For The Love of Honey.

[grant-robison]

Hey all,
I've had plenty of experience brewing, but this will be my first attempt at mead. My buddy is a beekeeper and in his ways, has come upon a wild hive that is in a tree that was knocked down by a windstorm here (Tulsa) recently. I know that honeys all taste different, and that they can be just as complex as chocolate and a really delicate ingredient, so while JAOM is a popular first recipe, I was wondering if anyone had something more simple. Something perhaps that will allow the natural honey characters to be the star of the show.

 

[GeorgiaMead]

Maybe just a very basic mead? Honey, water, yeast nutrients, and a sweet mead yeast... That's my vote

 

[fatbloke]

Maybe just a very basic mead? Honey, water, yeast nutrients, and a sweet mead yeast... That's my vote

Sweet mead yeast ?

Waste of money.

A traditional certainly, but with a yeast that offers a chance of allowing the honey to shine, like D21 or K1v1116

Then either just ferment dry, stabilise and back sweeten, or step feed until the yeast poops out and a final "feed" to end up with 1.010 to 1.015.......

Of course, D47 would be good too, but it needs temp control to keep the ferment below 70F/21C.......

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Sweet mead yeast has it's place, though bread yeast is way cheaper and still lets the honey express itself without turning into rocket fuel. For D21, K1V1116, or D47, You would likely need an O.G. in excess of 1.120 to get it anywhere near your desired final gravity without stabilisation and backsweetening, since many of those yeasts are really tolerant and more often than not exceed those expectations. For a sweet mead in the 12-13% range a lower-attenuating yeast would be more ideal if you don't want to sit on it for a few years waiting for it to be less than firewater. Maybe use a lower-attenuation ale yeast at low temperature so that it ferments cleanly and flocs out without issues? There's also a little bit of info floating around using lager yeasts, temperatures, and techniques to make a really clean tasty mead. Bread yeast is still a favorite for semi-sweet non gas-additive mead. I'm a big fan of D-47 if temp control is on-point, but it still makes a pretty dry or strong mead if you're not careful.

While fermenting dry and stabilizing/backsweetening is always an option some folks don't like the taste, however mild, that potassium sorbate will impart. Some meadmakers get dinged in competition for it, some folks are sensitive and just don't like it. I've used it in the past but have moved away from doing so, preferring to let the fermentation be long, complete, and kinda letting go of the wheel so to speak.

EDIT:

FB, after reading your angry polemic against mead yeasts I think I see where you're going with it, but you still admit, they do work