First time mead brew.

[zosimus]

Hi. I have some questions about mead brewing as I want to try it out. I currently have had one successful beer brew and one unsuccessful cider brew.

I've heard differing things on mead brewing as with most brewing, everyone has their different methods.

I want to make a semi-sweet to sweet mead. I've heard people using flavor protectors and fermentation stoppers when starting the aging process (bottle aging) Is that necessary? I also heard people use yeast nutrients. Is that a good idea for mead?

I generally like when things are slightly carbonated too, and with beer I know you typically use a priming sugar when bottling to get slight fermentation started. I haven't read anywhere than indicated priming sugar was necessary for mead, but I'm also not sure if those bottles were meant to be carbonated. Anyone know a good option for that?

I read that red star premier cuvee (blue bag) is a good yeast to start for mead. Is that true for sweeter meads? I've also heard the same for lalvin ICV-D47. Are those good for sweet meads typically? I always like learning more about different yeast.

Finally, I've heard some people racking a number of times during fermentation. I worry racking will introduce too much oxygen, but what are some thoughts on that?

 

[Rish]

This link has lots of good information for novice mead makers (we actually are not brewing) that address your questions. You definitely want to use nutrients (look up TOSNA 3.0).
Mead is more forgiving than beer when racking but I have left mead on the lees for extended periods (many months) with no bad effects. YMMV. Good luck!

https://www.youtobrew.com/mead-making-101

 

[andrew101]

Yes, with mead you will want nutrients. Also might help to add cut up raisins. i personally add all the nutrients and bentonite at the beginning and leave it alone, uaually about 3-4 weeks, but i like mine dry, and then rack. Be sure to keep good notes, and measure your specific gravity.

 

[Gwenevere]

Raisins aren’t going to give much in the way of nutrients but they can add nice flavor. Definitely use nutrients -honey won’t provide enough of what the yeast needs.

Yeast type and sweetness are another thing. Any wine ( or ale) yeast can be used for sweet or dry mead, but it depends on what abv you are aiming for, as well as flavour profile. Each type of yeast has a listed alcohol tolerance so will require a different amount of honey to exceed that tolerance. There are calculators online to help figure out how much honey you would need to get where you want it, given the tolerance of your yeast.
When choosing yeast you also consider the potential flavours they may bring and if that is what you are looking for, as well as your ability to temperature control the environment since some yeasts can produce off flavours if the temperature gets too hot. I have seen people using various types of kveik ( norwegian farmhouse ale yeast) lately which apparently likes warmer temperatures and can produce some interesting esters. I know that there is a guide online with information about temperatures tolerances and flavour profiles of different yeasts. My first mead I used ec1118 which has a high tolerance (18%) and is sometimes used to help if a batch has stalled. It doesn’t add a lot in the way of esters but is a champagne yeast so is designed for carbonating.

As far as sweetening, i see that a lot of people ferment to dry, stabilize and then backsweeten since it gives more control. It gets more complicated if you want to naturally carbonate a sweet mead with priming sugar because then you can’t stabilize, and you would not want to have already reached the yeast’s tolerance level which sometimes goes higher or lower than expected for the strain. This is problematic because any residual fermentable sugar ( in other words any left over sugar/honey) will be food for the yeast, making it hard to prevent an explosive situation ( overpressurized bottles due to overcarbonating) since you won’t know exactly how much sugar is left. Another option is to ferment to dry and remaining under the yeast’s alcohol tolerance then use a nonfermentable sugar to backsweeten, and then add a set amount of priming sugar at bottling time to get the amount of carbonation you want (there are calculators for that online too)
A word on bottles - if you are carbonating, you need to make sure your bottles are rated to hold pressurized drinks. There is also the option of kegging and using co2 but that is kind of a big investment for someone just starting I think. Probably the easiest mead to start with for is something that is not ging to be carbonated. Get the basics down and then build from there.

 

[zosimus]

Hi. I have some questions about mead brewing as I want to try it out. I currently have had one successful beer brew and one unsuccessful cider brew.

I've heard differing things on mead brewing as with most brewing, everyone has their different methods.

I want to make a semi-sweet to sweet mead. I've heard people using flavor protectors and fermentation stoppers when starting the aging process (bottle aging) Is that necessary? I also heard people use yeast nutrients. Is that a good idea for mead?

I generally like when things are slightly carbonated too, and with beer I know you typically use a priming sugar when bottling to get slight fermentation started. I haven't read anywhere than indicated priming sugar was necessary for mead, but I'm also not sure if those bottles were meant to be carbonated. Anyone know a good option for that?

I read that red star premier cuvee (blue bag) is a good yeast to start for mead. Is that true for sweeter meads? I've also heard the same for lalvin ICV-D47. Are those good for sweet meads typically? I always like learning more about different yeast.

Finally, I've heard some people racking a number of times during fermentation. I worry racking will introduce too much oxygen, but what are some thoughts on that?

Update: I've started brewing my first mead. After I had started I found that having potassium carbonate is a good thing to start with to balance the large swings in pH level, so I ended up buying it and adding it on day 2.
I realized after adding, I may have added far too much (about 3/4 teaspoon) for just 1 gallon although I read differing opinions. Is this a problem?

Some people also said you should add it at the beginning (and not after), but I figure it's okay on day 2 as it's still in primary fermentation. Everything looks fine so far and fermentation is going strong.

 

[bushpilot]

Update: I've started brewing my first mead. After I had started I found that having potassium carbonate is a good thing to start with to balance the large swings in pH level, so I ended up buying it and adding it on day 2.
I realized after adding, I may have added far too much (about 3/4 teaspoon) for just 1 gallon although I read differing opinions. Is this a problem?

Some people also said you should add it at the beginning (and not after), but I figure it's okay on day 2 as it's still in primary fermentation. Everything looks fine so far and fermentation is going strong.

Yes, that is about 2-3 times what you should have added. I am guessing it will not adversely (perceptibly) affect the mead.

Likewise, I believe day 2 is not a problem.

 

[MightyMosin]

My general experience has been that pH buffering hasn't been an issue unless I'm using something citrus or teas in the primary. Using a spring water that is higher in minerals probably plays a factor in this. In any case, you really would want to get a pH meter and give it a check before modifying.

While K-Carbonate or the Bi-Carbonate will add pH buffering capability and help prevent the yeast from stalling, it isn't likely an issue if your starting pH is above ~3.4. A small amount can go a long way for the buffering capability while too much might keep your pH elevated.

The more elevated the pH is, the more K-Meta you need to stabilize your mead. I don't have issues with using the sulfites to stabilize but I want to use as little as possible and the higher the final pH, the higher the amount of the sulfites are needed.

That's my $0.02.

 

[OregonMEAD]

Hi. I have some questions about mead brewing as I want to try it out. I currently have had one successful beer brew and one unsuccessful cider brew.

I've heard differing things on mead brewing as with most brewing, everyone has their different methods.

I want to make a semi-sweet to sweet mead. I've heard people using flavor protectors and fermentation stoppers when starting the aging process (bottle aging) Is that necessary? I also heard people use yeast nutrients. Is that a good idea for mead?

I generally like when things are slightly carbonated too, and with beer I know you typically use a priming sugar when bottling to get slight fermentation started. I haven't read anywhere than indicated priming sugar was necessary for mead, but I'm also not sure if those bottles were meant to be carbonated. Anyone know a good option for that?

I read that red star premier cuvee (blue bag) is a good yeast to start for mead. Is that true for sweeter meads? I've also heard the same for lalvin ICV-D47. Are those good for sweet meads typically? I always like learning more about different yeast.

Finally, I've heard some people racking a number of times during fermentation. I worry racking will introduce too much oxygen, but what are some thoughts on that?

Wow, forget most of this. I make mead on a regular basis, I've even started a business making mead to sell.

There are basic important things you need to follow, and the rest are just nonsense that some people swear to.

I use distilled water, fruit, and raw honey. The yeast I use is 71B and it works perfectly. No other ingredients like sulfites or acid need to be added ever.

Re-racking your mead introduces little to no oxygen to your mead. Also your mead will be slightly carbonated naturally from the fermentation.

I've also never heard of priming sugar to start fermentation. Pitch your yeast in your mash/must and shake the the carboy/bottle around vigorously for about a minute if you can, that will start it out.

 

[DBhomebrew]

I've also never heard of priming sugar to start fermentation. Pitch your yeast in your mash/must and shake the the carboy/bottle around vigorously for about a minute if you can, that will start it out.

Also your mead will be slightly carbonated naturally from the fermentation.

They're not talking about priming sugar to start initial fermentation. They're talking about priming sugar to carbonate in the bottle.

Carbonation from fermentation, unless captured, is merely at atmospheric pressure.

I use distilled water, fruit, and raw honey. The yeast I use is 71B and it works perfectly. No other ingredients like sulfites or acid need to be added ever.

Nothing? No nutrients?

I've even started a business making mead to sell.

Looks like you were transitioning to commercial mead making as recently as May. How's that going?

 

[OregonMEAD]

They're not talking about priming sugar to start initial fermentation. They're talking about priming sugar to carbonate in the bottle.

Carbonation from fermentation, unless captured, is merely at atmospheric pressure.



Nothing? No nutrients?



Looks like you were transitioning to commercial mead making as recently as May. How's that going?

I miss read the part about the carbonation, it seems, and no, I don't use any nutrients.

The transition to being a business is going well, but very slow. The amount licenses and fees for everything got a little overwhelming, lol. But it's working out.

Do you use nutrients in your mead?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Yes, I make traditional meads using nutrients. Not show meads as you seem to make.

I follow TANG. Pretty much TOSNA 3.0 with the added thought toward how pitch rate (along with its Go-Ferm addition) affects total YAN.

 

[OregonMEAD]

Yes, I make traditional meads using nutrients. Not show meads as you seem to make.

I follow TANG. Pretty much TOSNA 3.0 with the added thought toward how pitch rate (along with its Go-Ferm addition) affects total YAN.

I didn't know basic mead was show mead...

Wouldn't you think that dolling up mead with nutrients, versus traditional water and honey only, would be show mead?

 

[DBhomebrew]

I didn't know basic mead was show mead...

Wouldn't you think that dolling up mead with nutrients, versus traditional water and honey only, would be show mead?

I didn't set these definitions, only researched and learned about them.

Dolling up. I call it providing yeast with the nutrients they need for a reliable, clean, thorough ferment. But, hey, I'm no professional.

 

[bushpilot]

Show mead is supposed to "show" the flavors of the honey, with nothing else added that can get in the way.

I consider show meads a subset of traditional, but I might be wrong on that.

Different goals, different meads, all is fine.