First-Time Mead Questions

[greypilgrim76]

Hi All,

So I emptied a Carlo Rossi wine jug recently to use for a yeast starter for an upcoming Wee Heavy. But, it occurred to me that I could also use it to attempt a 1-gallon batch of mead. I've got the jug, the water, some yeast nutrient, some Fermaid O, and 3 lbs. of honey. However, I'm shooting for a sweet to semi-sweet mead (I tried a dry mead years ago and wasn't a fan), and I'm not sure what yeast to use. Ideally, I'd like to the yeast to eat enough of the sugars to stop fermentation while leaving enough honey to sweeten the mead, but I'm not sure how the math comes out on 3 lbs. of honey in a 1-gallon batch. Is there a yeast that will hit the target I'm setting, more or less? I can, of course, use potassium sorbate and backsweeten as needed, but having never done a sweet to semi-sweet mead before, I'm not sure whether it's necessary or not.

So basically, I guess I'm asking 1) what yeast do you recommend for a 1-gallon batch of sweet(ish) mead using 3 lbs. of varietal honey, and 2) is there anything else, after reading this post, you think I should know that I don't appear to know.

Thanks!

 

[Maylar]

3 lbs in a gallon will yield 13-14% ABV. Any wine or mead yeast will take that dry. Make the mead and back sweeten it when it's done.

 

[greypilgrim76]

So here's a follow-up question: is there an amount of honey I could add to my original 3-pound plan that would make it ferment out to a sweet or semi-sweet mead if I use the right yeast, or is backsweetening the only real option?

 

[SimPilot]

ferment out to a sweet or semi-sweet mead if I use the right yeast

Sometimes yeast alcohol tolerance is accurate. And sometimes it isn't.

Play with calculator and see what you like / want.
https://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/

 

[greypilgrim76]

Ooh, I hadn't come across that particular site. That'll be useful--thanks! So if I'm reading everything right, for a 1-gallon batch using Lalvin D-47, if I want a lightly sweet mead, I'd need to use 3.67 lbs of honey. And then if, for some reason, the yeast shot right past 14% and kept munching, I could always backsweeten to taste. Seem reasonable?

Sorry for all the questions. I've tried mead exactly once in the past, and it turned out so badly that I'd really like to double-check things before trying again.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi greypilgrim76 - and welcome.
The thing about wines and meads is balance. If you want to make a mead whose ABV is out of balance the easiest method is to take a bottle of vodka and sweeten it with honey. Bingo! You have a high ABV drink. For balance you are looking to make sure that flavor, alcohol content, perceived sweetness, acidity, tannin and mouthfeel (viscosity) are all appropriately aligned. A very high ABV mead will likely have the heat of the alcohol cover the flavor of the honey. Check out the standard ABV of wines and meads... They are usually around 12 -14%. Most yeast don't even blink if you ask them to ferment to a higher ABV. But YOU , not the yeast need to be in the driving seat. Just because your car CAN hit 120 mph does not mean that in Manhattan at rush hour in a snow storm you should be driving at that speed. Same kind of thing applies to fermenting. Standard practice is to aim for a specific ABV with the amount of honey you ferment; based on the richness of flavor of the ingredients and acidity and level of tannins; then stabilize the mead once all fermentation has ceased and if you want a sweeter rather than drier tasting mead, back sweeten with the same varietal of honey (or whatever your preference for sweet flavoring might be). At 12% ABV the perception of sweetness might be what you want. At 14% you may need to add sweetener to counter balance the heat of the alcohol. You are in charge , not your yeast.

 

[Maylar]

So here's a follow-up question: is there an amount of honey I could add to my original 3-pound plan that would make it ferment out to a sweet or semi-sweet mead if I use the right yeast, or is backsweetening the only real option?

That can and has been done, but it's not recommended for a noob. High gravity ferments are difficult to manage and difficult to balance afterward. Yeast is only a part of the big picture. You have to have a protocol that you know works. My recommendation for a beginner is to make a traditional mead at about 11% ABV (1.085 OG) and follow the TOSNA protocol. You'll have a much better chance of having something drinkable in reasonable time.

Or follow a proven success like the BOMM mead: Denard Brewing