Bray's One Month Mead

[Chops1867]

I have had great difficulty taking gravity measurements. There is SO MUCH gas trapped in the liquid, I can't see the hydrometer because of bubbles in my thief. I also doubt the accuracy of my measurements due to the trapped gas lifting the hydrometer.
Is there a simple answer that I am missing?
This is my first mead and it does trap WAY more CO² than wine or beer.

 

[Danmor1]

I have seen that Joe has used d47 for a three week drinkable mead in the past. I apologise if this has already been asked (I have read this post into the mid-50s), but have you experimented with this yeast in the past? If so, what were your results? As a basis, i have an uncleared but drinkable dry mead after 3 weeks using the BOMM protocol with d47, and am nearing my 4th pitch on the original yeast for the actual BOMM today, after 3 weeks of orange blossom BOMM (this will be 2 lbs orange and 1/2 lb buckwheat).

 

[Kyzaboy89]

I have had great difficulty taking gravity measurements. There is SO MUCH gas trapped in the liquid,

BOMM does have a lingering foam especially in the first 3-4 days in my experience, all I have had to do is degas a bit slower/gentler and take my time. About 10 minutes degassing, swish the foam a little and drop in my hydrometer. Using a thief works as well in my experience, after degassing of course.

 

[loveofrose]

I have seen that Joe has used d47 for a three week drinkable mead in the past. I apologise if this has already been asked (I have read this post into the mid-50s), but have you experimented with this yeast in the past? If so, what were your results? As a basis, i have an uncleared but drinkable dry mead after 3 weeks using the BOMM protocol with d47, and am nearing my 4th pitch on the original yeast for the actual BOMM today, after 3 weeks of orange blossom BOMM (this will be 2 lbs orange and 1/2 lb buckwheat).

Side by side testing in my hands shows D47 is a bit fuselly at a month. Definitely not as good as Wyeast 1388. YMMV if you ferment D47 closer to 60 F. Best I could do was 65 F at the time. D47 is extremely hot above 65 F. Not usually suitable for beginning mazers as they don't have temperature control.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[HawleyFarms]

Tried d47 once and it was ridiculously fusel, hot and dry for quite a while. Took about 3 months to even be drinkable and it was barely that. I just started a belle saison quick mead last night to compare to the cote des blanc batch that I finished. Haven't had a chance to empty all my 1 gallons yet but as soon as they are empty i've got 1388 ordered and about 5 dry yeasts coming to compare them all.

 

[kenoglass]

does the 1.5L starter plus honey give you 2L of starter or is it just honey and nutrient?

 

[loveofrose]

does the 1.5L starter plus honey give you 2L of starter or is it just honey and nutrient?

I've been getting a lot of questions about the starter, so I've updated the protocol with more detail. See below:

2 Liter Starter for 5 gallons of BOMM

1. Sanitize 2 liter flask with cross shaped stir bar.
>To sanitize, use StarSan, OneStep, or cook it on the stove burner (let it cool before Step 2). I avoid iodine based cleaner due to staining.
2. Add 1 tsp GoFerm.
3. Add 1/2 cup honey (6 oz by weight).
4. Add sterile spring water to 1.8 liters.
5. Pitch smacked pack of yeast or rehydrated yeast
>Final volume close to 2 liters with smack pack volume added.
>I generally do break the internal packet for the nutrients, but you don't have to wait to pitch.
6. Allow to stir on stir plate for 3 days.
>Stir plate is best, but if you don't have one, just swirl it when you can and go an extra day.
7. Pitch in your mead. Don't forget that the starter will add 2 liters of volume!

For larger batches (>10 gallons), I just make a 1/10 volume BOMM and pitch after the gravity reaches the 3rd sugar break.
>Example: A 50 gallon batch would require a 5 gallon BOMM as a starter.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[Beek]

A 50 gallon batch would require a 5 gallon BOMM as a starter.

That would be so awesome! Goals.

 

[loveofrose]

If I'm going to dream, I want to make a 250 gallon batch aged in a hogshead barrel that previously held Balvenie 21 year scotch (port finish). THAT my friends would be heavenly!


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[thegreatbrewnorth]

I'm so frustrated as I can't seem to find the right nutrients at any of my LHBS.


One shop carries calcium BIcarbonate, but reading other posts that doesnt work.

I also can't find Fermaid K, just Fermax (which I assume is similar?).

I can source DAP quite easily, as both shops I checked have it.


I'm trying to respect the OP's original recipe as I figure I will be able to have reproducible results in terms of a high quality product, but wondering if these slight substitutions will work (or not?)

 

[loveofrose]

I get the nutrients online here. I live in Dallas and can't get the nutrients locally. Online shopping is great.

www.morebeer.com




Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[skadalajara]

If I'm going to dream, I want to make a 250 gallon batch aged in a hogshead barrel that previously held Balvenie 21 year scotch (port finish). THAT my friends would be heavenly!

I like the way you think.
Make it a Macallan barrel and you've got a deal.

 

[Aristaios]

Hi Bray,

So I wanted to reuse my 1388, so after bottling there was about 3 cups of fluid/lees in the gallon jug. I added everything for the new batch but realized my SuperKleer from the first batch was in there too!

After 5 days, fermentation is done but it smells like plastic. Is it ruined? Will any amount of aging get rid of that? This was a good lesson to rack before clearing so I can save the good lees!

Also for this second batch, I made a low abv bomm SG 1.05 and front loaded all of the nutrients since I would probably miss the sugar breaks. Seemed to work. I'll try it again without the SuperKleer in there and see if this works for hydromel BOMMs.

Have you ever made any hydromels?

Thanks

 

[Edbert]

Unanswered question lost on page 62...can pasteurized honey be used, and if so what modifications (if any) are needed for the protocol?

For anyone having trouble measuring the gravity, best advice ever for home brew gear is to buy a refractometer. Seriously the best $20 I've spent! More accurate, easier to use, and wastes less product. Wanna buy a used hydrometer...CHEAP?

 

[Beek]

Unanswered question lost on page 62...can pasteurized honey be used, and if so what modifications (if any) are needed for the protocol?

For anyone having trouble measuring the gravity, best advice ever for home brew gear is to buy a refractometer. Seriously the best $20 I've spent! More accurate, easier to use, and wastes less product. Wanna buy a used hydrometer...CHEAP?

Where did you get a refractometer for $20? Can you give me a link? Is it accurate?

 

[Edbert]

Where did you get a refractometer for $20? Can you give me a link? Is it accurate?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO9BX6U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

More accurate that judging a bubble-covered glass tube with small print through the surface tension

 

[Beek]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO9BX6U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

More accurate that judging a bubble-covered glass tube with small print through the surface tension

Haha! Touche.

 

[loveofrose]

Unanswered question lost on page 62...can pasteurized honey be used, and if so what modifications (if any) are needed for the protocol?

For anyone having trouble measuring the gravity, best advice ever for home brew gear is to buy a refractometer. Seriously the best $20 I've spent! More accurate, easier to use, and wastes less product. Wanna buy a used hydrometer...CHEAP?

Pasteurized honey can be used, but will have inferior aromatics to unpasteurized honey. Raw honey is always better.



Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[loveofrose]

Hi Bray,

So I wanted to reuse my 1388, so after bottling there was about 3 cups of fluid/lees in the gallon jug. I added everything for the new batch but realized my SuperKleer from the first batch was in there too!

After 5 days, fermentation is done but it smells like plastic. Is it ruined? Will any amount of aging get rid of that? This was a good lesson to rack before clearing so I can save the good lees!

Also for this second batch, I made a low abv bomm SG 1.05 and front loaded all of the nutrients since I would probably miss the sugar breaks. Seemed to work. I'll try it again without the SuperKleer in there and see if this works for hydromel BOMMs.

Have you ever made any hydromels?

Thanks

I NEVER reuse yeast after SuperKleer. The chitosan and ketosal breakdown products in primary fermentation are likely bad for your health. This is one of the rare occasions that I will say to toss the batch. Sorry.

I've made lots of hydromels. I find therm a bit thin on flavor and body, so I steep with specialty grains and hops to make a type of Braggot. YMMV.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[Aristaios]

I NEVER reuse yeast after SuperKleer. The chitosan and ketosal breakdown products in primary fermentation are likely bad for your health. This is one of the rare occasions that I will say to toss the batch. Sorry.

I've made lots of hydromels. I find therm a bit thin on flavor and body, so I steep with specialty grains and hops to make a type of Braggot. YMMV.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

Thanks for the heads up. I'm glad I dumped it. For hydromels, did you ever experiment with lactose or maltodrextin to add body? For your braggot, just steeping grains in the water and then follow BOMM as you mention here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=476440

"Same BOMM recipe except you start with water steeped in 20 L Crystal Malt for 30 minutes at 160 F. Unlimited variations possible, of course. "

Thanks, you're the man.

 

[psaemonhardrada]

Okay, so I've been lurking here for awhile. I started my first BOMM on March 25th and everything went perfectly (sugar breaks, racking etc.). It tasted great at racking and is now just waiting the grand unveil in 2 or 3 weeks.

But....I started another one off of the lees in my bucket and everything got kicked off right. The og was a little low @ 1.08 but hey works in progress. My question however is it seems I missed the first sugar break @ 1.056 due to a very quick ferment. When I checked today it was about 1.03. I added the proper nutrient amounts but should I add some more maybe tomorrow or just let it ferment out to 1.00?

Thanks

 

[buzzerj]

If it got down to 1.030 already and you added nutrients there, you should be fine. It will go dry and you will be ok. I wouldn't add anything further.

 

[kenoglass]

So my LHBS has DAP and Urea in a yeast nutrient but not just DAP solo. Is this ok or will results vary?

I actually found somewhere with DAP so all set!! Gonna make this up next week I think!!!!

Cant Wait!!!

 

[psaemonhardrada]

Reused my lees again but as to not make the same mistake again I took a gravity reading 30 hours after starting the ferment. From 1.09 to 1.06 in 30 hours is awful quick, yeah. Is this due to the yeast being more acclimated to the environment?

 

[buzzerj]

Possibly but more probably it's due to the yeast loving all the nutrients they are living in. The potassium and Fermaid K really get things off to a good start plus when you reused the yeast, the number of active cells was probably more than if you had added yeast from a new packet. The net effect is less lag time and a longer active duration to consume sugars hence the nice drop in S.G. This is not a wimpy, slow fermenting yeast. It knows what it likes and this nutrient addition really sets you up for successful and quick fermentation.

 

[bmwr75]

My 7th BOMM batch is a Sourwood honey BOMM. Had something happen that has never happened before. Am following the recipe exactly.

Day 0 O.G. was 1.094. 2/3 sugar break of 1.063 was reached on Day 3.

1/3 sugar break of 1.032 was reached on Day 5 (the S.G. was actually 1.038, but I went ahead and fed the nutrients). On Day 6 I didn't measure the S.G., but went ahead and installed the water lock based on the rate of fermentation.

On day 9, I measure the S.G. at 1.034, basically little progress since Day 5. Stalled??? This is unusual for me because usually the S.G. heads straight to 1.000 by day 9 or 10.

So, I removed the water from the bubbler and degassed it very agressively. This released a lot of CO2 and resuspended the yeast. Will measure the S.G. everyday now for a while to see what happens.

 

[bmwr75]

April 16 - Day 10 - S.G. = 1.032
Something has definitely gone wrong with this BOMM batch.

Any suggestions on restarting this batch @loveofrose??

 

[kenoglass]

Heres a silly question, can I make up additions of the nutrients in boiled water and save them in mason jars to add at the breaks? Or will this not be so good of an idea? I just pitched my starter last night into my 5 gallons of BOMM!!! Cant wait!

 

[loveofrose]

Heres a silly question, can I make up additions of the nutrients in boiled water and save them in mason jars to add at the breaks? Or will this not be so good of an idea? I just pitched my starter last night into my 5 gallons of BOMM!!! Cant wait!

I would not suggest this. The boiling will destroy many of the vitamins and cofactors.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[kenoglass]

I would not suggest this. The boiling will destroy many of the vitamins and cofactors.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

ok so I didn't add the nutrients to the boil but after I sterlized the mason jars and grabbed a little water to dissolve them, still not a good idea? The water was still hot but not boiling and I capped them right after to seal good. I just saw on the packet of Fermaid K to dissolve in distilled water?