First time attempting mead (experienced beer homebrewer) - question about yeast nutrient

[Docod44]

Hi all, I'm attempting a really simple mead since I have the itch to ferment something and all my beer kegs are currently full. I've been homebrewing for 11 years and I've never tried making anything else fermentable other than ales and lagers. For a quick sanity check:

I'm planning on a 2 gallon simple mead recipe to mark the birth of my son and I'll let it sit for the next 12 months so I can package it around his first birthday. I will be using 6 lb orange blossom honey, 1-2 oz dry orange peel, and 2 cups of steeped black tea. For my yeast, I planned on using 2 tsp of Fleischman's active dry yeast (I also have some S-04, T-58, and 15g of Red Star Premier Blanc that has sat at room temp for three years [could make a starter to revive it]). The recipe I was inspired by is a beginner's recipe that uses 2 oz/gallon of chopped raisins for the yeast nutrient. I'm fine to do this however I already have a bag of Super Ferment from Great Fermentations and I was just going to add 1 tsp/gallon of this instead. I don't know what exactly is in it and the product description specifies to use it for beer and wine making, so I am just extrapolating to mead and assuming it will work fine. Any thoughts or experience with this product in mead?

 

[dmtaylor]

Mead is great, and very simple to make. My suggestions:

Don't use black tea. Or if you must, then try only 1/4 cup, much smaller amount.

Don't use bread yeast. I might try that Premier Blanc yeast. It probably has enough life left in it even after 3 years at room temp. And if it doesn't take off in a few days, then add a different yeast. OF COURSE, fresh yeast would be best!!

Contrary to popular belief, raisins will not work very well serving as a nutrient source. Use your commercial nutrient, that will work much better.

Looks like you understand the most important part of the recipe: patience! If you can leave this alone for many months or a full year like you intend, you should come out with a great product on your first try.

Enjoy!

 

[Docod44]

Mead is great, and very simple to make. My suggestions:

Don't use black tea. Or if you must, then try only 1/4 cup, much smaller amount.

Don't use bread yeast. I might try that Premier Blanc yeast. It probably has enough life left in it even after 3 years at room temp. And if it doesn't take off in a few days, then add a different yeast. OF COURSE, fresh yeast would be best!!

Contrary to popular belief, raisins will not work very well serving as a nutrient source. Use your commercial nutrient, that will work much better.

Looks like you understand the most important part of the recipe: patience! If you can leave this alone for many months or a full year like you intend, you should come out with a great product on your first try.

Enjoy!

Much appreciated! I might go with the red star premier blanc yeast in that case but since I have the means to make a starter, I'll make a 1L 1.100 SG honey starter with some nutrient on a stir plate 24 hours before I pitch into the must.

In regards to the black tea, I read that it can add some mouthfeel to the final product but I'm not wedded to using it. Is there anything else that it can offer to the mead or any other justification for using it?

Thanks again!

 

[Dan O]

In regards to the black tea, I read that it can add some mouthfeel to the final product but I'm not wedded to using it. Is there anything else that it can offer to the mead or any other justification for using it?

Thanks again!

The tea is used for tannins & has almost no effect on the flavor, in my experience.
Mouthfeel will be effected though. They sell tannins for making measured additions to your must. Morewine.com should have it, if you don't want to use the black tea.

MoreWine

Hope this helps.
Happy meading

 

[madscientist451]

I already have a bag of Super Ferment from Great Fermentations and I was just going to add 1 tsp/gallon of this instead. I don't know what exactly is in it and the product description specifies to use it for beer and wine making, so I am just extrapolating to mead and assuming it will work fine. Any thoughts or experience with this product in mead?

No, I've never used it, but I have use the TONSA staggered nutrient additions method and it works great for me:

https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna-calculator
Also, be sure to degas the mead a few times a day, and before you add any nutrient additions. You can do this by swirling the carboy or bucket or you can open the fermenter and stir it. I run mostly smaller batches so I go with the swirl method.

Before I adopted the "modern" mead making methods, I just threw the honey, water and yeast together and it came out tasting like rocket fuel and took many years of aging to be drinkable.

 

[Docod44]

No, I've never used it, but I have use the TONSA staggered nutrient additions method and it works great for me:

https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna-calculator
Also, be sure to degas the mead a few times a day, and before you add any nutrient additions. You can do this by swirling the carboy or bucket or you can open the fermenter and stir it. I run mostly smaller batches so I go with the swirl method.

Before I adopted the "modern" mead making methods, I just threw the honey, water and yeast together and it came out tasting like rocket fuel and took many years of aging to be drinkable.

I ended up going this route and staggering my nutrient additions, thank you for the link and the advice. I'm still worried about the yeast struggling though. I'm used to turning an ale around in 5 or 6 days and even though I know mead takes way longer, my batch has gone from an OG of 1.111 to 1.091 in 72 hours and it just seems so slow to me. I just de-gassed and added my 3rd nutrient addition so I'll just be patient.

 

[madscientist451]

I'm used to turning an ale around in 5 or 6 days and even though I know mead takes way longer, my batch has gone from an OG of 1.111 to 1.091 in 72 hours and it just seems so slow to me.

What size batch, what yeast did you use and how much? If dry yeast, did you re-hydrate? If you are making a beer-strength mead, you can turn it around pretty fast, but higher ABV is going to take some more time. Part of the TONSA protocol is to use go-ferm protect when rehydrating dry yeast, I've been doing that and it seems to work for me. Pro mead makers also advise to temper the yeast before pitching, but I usually skip that.

 

[Docod44]

What size batch, what yeast did you use and how much? If dry yeast, did you re-hydrate? If you are making a beer-strength mead, you can turn it around pretty fast, but higher ABV is going to take some more time. Part of the TONSA protocol is to use go-ferm protect when rehydrating dry yeast, I've been doing that and it seems to work for me. Pro mead makers also advise to temper the yeast before pitching, but I usually skip that.

It's all in my original post, but it is a 2 gallon batch, OG was 1.111. I made a 10.5 oz/1 liter must starter with 5 grams of red star premier blanc and a quarter teaspoon of yeast nutrient from Great Fermentations (I don't actually know what is in it). I'm not too worried honestly, fermentation picked up vigorously after my last de-gassing and nutrient addition a few hours ago. I was just more curious how mead and beer ferment differently and if mead is just slower in general. Even my 1.100 OG beers turn around in 7 days but I also do a much larger yeast pitch.

 

[dmtaylor]

PATIENCE. Great mead requires a lot of it.

 

[Docod44]

Thank you all for your help, everything's going great and I don't have anymore questions or concerns!