Bray's One Month Mead

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I have decided to give mead a try( have never tried mead before, so going with a dry plain version first. So followed BOMMs recipe with a few exceptions, so I do expect some different results. I used local honey and different brand spring water. So I pull the half cup of water out and mark it, then I took out a little over 3 cups of water. I added the honey up to the mark, and shook it like a mad man. then i added the nutrients as directed, then shook it again like a mad man, till I seen no more honey. I let the bubbles die down a little, took a reading ( did some guess work, since i got impatient with the bubbles(thinking it is close to 1.090)). Added my yeast.. and it filled it to the brim and a little over....so i transferred it to my 1 gal jug (carboy), which had a little bit of room but not much. stuck in my fermentor at 68F(prob taped to carboy). Day 2, I go and swirl it around, day 3, I swirl it around( took a few min) and check Gravity ( 1.072). Day 4 comes, I swirl it around, check gravity, (1.062). Once all the bubbles subside, I added my nutrients. First add was my DAP...OS....it starts bubbling like crazy. i wait , swirl to mix in the dap. let the bubbles subside, then i add my Ferm K. Double S..... now its really exploding......yikes.... once it calms down, I wipe off my jug swirl it around to mix everything in and place it back into Fermentor, which is now shorter in volume than what I began with. Day 5, I swirled it a little bit longer this time. Such nice bubbles.

questions at hand,

1. would me not degassing enough cause the irruption that i had?
2. Should i be adding my adds at a slower Rate? I just dropped the 1/4 tsp into the must.
3. Should I have made sure I left a 3 inch headspace? ( at the beginning it was about 1/4 inch) now its about 2 1/2 inch.
4. Should I expect more explosions on my next add?
5. Can you save the yeast and reuse just like I do with my beer?

sorry, I'm still on page 8 of the thread and I know I still have a lot of reading to do.

I typically ferment in buckets, so I do not get to see whats going on. Now I am thinking i need to invest into some 6 gal carboys...
 
Redpappy said:
I have decided to give mead a try( have never tried mead before, so going with a dry plain version first. So followed BOMMs recipe with a few exceptions, so I do expect some different results. I used local honey and different brand spring water. So I pull the half cup of water out and mark it, then I took out a little over 3 cups of water. I added the honey up to the mark, and shook it like a mad man. then i added the nutrients as directed, then shook it again like a mad man, till I seen no more honey. I let the bubbles die down a little, took a reading ( did some guess work, since i got impatient with the bubbles(thinking it is close to 1.090)). Added my yeast.. and it filled it to the brim and a little over....so i transferred it to my 1 gal jug (carboy), which had a little bit of room but not much. stuck in my fermentor at 68F(prob taped to carboy). Day 2, I go and swirl it around, day 3, I swirl it around( took a few min) and check Gravity ( 1.072). Day 4 comes, I swirl it around, check gravity, (1.062). Once all the bubbles subside, I added my nutrients. First add was my DAP...OS....it starts bubbling like crazy. i wait , swirl to mix in the dap. let the bubbles subside, then i add my Ferm K. Double S..... now its really exploding......yikes.... once it calms down, I wipe off my jug swirl it around to mix everything in and place it back into Fermentor, which is now shorter in volume than what I began with. Day 5, I swirled it a little bit longer this time. Such nice bubbles.

questions at hand,

1. would me not degassing enough cause the irruption that i had?
2. Should i be adding my adds at a slower Rate? I just dropped the 1/4 tsp into the must.
3. Should I have made sure I left a 3 inch headspace? ( at the beginning it was about 1/4 inch) now its about 2 1/2 inch.
4. Should I expect more explosions on my next add?
5. Can you save the yeast and reuse just like I do with my beer?

sorry, I'm still on page 8 of the thread and I know I still have a lot of reading to do.

I typically ferment in buckets, so I do not get to see whats going on. Now I am thinking i need to invest into some 6 gal carboys...
Click to expand...
yes, no, yes, yes, yes.
 
You can reuse the yeast, but it's going to be tired and weak after fermenting a high gravity brew. So use the harvested yeast to make a starter instead of pitching it directly.
 
Also remove some must (2 cups?), and do the addition to that, then pour it back in. The dry components are what caused the eruption. I forget what they call it but there is a name for stuff that makes the CO2 bust out all at once like that.
 
Blacksmith1 said:
Also remove some must (2 cups?), and do the addition to that, then pour it back in. The dry components are what caused the eruption. I forget what they call it but there is a name for stuff that makes the CO2 bust out all at once like that.
Click to expand...

Even doing that, don't you still risk an eruption if you don't de-gass first?
 
loveofrose said:
I’m glad this thread has been helpful. There is so much here that I decided to start a website to make the information more manageable, but I’m sure there is more here than I remember.

For For a blueberry acerglyn, I would suggest 4 lbs of blueberries per gallon and back sweeten with the maple syrup. The maple syrup flavor gets lost in Fermentation so its best to backsweeten with it.
Click to expand...

I've put the recipe together and posted it here.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/blueberry-acerglyn-or-melomel.665662/

The one thing I haven't done is add any DAP or Fermaid K. I will be adding it today and if you read the recipe, I'd love your recommendations on the quantity. I am leaning towards 1.5 teaspoons Fermaid K, and .5 teaspoons DAP.
 
If I need to order some GoFerm (which I might anyway), a pack of 1388 yeast costs about the same and I can be drinking my concoction at 6 weeks instead of 3 or 4 months. I assume there's no problem holding back a teaspoon or 2 of the yeast to make a starter for a 1.070 Belgian blonde beer?
 
z-bob said:
If I need to order some GoFerm (which I might anyway), a pack of 1388 yeast costs about the same and I can be drinking my concoction at 6 weeks instead of 3 or 4 months. I assume there's no problem holding back a teaspoon or 2 of the yeast to make a starter for a 1.070 Belgian blonde beer?
Click to expand...

I would make the starter first and hold some of that back. Try to replicate the process outlined here:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/

I don't have the stir bar or flasks but my starters all come out fine. Usually I only give 24 hours. It definitely makes a difference in quality of the finished product but also stretches your yeast dollar. You could easily quadruple the number of cells before pitching, and save the unused portion in mason jars in the fridge.
 
Wow, took most of my free time for three days, but I’ve read this whole post and joined just to say thank you Bray!
I have the Fermaid K and O on order, and a pack of 1388 yeast in my fridge. My plan for my first batch is a 3 gallon batch of the death berry Melomel, as I was planing on making the curt stock version before starting to read about the BOMM. I’m relatively new to brewing, but have dabbled years ago but taking a serious go at a few batches this time.
 
How is the flavor different With sugar vs honey (wine vs mead?) never tried a Melomel and country wine taste test of the same brew.
 
Bray, you should (more of a pretty please) make a few YouTube videos showing your exact steps. A slight confusion as for what we’re trying to do at degassing. Should I be aerating or just degassing? I have a batch of blueberry wine going to practice the technique, though using just Fermaid K. The must and fruit only fill half the bucket. Since CO2 is heavier than the surrounding air, won’t a layer of CO2 form above the must, preventing fresh O2 from getting down to the liquid layer. Would an air pump be a good thing for the first few days?
 
Seamonkey84 said:
Bray, you should (more of a pretty please) make a few YouTube videos showing your exact steps. A slight confusion as for what we’re trying to do at degassing. Should I be aerating or just degassing? I have a batch of blueberry wine going to practice the technique, though using just Fermaid K. The must and fruit only fill half the bucket. Since CO2 is heavier than the surrounding air, won’t a layer of CO2 form above the must, preventing fresh O2 from getting down to the liquid layer. Would an air pump be a good thing for the first few days?
Click to expand...

"CO2 layer" is mostly a myth born of not understanding gas chemistry/physics. There will still be some air mixing in, because of how gasses mix. see Youtube for chem lab videos.
This isn't a concern during active fermentation. And, the slower the CO2 is coming out of solution, and therefor not creating a constant positive pressure 'push', the faster air from above will be be mixing into it.

"degass" here means remove the CO2 by stirring (or for some, using a vacuum pump)

"aerate" or "oxygenate" here means to intentionally introduce air/O2 into the liquid
 
We discussed this in another thread into all details and the outcome was that the most important factor with the "degassing" was that the movement keeps the yeast in suspension. So a good shake or stir should do.
 
Good to know, thank you both. My nutrients are here, berries are in the bucket. I’ll be making another post to keep this thread clear.
Miraculix said:
We discussed this in another thread into all details and the outcome was that the most important factor with the "degassing" was that the movement keeps the yeast in suspension. So a good shake or stir should do.
Click to expand...
I’m assuming also to release the excess gas before adding nutrients :), otherwise risking the MEA mess hehe.
 
Seamonkey84 said:
Bray, you should (more of a pretty please) make a few YouTube videos showing your exact steps. A slight confusion as for what we’re trying to do at degassing. Should I be aerating or just degassing? I have a batch of blueberry wine going to practice the technique, though using just Fermaid K. The must and fruit only fill half the bucket. Since CO2 is heavier than the surrounding air, won’t a layer of CO2 form above the must, preventing fresh O2 from getting down to the liquid layer. Would an air pump be a good thing for the first few days?
Click to expand...

I do all of my primary fermentation in a carboy. Degassing is just what it sounds like, removing gas. If you have a bottle of soda, and shake it with the cap on, then remove the cap, CO2 is released. Do it a few more times and the soda becomes flat. I believe this is the same principle. I take the neck of the carboy and slosh it around until it foams up and becomes agitated, then wait for it to calm down, and repeat the process 3 or 4 times. During the first week I am doing this 10 or more times per day because my carboys are sitting in my office. I don't think there is much technique involved.

Oh and I am also doing a blueberry mead right now, that has entered the 2nd week so I have an airlock on it at this point. I blended my frozen blueberries in a Ninja. Looks and smells fantastic.
 
Seamonkey84 said:
Good to know, thank you both. My nutrients are here, berries are in the bucket. I’ll be making another post to keep this thread clear.

I’m assuming also to release the excess gas before adding nutrients :), otherwise risking the MEA mess hehe.
Click to expand...
Oh, yes of course. Not necessarily important for a healthy mead, but definitely important for a healthy mazer as wifes tend to have not much patience with mead eruptions within their own quarters :D
 
Question @loveofrose
Would your BOMM method be applicable to making a simple red wine? My wife almost exclusively drinks Pinot Noir but she's enjoyed some of the stuff I've been making since applying the method to cider and melomel.

I am certain I can get the Wyeast 1388 to give me a 15% ABV on grape juice, and can't think of any reason not to try, unless the fruity esters produced are undesirable to that style of wine. If that is the case, maybe apply the method but use something like a CBC1?

Lastly, the PH buffering I know is a contributing factor to yeast success and health; would I need to adjust with acid blend upon completion?

Thanks in advance.
 
I’ve done several pyments (grape + honey mead) with Wyeast 1388 to great effect. If it works well with honey, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well without honey. Go with the Fermaid O protocol and it should be fine.

Definitely acid adjust after Fermentation. That is just good general practice.
 
Just got a text from FedEx that my Morebeer order was delivered. Go-Ferm, Fermaid O, Wy-1388, packet of CBC-1, Goldings hops, and a couple of 1-pounders of specialty malts. (the Goldings and the malts are for another project) I better go rescue it from sitting out in the sun on my front steps...
 
Last edited:
loveofrose said:
I’ve done several pyments (grape + honey mead) with Wyeast 1388 to great effect. If it works well with honey, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well without honey. Go with the Fermaid O protocol and it should be fine.

Definitely acid adjust after Fermentation. That is just good general practice.
Click to expand...
I just came on to ask that same question if it ferments regular sugar like it does honey! Also to ask about the acid additions. I know that acids are also used to keep the color from changing. If I wanted a watermelon or strawberry wine to stay pink and add acid, but buffer with potassium carbonate, will it just negate the benefits of both?
 
Seamonkey84 said:
I just came on to ask that same question if it ferments regular sugar like it does honey! Also to ask about the acid additions. I know that acids are also used to keep the color from changing. If I wanted a watermelon or strawberry wine to stay pink and add acid, but buffer with potassium carbonate, will it just negate the benefits of both?
Click to expand...

Don't add both acid and carbonate/bicarbonate at the same time. Honey has no buffering capacity, I think juice does (so the potassium carbonate *might* not be necessary), but let's assume for a minute you do need to add it. Wait until the melomel (whatever) is finished, then add acid to taste. The pink color should come back.
 
Doing some reading about watermelons, they are said to contain more potassium than bananas, and has a ph over 5. Would there be any adjustments to the potassium carbonate addition if I’m making a mead/wine with just watermelon juice? I also added some raspberries which will drop the ph some.
 
Seamonkey84 said:
Doing some reading about watermelons, they are said to contain more potassium than bananas, and has a ph over 5. Would there be any adjustments to the potassium carbonate addition if I’m making a mead/wine with just watermelon juice? I also added some raspberries which will drop the ph some.
Click to expand...
If watermelons have more potassium, it's because they're bigger. Gram for gram, bananas have about 3x more potassium.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wat...me..69i57j0.6447j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?q=ban.....69i57j0l5.4463j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 
Oh, the article said a slice of watermelon... so I guess that would make sense. Ok, so just going to follow the amounts mentioned in the berry BOMM then, since both have lots of fruit.
 
Redeemer said:
I would make the starter first and hold some of that back. Try to replicate the process outlined here:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/

I don't have the stir bar or flasks but my starters all come out fine. Usually I only give 24 hours. It definitely makes a difference in quality of the finished product but also stretches your yeast dollar. You could easily quadruple the number of cells before pitching, and save the unused portion in mason jars in the fridge.
Click to expand...

So make maybe a 1 liter 1388 starter (using honey and a pinch of Fermaid K), and split it between the gallon of mead and the 4-gallon 1.070 Belgian blond that I want to brew? I do have stir bars and flasks and stuff. Then save the trub from the beer, that yeast might be tired but should be okay for reuse.
 
@loveofrose

I am planning on starting a batch of your Death Berry but had a couple questions.

I am assuming you are using a wide mouth carboy or a bucket to hold all of this. How are you hanging the bag inside the carboy/bucket and maintaining a seal on your lid? Are you just letting it float? Have you, or anyone else tried to do it without the BIAB bag? I know there would be a mess in the bottom of the bucket but you could just rack it off and still maintain the seal on the lid right?

Sorry for all of the questions. I have made a few batches to date but obviously still new and want to dip into a melomel. Thanks the help.
 
Mead'n It said:
@loveofrose

I am planning on starting a batch of your Death Berry but had a couple questions.

I am assuming you are using a wide mouth carboy or a bucket to hold all of this. How are you hanging the bag inside the carboy/bucket and maintaining a seal on your lid? Are you just letting it float? Have you, or anyone else tried to do it without the BIAB bag? I know there would be a mess in the bottom of the bucket but you could just rack it off and still maintain the seal on the lid right?

Sorry for all of the questions. I have made a few batches to date but obviously still new and want to dip into a melomel. Thanks the help.
Click to expand...
My batch is clearing up and waiting for me to get bottles. I did mine in a bucket, the whole bag gets loosely tied up and goes into the must, no hanging. just hold the bag out of the way when degassing, then make sure to push it down and mixed in so it keeps the fruit wet and mix some of the foamy bubbles out of it. When you stir it to degas, it’s a swirling to get the gas out, not splashing to get oxygen mixed in. Even with the bag, you’re still going to get a thick layer of lees at the end, but it makes it so much easier to remove the solids that would make off flavors if left too long. However, the next time I do this, I’m going rack everything (lees and all since the yeast has more work to do) into a carboy after the fruit bag is pulled. That way there still some CO2 to protect from oxidation, and it can just sit when it’s done and I can watch it clear. I racked after fermentation was complete, and there was no airlock activity once in the carboy.
 
Mead'n It said:
@loveofrose

I am planning on starting a batch of your Death Berry but had a couple questions.

I am assuming you are using a wide mouth carboy or a bucket to hold all of this. How are you hanging the bag inside the carboy/bucket and maintaining a seal on your lid? Are you just letting it float? Have you, or anyone else tried to do it without the BIAB bag? I know there would be a mess in the bottom of the bucket but you could just rack it off and still maintain the seal on the lid righ....
Click to expand...

I highly suggest the use of a BIAB for this. You want to remove the majority of berries around 2 weeks to avoid high astringency seeping out from the berry skins. A little astringency is good, a lot is bad.
 
I used Knudsen’s with my batch. That stuff smells wonderful, but wow it is strong if you drink it straight. But if your doing a bigger batch, then the vintners fruit base would make more sense, but I haven’t tried it personally.
 
Bray, thank you for putting out such amazing info. I can’t way to try my first match of mead, and I’m now thinking about making a BOMM.

Have you (or anyone) tried using WLP570? It’s a listed alternate to 1388, and my LHBS has WLP in stock. I know that often times two different companies use the same strain of yeast and wondering if this is one of those situations.

Thanks again!
 

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