Malkore's Mead

[Alfred The Great]

hey all,

I wanted to try my hand at brewing some Mead, I've got some Apfelwein going on right now and thought that Mead would be a good use for my empty one gallon jug. I was looking through the recipes and thought I'd use Malkore's Not So Ancient Orange Mead. Just wanted to know if anyone here had brewed it before?
I can't get a hold of any Wyeast stuff at the LHBS but they have a good selection of lalvin wine yeasts there. I used Champagne yeast in my Apfelwein and it's working out alright.
Any ideas on how long it would take to make a batch of Malkores? How's the taste? Hope to hear some input soon.
Take care guys,

~Alfred

 

[Tusch]

Well I've got something incredibly similar brewing right now. Not much I can say yet, since its still fermenting and with only a gallon I am trying not to sample. It had a slow start but has really picked up. I personally had to use a starter to get it going, but I don't see it as common, just unfortunate for me.

 

[Alfred The Great]

I just thought I should make Malkores as it doesn't use bread yeast, and some people say Joe's is pithy, which is more popular on here? it seems JOAM is pretty well loved around these parts.

 

[malkore]

the only reason I revised JOAM is because I don't really like how the bread yeast plays out.

Another optional yeast is Fermentis's Safale S-33. It'll attenuate to about 13% too, and is usually easy to find.
feed it nutrient and plenty of energizer, and it'll come out close to the wyeast, maybe a tad sweeter (or knock off a quarter pound of honey). I've used that yeast on several great meads.

Having tasted mine recently, JOAM may be more orangy, but a flavor like that can be adjusted in secondary fairly easily.

 

[colin_rudolph]

Ha! I've got the man himself, that's great! So if I want it sweeter I'd use more energizer and nutrient? Could I just use more honey instead? I was really planning on blending Joe's mead and yours, I was going to use the same amount of honey as Joe uses, I think he uses 31/2 pounds, but use Malkore's method of getting the orange flavour in, with the zest and juice, and then use a wine yeast instead of bread.

 

[malkore]

no, the energizer and nutrient are to keep the yeast healthy. honey sucks in terms of nutrition for yeast. beer wort is full of good stuff...honey ain't.

more honey = more sweetness (assuming the yeast cannot consume it)

 

[Alfred The Great]

Alright, thanks. I'll make sure to use energizer and nutrient. How's Champagne yeast? I've got a packet of Lalvin Champagne yeast kicking around, should I use that or should I get something else.
Champange yeast has an alcohol tolerance of 18% I think, a friend of mine made a mead and that's what he used, it finished out pretty good, not too try, not too sweet. Will it work for this recipe?

 

[malkore]

champagne yeast will give you a very dry mead. I wouldn't do it. both JOAM and MOAM are meant to be sweet meads.

I suspect your buddy's champagne yeast crapped out before it could finish all the sugar in the honey, or he used a TON of honey and beat the yeast's attenuation.

not that dry = bad...I personally don't like dry mead...but a lack of sweetness may mask the orange flavor and spices, while sweetness would enhance.

 

[Alfred The Great]

Alright, thanks. So what should I use for yeasts for JOAM and MAOM? All my homebrew store carries are Ale yeasts and Lalvin Yeasts, I think they have
EC 1118
K1 1116
The Lalvin site (http://www.lalvinyeast.com/strains.asp) recommends ICV D47 for meads, here's what it has to say about it:
The ICV D-47 is a low-foaming quick fermenter that settles well, forming a compact lees at the end of fermentation. This strain tolerates fermentation temperatures ranging from 15° to 20°C (59° to 68°F) and enhances mouthfeel due to complex carbohydrates. Malolactic fermentation proceeds well in wine made with ICV D-47.

Recommended for making wines from white varieties such as Chardonnay and rosé wines. An excellent choice for producing mead, however be sure to supplement with yeast nutrients, especially usable nitrogen.

An excellent choice for dry whites, blush wines and residual sugar wines.

Should I use that for the MAOM? or would I be better off trying to search out the proper stuff, any way I can order yeast off of the internet?

 

[malkore]

yeast attenuation/ alcohol tolerance is what matters. EC 1118 is very potent...it'd leave JOAM/MOAM dry unless you up the honey.

i've never used d-47 or 1116