Bray's One Month Mead

[butterpants]

Is anyone adding Acid Blend to this after backsweeting? I've got a Tupelo about to finish and while delicious and smooth as a baby's ass.... I'm wondering if that fruty Tupelo could use some tartness to balance.

 

[loveofrose]

Easy on the acid blend. A little goes a long way. I dose in a glass and scale up.


Better brewing through science!

 

[IJesusChrist]

yes, I ruined a batch by adding too much acid blend - tastes like sour patch now.

 

[butterpants]

I was thinking of starting at 1/4 tsp per gallon and adjusting from there.

Sour patch Mead would probably sell at the store....

 

[Edbert]

I have a 5 gallon batch made exactly according to LOR's recipe that will be 7 weeks old (from initial pitch) this weekend. I was wondering if I can (or should) just reuse the yeast that is in there, and if so how I should go about it. Do I simply add my wort (dissolved honey and water) to what is left after I rack to a corny, then follow the nutrient schedule the same? Or do I need to turn the cake into a new starter somehow?

All constructive advice is very welcome!

 

[butterpants]

I try not to reuse yeast that has fermented a high gravity wort/must. Mead batches are what I would consider HG

 

[loveofrose]

I have a 5 gallon batch made exactly according to LOR's recipe that will be 7 weeks old (from initial pitch) this weekend. I was wondering if I can (or should) just reuse the yeast that is in there, and if so how I should go about it. Do I simply add my wort (dissolved honey and water) to what is left after I rack to a corny, then follow the nutrient schedule the same? Or do I need to turn the cake into a new starter somehow?

All constructive advice is very welcome!

After I rack the 1st batch off the yeast cake, I just dump the yeast cake into the next batch. Not the black compacted stuff on the very bottom. Just the tan colored sludge above that.

I've gone about 3 rounds with no problems. Your mileage may vary depending on how pure your batches are. Reusing yeast is especially useful for hitting high ABV like 19%.


Better brewing through science!

 

[Edbert]

I try not to reuse yeast that has fermented a high gravity wort/must. Mead batches are what I would consider HG

My BOMM batches have been in the 11-14% range, so I agree with you on the high G. But can you explain why you do not use them again?

 

[Edbert]

After I rack the 1st batch off the yeast cake, I just dump the yeast cake into the next batch. Not the black compacted stuff on the very bottom. Just the tan colored sludge above that.

I've gone about 3 rounds with no problems. Your mileage may vary depending on how pure your batches are. Reusing yeast is especially useful for hitting high ABV like 19%.


Better brewing through science!

Thanks for the swift reply LOR, you alone are the reason I keep mead in my keezer ;-D

Now, I just looked, I do not see a black layer, maybe a few spots that are darker brown than the rest but not black and not a layer.

Should I perhaps do a swirls a few days before transfer to loosen the sediment? I'm thinking no since that might alter the clear 95% portion.

I've been using a refractometer and am at .985, is that how you gauge "purity"? Sorry for the noob questions (for the 30th time) but I am trying to learn and do not have a lab...lol

 

[loveofrose]

It's the dark stuff you are avoiding. The light tan paste is fine while the dark paste is lysed and dead yeasties. Swirling is not recommended.

The purity I'm referring to is yeast purity. That is, absence of any other wild yeast or bacteria. The truth is all of our home brews are contaminated with extra yeast and bacteria. It's just too small to matter. After many rounds of fermentation using the same yeast, the contamination can reach noticeable levels if good technique is not observed throughout the process. Most breweries re-use yeast under very sterile conditions, but still start with new yeast after 10 rounds or so. I wouldn't go past 4 in my house.


Better brewing through science!

 

[butterpants]

High gravity stresses yeast and can put adverse selection pressure on them. If you guys are having success, more power to ya but when I dump 60$ on 6 lbs of Tupelo, I'll just spring for fresh yeast.

 

[estricklin]

Great thread!

I haven't had a chance to brew any beer lately because I've been working so many hours, but after sharing a bottle of mead with the SWMBO the other night I got to thinking "Hey I could make some mead".

I intend to follow the BOMM method next time, I'm convinced; even though I haven't tasted it yet, that it very well could make some good mead in a lot less time. I've been using D47 in the past and while I've made some decent meads, it took quite a bit of time.

Last night I used what I had laying around. I had 2 jars of "Mountain Ridge" raw honey that I found at Kroger for something like 8 bucks for 2 lbs. I used 4 lbs of it and added water (about 1.5 gallons total volume) for a SG of 1.10. I added DAP (SNA), 2 golden delicious apples, about 1/16 tsp of pectin enzyme, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and 1/4 tsp of ginger. I had an 1 gallon Irish Ale yeast starter that I was going to use on a beer, I drained as much beer off the starter as I possibly could and pitched it. I do not have any FK or potassium carbonate, I added 1/8 tsp of calcium carbonate, I realize that does not add any K BUT at least it will provide some pH buffer?

I parked it in the ferm chamber at 65F last night and this is what it looked liked after I degassed today.



Again, I understand this is not a BOMM but I was happy to employ a few techniques I had not previous tried, that I learned in this thread, and want to say thanks to Bray for inspiring me to make some more mead! SWMBO loves mead too and even helps me make and bottle it.

In a few days I'm going to start the "perfect" BOMM and follow it pretty much to the letter, I may alter the wood aging part a bit, and I may use a local honey or pure OB, haven't decided.

Will keep everyone posted and thanks again.

 

[Edbert]

Most breweries re-use yeast under very sterile conditions, but still start with new yeast after 10 rounds or so. I wouldn't go past 4 in my house.

I was able to see a small amount of slightly darker brown in the sediment, mainly at the bottom of the layer views up through the carboy after siphoning off the clear. There was not much and definitely nothing black, but I avoided the bottom 1/8th or so and pitched the rest.

After 24 hours there was a layer of matter on the top as one would see from hops although much thinner and a different color (no green) to it. I stirred it in and there was much less the next day, and almost none the 4th day.

My local HBS ran out of ferment-K (they were out of orange blossom honey too and it seems many other items, whoever is in charge of inventory at Austin Homebrew has been sleeping lately), I have some brewvint so I've substituted that using same dosage.

Any issues with using a different nutrient or changes in the process to compensate for the different product?

 

[Simon78]

This is my first attempt at mead. learnt a lot so far on the thread and included links. I couldn't follow the recipe exactly as some honeys are not purchased easily down here, I will continue to hunt for an orange blossom or something close to try.

The question i wish to clarify is the purpose of the swirl/degas. i do now know what you mean by a mead bomb tho. Does this swirl help the yeast stay suspended to increase yeast activity ( as it can in beer brewing when a ferment slows/stalls) or is loosing the gas the primary reason?

I have already got some clover sorted to try a blueberry melomel next and looking forward to try this in another three weeks

 

[kingboomer]

WOW!!! Just read thru this and I'm subbing to give it a shot. I didn't see if anyone tried this with a bochet yet tho (I may of missed that). I'm looking at the fat basset bochet cyser recipe and thinking this would be good to try with.

 

[Arpolis]

WOW!!! Just read thru this and I'm subbing to give it a shot. I didn't see if anyone tried this with a bochet yet tho (I may of missed that). I'm looking at the fat basset bochet cyser recipe and thinking this would be good to try with.

I have a gallon I dearly need to bottle. Just hadn't had the bottles to do so. I can give tasting notes later.

 

[kingboomer]

Sounds good Arpolis. I do like the process of mead making, but I'd like to have something drinkable sooner so I can wait for the long term ones with a little less anxieity

 

[loveofrose]

I was able to see a small amount of slightly darker brown in the sediment, mainly at the bottom of the layer views up through the carboy after siphoning off the clear. There was not much and definitely nothing black, but I avoided the bottom 1/8th or so and pitched the rest.



After 24 hours there was a layer of matter on the top as one would see from hops although much thinner and a different color (no green) to it. I stirred it in and there was much less the next day, and almost none the 4th day.



My local HBS ran out of ferment-K (they were out of orange blossom honey too and it seems many other items, whoever is in charge of inventory at Austin Homebrew has been sleeping lately), I have some brewvint so I've substituted that using same dosage.



Any issues with using a different nutrient or changes in the process to compensate for the different product?

Maybe. I can't guarantee anything if you change nutrients. Especially if the K+ is omitted. Might be fine, I just don't know.

You can use any honey with no problem however. I just worry about changing the nutrients.


Better brewing through science!

 

[loveofrose]

@ Simon78

Swirling/degassing is multifunctional. It drives off CO2, which is acidic and lowers the pH of the must. It also keeps the yeast in suspension as you suspected so they don't get lazy.

After the ferment is finished, it removes the CO2 so that the mead may clarify a bit faster.


Better brewing through science!

 

[loveofrose]

WOW!!! Just read thru this and I'm subbing to give it a shot. I didn't see if anyone tried this with a bochet yet tho (I may of missed that). I'm looking at the fat basset bochet cyser recipe and thinking this would be good to try with.

Somewhere is this thread is a Cyser BOMM recipe that is quite wonderful. I imagine replacing the honey with a cooked honey would be quite tasty... Yeah, it's on the list now.

I think someone over at gotmead tried a botchet, but I don't remember the outcome or if it was posted. Maybe search over there?

I do know that they use a slow cooker method that avoids the little honey lava bombs you get on a stovetop.

Better brewing through science!

 

[kingboomer]

I'll actually be doing it outside once I get my turkey fryer


EDIT: Here's the recipe: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f81/fat-basset-bochet-cyser-cider-burnt-honey-253733/index4.html

I"m thinking it might need tweaked a bit, maybe add a hint of spice to it.

 

[Hidingfromyou]

Congrats on your mead. I'm loving the JAO BOMM as well. That stuff goes really fast when your friends discover it!

I would really like the full recipe for your Acerglyn. Sounds like something my SO would like as well.

Sorry about the blackberry honey, but I do have a suggestion. Blackberry honeys generally need about 3 lbs of blackberries added to secondary as well as a FG in the sweeter range. At least for my taste anyway. Blackberries are very off balance on tartness without some sweetness. Alternatively, it could be a bad batch of honey. I've had a batch contaminated with pesticides that was beyond help.

Cheers!


Better brewing through science!

First, thank you so much for the thread! Amazing stuff you've done. I very much like how you've used the scientific method to uncover the secrets of yeast in honey fermentation.

I stumbled upon it b/c I'm making my first mead now - from S-33 (it's all I had available). It's going great so far

I've been eating up this thread - one question, one guess. Above - how do you know when honey has been subjected to (or ruined by) pesticides?

Second - in one of your posts, you said that re-using yeasts provides for higher alcohol tolerance. I have three guess for this. The yeast have:

1. adapted to high tolerance, producing whatever chemicals to deal w/high alcohol already
2. had their epigenetics primed for high alcohol, so their subsequent generations will be primed for high alcohol
3. been selected to survive better in high alcohol environments, since those who aren't good at high alcohol levels would have died (although I think this would only apply to the extreme end of their alcohol range)

 

[loveofrose]

First, thank you so much for the thread! Amazing stuff you've done. I very much like how you've used the scientific method to uncover the secrets of yeast in honey fermentation.



I stumbled upon it b/c I'm making my first mead now - from S-33 (it's all I had available). It's going great so far



I've been eating up this thread - one question, one guess. Above - how do you know when honey has been subjected to (or ruined by) pesticides?



Second - in one of your posts, you said that re-using yeasts provides for higher alcohol tolerance. I have three guess for this. The yeast have:



1. adapted to high tolerance, producing whatever chemicals to deal w/high alcohol already

2. had their epigenetics primed for high alcohol, so their subsequent generations will be primed for high alcohol

3. been selected to survive better in high alcohol environments, since those who aren't good at high alcohol levels would have died (although I think this would only apply to the extreme end of their alcohol range)

1. I know pesticides were in it because the dry mead tasted like bug spray. A bee keeper can't always control if a treated field is being pollenated by the bees, but I gave this company multiple chances and failure everytime. If you live in Texas, avoid the fluorescence orange label. You know the one.

2. I would go with a combo of 1 & 3 heavy on selection.


Better brewing through science!

 

[Hidingfromyou]

1. I know pesticides were in it because the dry mead tasted like bug spray. A bee keeper can't always control if a treated field is being pollenated by the bees, but I gave this company multiple chances and failure everytime. If you live in Texas, avoid the fluorescence orange label. You know the one.

2. I would go with a combo of 1 & 3 heavy on selection.


Better brewing through science!

Just imagine the poor baby bees eating that stuff!

 

[AdamHasser]

I'm thinking of racking my mead out of my 1 gallon jug into a 3 gallon Mr. Beer bucket. (It's the next smallest fermenter I have and I can use it to bottle.) It's been in the jug for 3 weeks and I'd like to rack it atleast once and let it sit for another 5 weeks. That said, should I be worried about the excess head space?

 

[nickwoo]

why not rack into 3 gallon, clean the one gallon, and put the mead back in there?

 

[AdamHasser]

I guess with it still fermenting that's probably the best option. I tend to worry about oxidation so I didn't even consider moving it back into the jug since I typically only rack my beers once.

Not sure why I didn't think of that. It's Friday, my brain is mush and I need a beer!

 

[LLBrewer]

I just made my first 2 batches of bomm. My LHBS is getting $9+/1388 smack pack, I will be re-using the yeast in my next batch. Thanks LOR for this thread!

 

[kingboomer]

Yeah that's the ONLY downside I see to this recipe: the cost of yeast

Still not gonna disuade me from making it tho

 

[decoleur]

Things I want to do with honey #87563, subbed.