Making a Chocolate Mead Recipe: How Much Honey and Which Yeast?

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Paul_F

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I've been reading various "chocolate mead" recipe's for days, until I've utterly confused myself, and am back at square one... So NOW I'm going to ask for advice.

Here's what I know -
I want to make a "semi-sweet" chocolate mead. (I am aware that I'm in for at LEAST a couple years of aging until some of the bitter funky flavors age out... I'm OK with that).
I am going to do a 3 Gallon Batch (since that's what I have honey enough for).

I plan on using a Wildflower honey (from Mt Adams Honey in WA state).
I plan on using 1/2 lb of Cocao Nibs AND 1/2 lb of organic dutch process cocoa powder (unsweetened).
I Plan on using the zest of one orange to give it a "hint" of orange flavor.

I cannot decide on a yeast! I have K1V-1116, K1V-1118, and 71B available. I don't know what my local homebrew store stocks (they are typically closed when I am off work, and I haven't been in there in many months...) but I am amenable to any yeast they stock.

I plan on beginning in a 5 Gallon brew bucket, with Cocoa Powder and Nibs...
Why a 5 Gal for a 3 Gal batch? Well, I've read many times that Chocolate Meads have a high tendency to produce "Chocolate Geysers", which I'd like to keep off my ceiling!
I plan on adding nutrients at 1/3 and 2/3 sugar break.

A couple days after the 2/3 sugar break, I plan on racking out of the 5Gal bucket into a 3 Gallon Carboy, and onto a fresh 1/2 lb of Cocoa Nibs, and adding the Orange Zest.
Here it will rest for an undetermined amount of time, until racked into another 3 Gallon Carboy for aging. Bottle at 1 year. Age at least another year.

So...
My questions, I beg of thee to assist me with!
1. I thought I had a handle on Starting Gravity and "lbs of honey per finished gallon of Mead" - but reading the Chocolate Mead recipe's have got me very confused. I suggestion of how much honey I should be planning on for a "Semi-Sweet" finished mead... I am not hung up on a particular ABV target, anyplace above 10% and I'm happy. I would even be happy backsweetening if necessary.

2. Of the three yeasts I have on hand, (1118, 1116, and 71B), is there a clear "winner" for retaining chocolate flavors? or should I plan to get something tomorrow when I'm at the Homebrew Store? I know 1118 has the reputation of being the 'unstoppable juggernaut' of yeasts, tearing flavors out of their mothers arms and tossing them overboard recklessly...
I was leaning towards 1116 (since I've used it before).

3. is there anything else seriously wrong with this plan that you can see???


I only have two batches of Mead under my belt... I've done a lot of reading, but my hands-on experience is a little short :)


Tips, Links, criticisms, and questions, are all welcomed!
Paul F.
 
My personal recommendation would be to make a batch of wild flower Mead and add the cocoa powder at secondary
 
A fair suggestion...
I'm not married to putting the nibs and powder in the primary! You notice that I plan on putting some nibs in secondary ALSO... because I'm indecisive.
I am curious to know why you would prefer them in the secondary, though... just so I understand the thinking. :)
 
I would suggest adding the cocoa powder to the primary. Here's why: I think it is much easier to dissolve (ha ha ) the cocoa in boiling water than in cold mead.
What I do is make a version of cocoa - by almost boiling the water. I then allow that cocoa to cool to room temperature and then aggressively mix the honey using a blender. This aerates the must. I add the nibs to the secondary.
If you use about 2.5 - 3 lbs of honey per gallon then it should not take a great deal of time to age. What takes time is for the cocoa to drop out of suspension and so give you a bright/clear mead. I have a gallon batch of meadow-foam chocolate mead aging now for about 7 months or so... still not clear enough for me to want to bottle.
I know others on this forum may disagree but my "go to" yeast for mead is 71B. I find that it does not stress easily and imparts / highlights the flavors I like. Champagne yeasts are too aggressive and D47 (I think) is high maintenance in mead.
 
I tried making it once and added it to the primary and it turned out the cocoa powder I was using was littered with preservatives. But if you are concerned about dissolving the cocoa powder I suggest boiling a little bit of water and adding the powder to that wait for it to cool down then add that to your secondary
 
You might want to look for the best chocolate or cocoa extract you can buy. In my opinion, using cocoa results in a mead that can take years to clear. Nibs work well but their flavor is light (IMO).
 
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