Bray's One Month Mead

[z-bob]

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.

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.

 

[Mead'n It]

@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.

 

[Seamonkey84]

@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.

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.

 

[loveofrose]

@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....

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.

 

[Mead'n It]

Any recommendations on black currant juice? Knudsens, Ribena, vintners best fruit base?

 

[Seamonkey84]

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.

 

[loveofrose]

I typically use vintners harvest, but Knudsen makes good stuff as well.

 

[HItransplant]

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!

 

[loveofrose]

Everyone who has tried it has said it’s not as good. I haven’t done a side by side myself. I only know what others have stated.

 

[HItransplant]

Thank you kindly.

 

[motherofgallons]

@loveofrose I am sure this has been asked before, but I am in Sweden and it is apparently impossible to find potassium bicarbonate. I have found one source of potassium carbonate online. Are they totally interchangeable or must one be handled differently? I assume it's 100% necessary for a BOMM...?

Also, have you tried Voss Kviek at all, out of curiosity? I'm about to try a cider and/or cyser with it. The purported orange notes when fermented hot (32-38C) sound really interesting.

 

[loveofrose]

Yes, the carbonates are interchangeable. I’ve been using Hothead Kviek for meads that I want tropical notes. It is anything but neutral so your recipe can be helped or hurt by the esters. 1388 is clean so it works for more recipes.

 

[Seamonkey84]

I’m planing my next batch, a Black mead and berry death BOMM blend that I’m calling Black Deadthberry. So question is, with so much Vit C in black currant, how much potassium bicarbonate should I be adding? I’m planning on using vinterts harvest black currant, mixed with honey and water to 5 gallons, and adding the fruit to that.

 

[Seamonkey84]

I’m realizing something in the recipe for the berry death BOMM. Based on your recipe for the 6gal batch, it says 96oz of black currant juice, which I used Knudsen’s. For my next batch, based on one i did blending 3qt of the berry death with 1qt more black current juice, I’m using a full 96oz can of vintners concentrate to make the 4-5gal and adding the fruit to that. I thought it would be different from your or curt stocks recipe. But am I wrong? What was your recipe calling for, 96oz of juice or concentrate?

 

[loveofrose]

Yes, I use the Vinters Harvest Black Currant for this recipe.

 

[Seamonkey84]

Oh, so I’m not making something different, more like I made a lite version the first time around.
Well I still like the name I’ve been calling my batch, I’ll just have to make some alterations to make it my own

 

[z-bob]

I'm ready to try this. (been ready for about a month; finally getting off my butt) If I use a whole pack of the 1388 yeast to make one gallon, will the lees still be active enough to pitch a 4 gallon not-too-strong Belgian pale ale? (7% or so) Or at least to make a starter for that ale? Or will it be too stressed out from the mead? I know I could make a starter first; pitch 3/4 of it and then step up the rest. But that's why I've been stalled, trying to schedule brewing the beer.

 

[beer-me-now]

I'm ready to try this. (been ready for about a month; finally getting off my butt) If I use a whole pack of the 1388 yeast to make one gallon, will the lees still be active enough to pitch a 4 gallon not-too-strong Belgian pale ale? (7% or so) Or at least to make a starter for that ale? Or will it be too stressed out from the mead? I know I could make a starter first; pitch 3/4 of it and then step up the rest. But that's why I've been stalled, trying to schedule brewing the beer.

I've been using the same pack of 1388 for about 6 months. I made a 1 liter starter with the full package of yeast, split this into 2 pint size mason jars and cold crash. On "brew" day, I remove 1 mason jar from the fridge and immediately decant 90% of the liquid from above the yeast and let the yeast come up to room temperature. I also add half a cup of must/mead to the mason jar and swirl it all up before pitching to make sure I get all of the yeast I can from the jar. I've made dozens of batches of mead and cider this way. When I'm ready to "brew" another batch I decant the liquid from the other mason jar and start another 1 liter starter with the remaining yeast. I've had zero issues with this method on my 1 gallon batches and assume you could do the same with larger batches/larger starters as well.

I can't imagine going back to wine yeast for ciders or meads ever again but I am having fun recently playing around with Kviek yeast mead/cider and still using the same BOMM/TOSNA nutrient schedule.

 

[Seamonkey84]

+1
To what he said. Keep making starters and saving some of it to make another.
I just keep making mini quart sized BOMM with half a pound of honey as starter or yeast farm. If I don’t use the yeast right away I let it go dry, rack out the mead and add more must to keep the colony fed. I save up the cleared low gravity meads till I get 3qts. I then add another 1-1.5lb honey and another dose of FermaidO to finish it up as a full strength mead. The first gallon I made from doing this just got racked onto some fresh picked blackberries.

 

[motherofgallons]

I

I've been using the same pack of 1388 for about 6 months. I made a 1 liter starter with the full package of yeast, split this into 2 pint size mason jars and cold crash. On "brew" day, I remove 1 mason jar from the fridge and immediately decant 90% of the liquid from above the yeast and let the yeast come up to room temperature. I also add half a cup of must/mead to the mason jar and swirl it all up before pitching to make sure I get all of the yeast I can from the jar. I've made dozens of batches of mead and cider this way. When I'm ready to "brew" another batch I decant the liquid from the other mason jar and start another 1 liter starter with the remaining yeast. I've had zero issues with this method on my 1 gallon batches and assume you could do the same with larger batches/larger starters as well.

I can't imagine going back to wine yeast for ciders or meads ever again but I am having fun recently playing around with Kviek yeast mead/cider and still using the same BOMM/TOSNA nutrient schedule.

I'd love to hear more about your kveik brews! I recently did a cider with Sigmund Voss Kveik and wondering how others have played with it. I just got a pack of TYB Simoniatis Lithuanian Farmhouse and contemplating grabbing some Kveiking while the LHBS still has it in stock.

 

[z-bob]

I have used Voss kveik yeast once to make cider just to try it, and it worked very well. And it was extremely fast. But I went back to using wine yeast because it works well too; I have about 20 packets in the fridge, and it's cheap.

 

[loveofrose]

Yeast are toolbox tools. They provide (or lack) esters that enhance (or fight) with your mead.

I enjoy neutral yeast that allow the pure honey to shine so Wyeast 1388 is my go to for most things.

However, if I want mango flavors in a mead, Omega Hothead at 95 F is the way to go.

If I want improved body, W15.

If I want floral notes, DV10.

If I want more acidity, D21 or CBC1.

And on and on. Fermaid O protocols have made all of these yeast pretty fast. If you ever need help, just email me or check out my site for examples. https://denardbrewing.com

 

[motherofgallons]

@loveofrose I just made a 1388 starter yesterday as per your website instructions, graded up to 3L. Why the use of GoFerm with a liquid yeast? My yeast is nearing 6 months from production date and seems to be working slowly. I am seeing a little activity but it seems slow. I am gently using a heating pad intermittently. I just added 0.4g FermO, about 29 hours post pitch (which is probably underpitched for the volume but I wasn’t sure if the GoFerm counts as nutrients). The plan is to go 4 days per your site as I don’t have a stir plate, just swirling by hand maybe once an hour in a 5L glass carboy. I want to keep some as a perpetual starter. Should I pitch 2L and keep 1, or some other proportion? Do I always need to use 2L as the pitched starter?

 

[Seamonkey84]

I’ve been growing the same batch of yeast since May. You only need to save a few ounces of the culture to start another 1-2 liters and build up from there if needed. When the culture ferments dry, you can put some in the fridge till your next brew. But I’ve been keeping a continuous active culture going. I scaled BOMM recipe down to 1/2gal and using just a pound of honey like Brays starter instructions, and use that to feed the yeast. I rack the cleared low abv mead into a carboy and keep adding batches till it’s almost filled. then add another 1-1.5lb honey, another dose of nutrients and some yeast then let it finish as a full strength mead.

 

[motherofgallons]

So in regards to my 3 liter starter. It seemed to be a sluggish fermentation (the smack pack was nearing 6 months from production date), so I used a heating pad intermittently and think it may have gotten too warm at times. I made 2 Fermaid O additions of 0.4 grams each on day 2 and 3. It's been in the fridge to cold crash for 3 or 4 days and I had a taste of the cleared liquid last night. It was... not good. I've never used 1388 before. The smell isn't bad, very beer-like and pleasantly yeasty, but the taste is pretty awful. Like cat piss. I have never had anything else taste like this. Is this a FermO off flavor? Was the yeast too old? Should I toss it all and buy a new yeast pack? I made up a plum melomel which I wanted to make into a BOMM but no point in ruining the batch if the yeast is bad. Help please!

 

[Seamonkey84]

As long as it started fermenting and growing, let it go, it doesn’t take long for them to get the colony size needed. It tastes bad because it’s not done yet. Also, it’s not a beer starter where you cold crash and decant off yeast. It’s a low gravity mead, account for the volume in your batch and pitch the whole thing in. I personally save a few ounces of the starter and use it to make the next starter.

 

[motherofgallons]

As long as it started fermenting and growing, let it go, it doesn’t take long for them to get the colony size needed. It tastes bad because it’s not done yet. Also, it’s not a beer starter where you cold crash and decant off yeast. It’s a low gravity mead, account for the volume in your batch and pitch the whole thing in. I personally save a few ounces of the starter and use it to make the next starter.

Took your advice and shook up the starter and pitched 2L of it. I'm really hoping that off flavor was excessive nutrient, thinking I'll maybe skip one addition. There is about 3.5 kg of plums in already and I might add some dried prunes into secondary.

 

[Seamonkey84]

if the off flavors is from nutrients, it’s because the batch was not finished yet. Even once it’s fermented dry, the yeast will keep working on stuff and cleans up a lot of off flavors as they clear on their own. I Use buckets, so When I pull my fruit I rack into carboys. But when I do that, I give it all a good stir while racking so all of the yeast and lees go into the carboy to finish up primary. Don’t rack off the bulk lees until it clears on its own. Make a bit more than your main carboy can hold, put the extra in separate gallon carboy or bottle. Combine to top off when you actually rack off the bulk lees.

 

[z-bob]

I started a 4L batch a few days ago, using the BOMM protocol but with a pint of clover honey and a pint of homemade dark invert syrup that's just a little thinner than honey. I screwed up measuring the water, so about 2 or 3 ounces of the invert wouldn't fit in the jug, but I'm saving that, and when the mead starts to clear I will pour some off to taste it and add the last little bit of syrup and let it finish.

My 1388 yeast was a couple of months old (took about 10 hours to swell up the package) so I used the whole thing instead of holding some back to make a beer starter, and I only put the honey in at first so I wouldn't osmotic shock the yeast. About 24 hours later, with visible yeast activity, I added the invert syrup.

I'm planning to save the yeast cake and use it to brew a moderate-gravity Belgian blonde ale. (You don't rack this, right? You bottle right from the primary in about a month?) Then save the yeast from that.

 

[Miraculix]

Took your advice and shook up the starter and pitched 2L of it. I'm really hoping that off flavor was excessive nutrient, thinking I'll maybe skip one addition. There is about 3.5 kg of plums in already and I might add some dried prunes into secondary.

Don't add prunes, I repeat, DON'T ADD PRUNES!!!!

Prunes taste like oxidised iron when fermented, you don't want that in your mead, believe me!

I tried to make prune juice wine once...