofrose]

Bray's One Month Mead aka the "BOMM"

5 gallon recipe - Updated

First, you need to make a starter of Wyeast 1388.

Add the following to a sterilized 2 liter flask (I just cook it on the stove with a tin foil top):
1800 ml of Ozarka spring water
1/2 cup of honey (SG ~1.04)
1 tsp of GoFerm
1 activated smack pack of Wyeast 1388
1 cross shaped stir bar

Place covered but not air locked on a stir plate for 3 days.

Add 1 gallon OB, Tupelo, or the tastiest honey you can get to 3.5 gallons water (First time you use your cayboy, draw a line at 3.5 and 5 gallons). (SG 1.09-1.1)
Add 3/4 TBSP K2CO3, 1 TBSP DAP, & 2 TBSP Fermaid K
Use a drill powered mixer to mix honey completely.

Also, Dose 1 TBSP DAP + 2 TBSP Fermaid at 2/3 & 1/3 sugar break (I leave a hydrometer in to monitor it daily)
NOTE: If SG was 1.099, 2/3 break would be 1.066 and 1/3 would be 1.033.

Stir again to aerate and add starter.
Add additional water to SG 1.09-1.1 or 5 gallon line. It's the same.

No water in airlock for 1 week unless you are worried about fruit flies.
Degas daily. I just swirl the hell out of it.

Ferments dry in about a week, clears in 3-4 weeks.
Some honeys are stubborn about clearing. If it doesn't clear, I suggest Superkleer.

 

[CavemanDom]

I know, I know, changing the recipe voids the warranty. That being said has anyone tried this with S-33? It's the Belgian dry yeast right?

I would, of course, make a starter for it, feed it, water it, take it for a walk... Ok maybe not a walk.
My concern is that my wife has celiac, which puts the liquid yeasts out (as I understand them, they are cultured in malt).

I have several friends itching for me to make mead and a few variations. This looks like an awesome solution for me telling them "it has to bottle age for a year". They'd accept 2-3 months way more easily.

 

[loveofrose]

I know, I know, changing the recipe voids the warranty. That being said has anyone tried this with S-33? It's the Belgian dry yeast right?

I would, of course, make a starter for it, feed it, water it, take it for a walk... Ok maybe not a walk.
My concern is that my wife has celiac, which puts the liquid yeasts out (as I understand them, they are cultured in malt).

I have several friends itching for me to make mead and a few variations. This looks like an awesome solution for me telling them "it has to bottle age for a year". They'd accept 2-3 months way more easily.

You are correct that S-33 is originally isolated from Chimay brewery. I tested S33 side by side with 5 other yeast. While it is a fast, clean fermenter, it tastes too much like beer. It is very tart and none of the honey comes through. Using this yeast would require a year of aging to get rid of the yeast profile that is not flattering for mead. There is a way around your issue though...

Make a small starter of Wyeast 1388, then wash the yeast after a day or so. After, make a larger starter with the washed yeast. That should remove the glutens in the first step. Whatever trace amount is left would be diluted further in the 5 gallon batch.

Alternatively, you could streak the yeast on yeast broth agar plates (called LB or Luria Broth Agar), but that would require some basic microbiology knowledge.

Hope that helps!

 

[CavemanDom]

Alternatively, you could streak the yeast on yeast broth agar plates (called LB or Luria Broth Agar), but that would require some basic microbiology knowledge.

Hope that helps!

Microbiology? I don't understand. *smashes small rock with big rock*

I think I'll stick with the 1 year plan on the champagne yeast for the friends, and do 1 gallon with S-33 on the side, bottle it like beer, and do monthly tasting, at the end of that, the simple mead of the champagne group would work for a side by side.

 

[allhailRITTER]

I just made a batch of this last night. I added a little more honey than suggested but not much. I did 2.5lbs of orange blossom and a quarter pound of buckwheat for complexity. Excited to see how this turns out.

 

[loveofrose]

I just made a batch of this last night. I added a little more honey than suggested but not much. I did 2.5lbs of orange blossom and a quarter pound of buckwheat for complexity. Excited to see how this turns out.

Let me know what the buckwheat contributes. I've alway been a bit wary of it.

 

[allhailRITTER]

Let me know what the buckwheat contributes. I've alway been a bit wary of it.

Will do. I know someone who swears by it as an accent. It definitely has a potent and complex taste, but I could see it being good if used sparingly to add complexity. I'll keep you posted.

 

[GV00]

Well, I was going to try this, but then practicality got in the way.

After mixing up a couple 1 gallon batches (one per the original recipe, the other with clover honey to compare the end product, since I'm new and wanted to see the difference in a direct comparison), I started running into snags. First was proper aeration, since in 5L jugs I was having a hard time avoiding volcanoes and introducing O2 without transferring 1/3 into another jug, then shaking that, and going back and forth a few times -- which seemed to increase the risk of contamination greatly. I settled for swirling to degas when I could, though due to life getting in the way and my bad memory I only gave it a few daily degas sessions, and only a couple of the split-between-jugs-and-shake-like-hell aeration sessions, one of which was when I added the first nutrient boost at a SG of about 1.060 (slightly higher in the clover, and slightly less in the orange, since the orange blossom honey appears to be fermenting faster). If I had to guess, I'd say I'm probably close to due for my 2nd addition, and if I have the time and clean workspace I think I'll take a reading and maybe do it tomorrow.

My big questions are: Has anyone else failed with degasing & O2 addition to the same extent I have, and does it compare to the expected results? Also, I've read that the later half of fermentation tends to be slow in general, and that nutrients are generally less of an issue since the yeast has largely stopped replicating and is now just chewing through the rest of the sugar. That makes me wonder if I misunderstood the nutrient addition points. What are the rough numbers I should be adding at, if it started at the suggested SG? Lastly, has anyone ran this in a cool environment, and if so, how long did it take? It's solidly mid 60's in the area mine are working in, with a temp strip on the bottle reading right around 64 most of the time. I know higher temps seem to work out okay, but I'm thinking the lower temp has caused a much slower fermentation, because I'm a couple weeks in and suspect I'm still at least a week out from starting to see early clearing, so I'm guessing it's going to be a few weeks yet before it's ready to bottle.

 

[loveofrose]

Well, I was going to try this, but then practicality got in the way.

After mixing up a couple 1 gallon batches (one per the original recipe, the other with clover honey to compare the end product, since I'm new and wanted to see the difference in a direct comparison), I started running into snags. First was proper aeration, since in 5L jugs I was having a hard time avoiding volcanoes and introducing O2 without transferring 1/3 into another jug, then shaking that, and going back and forth a few times -- which seemed to increase the risk of contamination greatly. I settled for swirling to degas when I could, though due to life getting in the way and my bad memory I only gave it a few daily degas sessions, and only a couple of the split-between-jugs-and-shake-like-hell aeration sessions, one of which was when I added the first nutrient boost at a SG of about 1.060 (slightly higher in the clover, and slightly less in the orange, since the orange blossom honey appears to be fermenting faster). If I had to guess, I'd say I'm probably close to due for my 2nd addition, and if I have the time and clean workspace I think I'll take a reading and maybe do it tomorrow.

My big questions are: Has anyone else failed with degasing & O2 addition to the same extent I have, and does it compare to the expected results? Also, I've read that the later half of fermentation tends to be slow in general, and that nutrients are generally less of an issue since the yeast has largely stopped replicating and is now just chewing through the rest of the sugar. That makes me wonder if I misunderstood the nutrient addition points. What are the rough numbers I should be adding at, if it started at the suggested SG? Lastly, has anyone ran this in a cool environment, and if so, how long did it take? It's solidly mid 60's in the area mine are working in, with a temp strip on the bottle reading right around 64 most of the time. I know higher temps seem to work out okay, but I'm thinking the lower temp has caused a much slower fermentation, because I'm a couple weeks in and suspect I'm still at least a week out from starting to see early clearing, so I'm guessing it's going to be a few weeks yet before it's ready to bottle.

I think you are making this far more complicated than it is. When I say I degas, I just swirl the jug several times to release some of CO2 and resuspend the yeast into solution. There is no reason to add to a new jug and shake. In fact, this maybe detrimental. You are likely introducing so much oxygen that the yeast are never going anaerobic, hence no ethanol production and very little drop in gravity.

With several batches, I've been neglectful on degassing with no issue. My ferments are almost always done in 10 days. To ferment this fast, you must be religious about nutrient addition at 1.066 and 1.033!

Low temps may slow the ferment some, but not by much. If fact, low temperature may provide even cleaner ferments (if that is possible).

Hope that helps. Always learning something new here!

 

[CavemanDom]

After re-reading my last post, I realized that it probably came off as dismissing your advice entirely. This is not the case. But the gluten issue is what separates my wife from "wife" mode to "SWMBO" mode. I may go ahead and use the liquid yeast for the stuff for the friends, as they have no dietary restrictions.

 

[loveofrose]

After re-reading my last post, I realized that it probably came off as dismissing your advice entirely. This is not the case. But the gluten issue is what separates my wife from "wife" mode to "SWMBO" mode. I may go ahead and use the liquid yeast for the stuff for the friends, as they have no dietary restrictions.

It's all good. You'll make it for your friends until you taste it. Then you will go mead monster and say MINE!!!

 

[KitFoxley]

Hey, I've been lurking 'til now, working on a true BOMM and then another gallon with the Forbidden Fruit yeast.
My question-
When it comes time for bottling, what process will I want to use for campden tabs before transferring to individual bottles?
I've got a number of bail top bottles that I'd like to use for drinking it 'young' and then a few standard 750ml wine bottles I'm intending to let it age in for a month or so.

I'm pretty new to all this so any and all help is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Edbert]

Will do. I know someone who swears by it as an accent. It definitely has a potent and complex taste, but I could see it being good if used sparingly to add complexity. I'll keep you posted.

One of the guys at ABH said it tasted like a horse blanket.

 

[Edbert]

Add 3/4 TBSP K2CO3, 1 TBSP DAP, & 2 TBSP Fermaid K

K2CO3 = Potassium Carbonate for those of us who only took high school chemistry and that was over 30 years ago?

 

[allhailRITTER]

One of the guys at ABH said it tasted like a horse blanket.

Ha. Well I tasted the honey and thought it was quite delicious. Definitely a strong and complex flavor but I didn't taste horse blanket. Maybe the taste varies by region. Either way, that is why I only added a small amount. I also understand that buckwheat leaves a little residual sugar compared to other honeys that are 100% fermentable which leaves a little residual sweetness to the mead. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

 

[Edbert]

I need to go to the HIS to get more nutrients for the 5gal batch tomorrow and fill up my CO tank.

I was wondering about how to store/serve this stuff. In the previous batches of 1 gal I just used glass containers with screw on lids, but I do not have enough for 5 gallons.

Is it okay or advisable or possible to keg mead? If not I have a case of 20 oz beer bottles I could use in conjunction with the aforementioned jugs. Any concerns about carbonation or bottle bombs?

 

[RegarRenill]

If you've used kmeta and sorbate there shouldn't be any additional fermentation, so as long as you've degassed the mead, you should be good to go.... I mean, those beer bottles are meant to withstand a carbonated beer, so any residual gas that your mead has should be no problem for them, imho.

 

[Edbert]

If you've used kmeta and sorbate there shouldn't be any additional fermentation, so as long as you've degassed the mead, you should be good to go.... I mean, those beer bottles are meant to withstand a carbonated beer, so any residual gas that your mead has should be no problem for them, imho.

Thanks, during the 1st week my "brew" is pretty much fizzing, I mean I can hear it from ~15 feet away. It settles down after that to the point that it only really bubbles if I agitate it.

Regarding kegging some mead though, would the CO2 pressure end up carbonating it? If so I'll stick with bottles, but I was under the impression that most mazers use wine bottles with corks not beer ones with caps.

 

[Atek]

Ok, so it definitely took more than one month, my idea of drinkable must be different than most. That said this is still shaping up to be one of the best meads ever. If you recall I did a side-by-side using the wyeast in one and nottingham in the other. The Wyeast cleared sooner than the nottingham, in fact I had to polish filter both to get them crystal. As for taste they are really not very different at all. I was quite surprised at how much the yeast affected the flavors of both, quite noticeable banana and clove flavors, and an overall sense of beerness to them both. Both of these are completely dry. I am still debating how I want to handle them from here. I know I want to try to carbonate some but for the sake of the test I feel I what I do to one I should do to the other. Perhaps the following?

BOMM-
Prime and bottle 1/2 gallon for carbonation
Stabilize the other half and add .5lb honey to bring the gravity up around 1.035(sweet)

JBOMM(nottingham)-
Prime and bottle 1/2 gallon for carbonation
Stabilize the other half and add .5lb honey to bring the gravity up around 1.035(sweet)


Not sure how much sugar to prime 1/2 gallon with... Maybe I could use those carb candies they have at the brew shop. You just drop one in each bottle when bottling.

 

[loveofrose]

I've said before that it is drinkable at a month for newbees, but for more experienced mazers, 3 months is money. If you put this side by side with a wine yeast at one month, there is no competition. Wyeast 1388 wins every time.

I find it difficult to believe that an English yeast tastes the same as a Belgian yeast, but I've never done a side by side with these two. I also find it interesting that you detect a beer flavor when I never have. Are you fermenting in a bucket that previously held beer? Sometimes hop oils wont come out of the plastic or yeast for that matter.

I've used cooper's carbonation drop successfully in the past. Three drops per liter seems to work nicely and is very easy.

Backsweetening to 1.035 is really, really sweet. I would suggest 1.01 and taste before you go that sweet. Then increase to 1.02 max if you think it needs more. Also, be advised that mead tastes sweeter when it is cold than at room temperature!

 

[Atek]

Right, My thoughts on the 1.035 is I have a pear mead that I just bottled that finished at 1.050 and is actually quite good at that. Quite sweet and a slow sipper but amazing as such. But alas, you are correct, 'tis smarter to start low and work up. You'll have to try it with the nottingham and do a side by side.

 

[Edbert]

I like it sweet but I've been doing 1.015 or so.

I'm interested in the carbonation discussion. The bottled (screw on cap) mead was not what I would call carbonated after 45 to 60 days and I liked it that way. I am interested in kegging some just to make bottling and dispensing easier for my 5gal batch. Assuming I kept the pressure well below beer pressure would it still carbonate the mead?

 

[loveofrose]

It may make it petulant (read slightly carbonated). This may be a good or bad thing dependings on honey, sweetness, and personal taste!

 

[dios_es_un_tortuga]

I just want to comment on the subject of buckwheat. I have done a stout/buckwheat braggot and found them to be a perfect paring. Perhaps a little overpowering for lighter styles, but for bold flavors you can't go wrong.

 

[KitFoxley]

Hey Love of Rose, I'm thinking about making a BOMR rhodomel, would you recommend a rose petal tea as the base, or replacing some of the spring water with rosewater?

Also, does anyone tend to drink this mead without any backsweetening? I like it sweet, but my girlfriend prefers dry meads...

 

[loveofrose]

It is really hard to say which way will be better. Maybe try a tea and rose water side by side to determine your favorite.

I like mead dry and sweet depending on weather and mood. Hot weather calls for a dry mead while bitter cold begs for sweet!

 

[allhailRITTER]

Loveofrose,

Do usually bottle at a month without any racking? The reason I ask is because mine is at 1 month now. I plan on letting it age a bit yet before bottling. I am in the process of moving so I probably won't get around to racking for another 2 to 3 weeks. To get to my question, do you see any concern with leaving this on the lees for longer than a month? Like 6 to 8 weeks?

 

[loveofrose]

No worries. I've never left it more than 3 months, but anything less has never been a problem.

 

[Misti]

Please forgive me as I am brand new to this. I have 1 mead ferming now but thats the extent of my knowledge lol So here are my questions.

No heat method.-So you dont heat your honey to remove any additional beeswax etc...?

Added Orange Blossom honey to SG of 1.096 in 1 gallon jugs. What is SG?

Added 3/4 tsp of 1:2 DAP:Fermaid K; also, add this at 2/3 and 1/3 sugar break. I dont understand this part at all

Add 3/4 tsp potassium carbonate. Do the Brew stores usually have this?

Shake like hell to aerate.

Pitched Wyeast 1388 - Belgian Strong Ale activated overnight. pitched...is this meaning the yeast you added?

Aerate daily by shaking.

Pitching temperature 68 F, but the temperature in my house fluctuates from 70-80 F with no off flavors.

Do you rack this one at all?

 

[loveofrose]

Please forgive me as I am brand new to this. I have 1 mead ferming now but thats the extent of my knowledge lol So here are my questions.

No heat method.-So you dont heat your honey to remove any additional beeswax etc...?

Added Orange Blossom honey to SG of 1.096 in 1 gallon jugs. What is SG?

Added 3/4 tsp of 1:2 DAP:Fermaid K; also, add this at 2/3 and 1/3 sugar break. I dont understand this part at all

Add 3/4 tsp potassium carbonate. Do the Brew stores usually have this?

Shake like hell to aerate.

Pitched Wyeast 1388 - Belgian Strong Ale activated overnight. pitched...is this meaning the yeast you added?

Aerate daily by shaking.

Pitching temperature 68 F, but the temperature in my house fluctuates from 70-80 F with no off flavors.

Do you rack this one at all?

1. No heat means dump honey into cold water. That's it!
2. SG is Starting Gravity. FG is Final Gravity. Get a hydrometer.
3a. DAP = Diammonium Phosphate (Free Nitrogen Source); Fermaid K = a mixture of vitamins, trace minerals, and yeast hulls for nutrient feeding of yeast. Buy both of these at your homebrew shop, northern brewer, or amazon.
3b. If your SG was 1.099, 1/3 sugar break would be 1.066 and 2/3 would be 1.033.
4. Potassium carbonate=potassium bicarbonate=K2CO3: if your brew shop is good, they have it. Otherwise, search the shops suggested in 3a.
5. Wyeast 1388 is a smack pack yeast. Google Wyeast for the demonstration video, but yes, this is the yeast. IT MUST BE THIS YEAST!!!
6. Rack, don't rack, doesn't matter. You rack if you care about it being clear. If you (like me), don't care about cloudy, then you don't have to. Sometimes is falls clear without racking. I've found this largely depends on the honey. Some honey clears naturally better than other honey. Don't know why.

 

[RegarRenill]

Started a 6 gal batch, but my LHBS doesn't carry wyeast brand, substituted WLP570. Will post tasting notes once it ferments out.

 

[Edbert]

Edit to add for Misti, SG is often referred to as OG, same thing.

5. Wyeast 1388 is a smack pack yeast. Google Wyeast for the demonstration video, but yes, this is the yeast. IT MUST BE THIS YEAST!!!

I stopped using liquid yeasts in my beers long ago but I've been using 1388 in all my BOMM batches, but now I gotta ask...why?

Is that the only yeast that yields a quality product in 4-5 weeks or is there something else?

Back to the subject of kegging the BOMM...I do not want it carbed like beer, some mild effect would be okay but I like it flat too. So what are my options for kegging? I am sick of bottling period and my keezer will be finished soon, I'd love to have me some BOMM action right there next to my ales and Apfelwein.

I have a two stage regulator, can I leave the BOMM kegged on very low pressure and live with a slow pour and thus avoid carbonating it? Or would I want to shut the air off at the manifold entirely until ready for a session?

 

[RegarRenill]

I thought it was: OG - Original Gravity(when the batch is begun), SG - Specific Gravity (gravity at this specific moment), and FG - Final Gravity(when he batch is finished fermenting...technically, i suppose, OG and FG would also be SG, for those specific times...