Just purchased some Manuka Honey +15. Would this be too rich for mead.
I have used shops own brand and value range but mead tasted weak.
I live in the UK, and brew shops are not that easy to come by. Got one locally but he does not know anything about mead. Which type of yeast would you recommend.
Just for your information, i got the Manuka honey from Aldi, excellent price.
Brew shops hard to come by ? Bollocks.
You've got 4 or 5 half decent ones in Kent.
Lack of mead knowledge is a different matter........
Manuka factor is completely different from depth of flavour etc. Its generally quite expensive (as I'm sure you know), whether its "strong" I can't say as the nearest Aldi is about 10 miles away.
What you may find, is that stronger tasting/darker type honey, are often better as sweeter, stronger (% ABV), medium and dessert meads. Whereas lighter honey can make good lighter and sparkling meads more akin to white wines and champoo...... i.e. drier.
Yer best mead info will be here and at Gotmead forums. For yeasts, you can usually track down the "usual suspects" from Lalvin, but anything off the beaten track would likely need mail ordering from the States. Nutrients are a bit different, as the "fermaid" ones are rocking horse turds - impossible to find. Tronozymol is a reasonable equivalent for Fermaidk and youngs (or is it ritchies) "yeast nutrient" is a fair replacement for DAP.
Your comment of "thin" ? I'll presume you mean lacking body.....so you can use smallish amounts of raisins in the brew or a banana. Or even ferment dry, stabilise then back sweeten too taste, which adds body but if it gets a bit too sweet, then acid helps and even some tannin......
Lots of ways of making good mead at home. For yeast, you can't go far wrong with lalvin K1v1116 for traditional meads (D21 is better IMO but its harder to get).......
Good luck with your efforts and if you've got the manuka then sod it, give it a go......
