Maple mead

[Mapletapper]

Hi folks,
I am new to this and am looking for advice on making maple mead.
I am a maple syrup producer and ended up with about 4 - 5 gallon buckets of about 40 - 50 % sugar maple concentrate at the end of this years run. Before I had the opportunity to finish the concentrate into maple syrup it began to ferment. It has been fermenting in the pails for about 2 weeks now.
I was wondering if I could use it to make mead or if it is too late?
Could I add yeast now? Any advice on next steps would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jason

 

[AkTom]

I don't have a clue. I'd pitch some yeast. Maybe do some 1 gallon batches. Maybe try different yeast In different batches. Take notes on what you do. I wish I had your problem.

 

[Paps]

I've made a maple wine before which i preffered to the meads that i've made.
Like suggested above try doing seperate 1 gallon batches, Some with honey, some without. Post some pics and i hope it turns out good for you.

 

[FrodeM]

Never tried to make acerglyn, but I would assume it's pretty much the same as with a regular show-mead. Maple-syrup may not be as acidic as honey can be, but you should certainly add nutrients.

Adding yeast or not depends on how far it's gotten. Since it's already startet with a wild yeast, it's unpredictable and can practically go in any direction. Others have suggested experimentation, and that way you'll be more likely to end up with at least some good end product.

Also, standard brewing techniques are highly recomended. Ferment in closed containers with airlocks, remember to sanitize equipment, take gravity-readings every now and then.

 

[ACbrewer]

I'm very late to this party... I have concern over the wild yeast. Typically you get sour beers when doing wild yeast fermentations, I expect that would be the case for your maple syrup. With that said, you can stop them by boiling if you want, and then pitch regular yeast on it. That would reduce the wild yeast, and reduce the sour flavors. That is to say you wouldn't make any more sour flavor. I'd certainly pitch a yeast that I liked in after it.

 

[bernardsmith]

I'm very late to this party... I have concern over the wild yeast. Typically you get sour beers when doing wild yeast fermentations, I expect that would be the case for your maple syrup. With that said, you can stop them by boiling if you want, and then pitch regular yeast on it. That would reduce the wild yeast, and reduce the sour flavors. That is to say you wouldn't make any more sour flavor. I'd certainly pitch a yeast that I liked in after it.

I suspect that in brewing you get sour beers when lacto bacteria ferment the grains, but here we are dealing with fermentable simple sugars and yeast are far more likely to be involved than bacteria. The use of wild yeast to make wine is far , far older than the use of lab-cultivated yeasts. and certainly while the results are far less predictable the wines produced can be incredible.

 

[wildmazer]

^ this is true.

though, as a almost entirely wild yeast user myself, i'd have to point out - alcohol-producing yeast and vinegar-producing bacteria can work simultaneously. before too long i'd be looking to get it under airlock and topped off enough to reduce surface area to give the yeast the advantage.

i'd go for it. what brix or gravity is the concentrate if it's not taken far enough down to be true syrup?

 

[Mapletapper]

Wildmazer,
Tried my refractometer and couldn't get a reading so it is lower than 45%. I'm thinking it is in the 30-40 Brix range. I purchased a wine and beer hydrometer and it reads a specific gravity of 1.115. Also got some yeast from a wine store (k1-v1116). I put 1 packet of the yeast in each of 2 buckets. One with just yeast and one I squeezed the juice of 3 lemons in and a packet of yeast. What Now? I have air locks on each bucket and put them in my basement for a constant cool temperature. Any further instructions would be appreciated.
I also still have a coupe of buckets that I have not done anything yet. Any suggestions for them?

 

[wildmazer]

could always airlock one of them and let the wild yeasts take it as a comparison.

 

[TattooCelt]

I just finished a batch of this. I opted not to make it sparkling, and bottled it in flip top's. It had a very unique flavor at bottling which reminded me slightly of a sweet bourbon - you can really taste the alcohol. I'm hoping for it to mellow over the next few months.

Ingredients
5 gal water
10 lbs Wildflower Honey
5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 packet Red Star Cote des Blancs Yeast
1 Medium Toast American Oak Spiral - (optional)
64 oz (1/2 Gal) Pure Maple Syrup
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (If you're wanting to make sparkling mead)

Directions

• In a large brew pot, simmer 3 gallons of water to make integration of honey easier. (Just simmer...don't boil)
• Remove pot from heat and add 10 lbs honey and 32 oz maple syrup and 3 tsp yeast nutrient. Stir until fully dissolved.
• Rehydrate the yeast in a sanitized cup, and cover.
• Add the must to a 6 gal primary fermenter along with 2 gal cold water. Aerate it, and pitch the yeast.
• Seal fermentor with airlock and store in a dark place at a temperature of about 70 degrees.
• After 3 days, add 1 tsp yeast nutrient and aerate do this again after another 3 days.
• After another week, add the remaining 32 oz of maple syrup and aerate.
• Wait another week, then with a siphon, re-rack the mead into a sanitized 5 gallon carboy. Add the Oak Spiral (optional)
• After another 3 weeks, re-rack, then let age for 2 months.
• Dissolve the corn sugar in 2 cup warm water, add to carboy, and stir lightly. (If you're wanting to make sparkling mead)
• Fill sanitized bottles and let age for 4 months or more.

 

[Rayi]

If you didn't add anything and the maple started on it's own you most likely will have vinager. At the end of the season I leave the sweet in the evaporator and put water in over the boil line. About June I drain it and flush it multiple times with clear water. Smells nasty but the inside of the pans are like new. This also works if you have a SS pot that you won't need for a month or two