Mead - the homebrew thread

[Beerontwowheels]

I'm trying something different. I have way too many mead recipes I want to try and not enough fermenting vessels to make them all right now. so I making a 5 gallon batch and then splitting it into smaller 1 gallon batches then I'll add different fruits/spices in secondary so that I can try all my recipes in a relatively shorter timeframe.

Base is 60/40 OB/Star Thistle. It should be a nice, clean sweet base that will go well with all my different recipes.

So that's your primary or secondary vessel? If primary, , if secondary, .

 

[cannonboi]

No pictures to post, sadly. But in celebration of defending my comprehensives, I made a cyser last night with 4 gallons of "gently pasteurized" cider and 15 pounds of apple blossom honey. Really excited to see how it turns out.

I'm trying something different. I have way too many mead recipes I want to try and not enough fermenting vessels to make them all right now. so I making a 5 gallon batch and then splitting it into smaller 1 gallon batches then I'll add different fruits/spices in secondary so that I can try all my recipes in a relatively shorter timeframe.

This is honestly my favorite way to do it - get to experiment with so many different things!

 

[mjohnson171]

So that's your primary or secondary vessel? If primary, , if secondary, .

Primary. Although I didn't use all 22lbs in primary. It's about 18# honey. I'll let it ferment out a good portion of the way in primary, then transfer to different 1 gallons for secondary, at which time I'll split the recipes and add different ingredients (hand-picked wild blueberries in 1 gallon, a cyser in another gallon, etc etc).

 

[axeman91821]

Checked over the weekend and batch one of mead has gone from 1.138 down to 1.042 in just over three months. I'm guessing it's done by now, probably give it a few more weeks and then move to bottles.

 

[quirkzoo1]

Picked 14lbs of Chokecherries (tart cherry-esque flavor with loads of tannins) with my kids and tossed it into a 5 gallon batch of mead with 12lbs of mostly mesquite honey from trader joes

Currently sitting at 1.002 as I transferred to secondary off the fruit for some bulk aging. I will taste it again in a month or so and likely bottle then. Beautiful color, nice tart fruit character and good tannic element. Still a little harsh/young so I am hoping that letting it settle out a bit more will help round out the flavors.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Primary. Although I didn't use all 22lbs in primary. It's about 18# honey. I'll let it ferment out a good portion of the way in primary, then transfer to different 1 gallons for secondary, at which time I'll split the recipes and add different ingredients (hand-picked wild blueberries in 1 gallon, a cyser in another gallon, etc etc).

Aren't you going to have a mess on your hands when degassing?

 

[mjohnson171]

Aren't you going to have a mess on your hands when degassing?

Nope. When there isn't a fruit cap, bubbling from degassing isn't really an issue, even after a nutrient addition. Just don't stir like a crazy person and you're good to go.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Nope. When there isn't a fruit cap, bubbling from degassing isn't really an issue, even after a nutrient addition. Just don't stir like a crazy person and you're good to go.

Ok. I haven't made a mead without fruiting in primary yet. A traditional is next.

 

[moc5131]

So I'm going to attempt to make a pyment this weekend using fresh concord grape juice. Wondering what yeast would be best to use. Basically just going with clover honey, grape juice and yeast. Aiming for around 14-16% and semi-sweet.

Was thinking of using 71B-1122 but was wondering if something would be better to use.

 

[Snarf1]

No pictures to post, sadly. But in celebration of defending my comprehensives, I made a cyser last night with 4 gallons of "gently pasteurized" cider and 15 pounds of apple blossom honey. Really excited to see how it turns out.

Any spices? I'm thinking about making a cyser if there is a club pressing this year. I know some guys who some awful meads, but their cyser eventually turns from a rocket fuel spice bomb into something really nice.

 

[cannonboi]

Any spices? I'm thinking about making a cyser if there is a club pressing this year. I know some guys who some awful meads, but their cyser eventually turns from a rocket fuel spice bomb into something really nice.

I haven't decided yet. I've considered a nice dry cyser with a touch of vanilla. I live in Columbus, where Brother's Drake makes a fantastic apple pie-inspired cyser. To be honest, I'm not sure I can make something that would touch that, so I'm more tempted to do something that I can't buy.

 

[mjohnson171]

So I'm going to attempt to make a pyment this weekend using fresh concord grape juice. Wondering what yeast would be best to use. Basically just going with clover honey, grape juice and yeast. Aiming for around 14-16% and semi-sweet.

Was thinking of using 71B-1122 but was wondering if something would be better to use.

71B or D47 are always great choices. I've never been disappointed with either. I actually prefer to mix a little of both

 

[moc5131]

So I made my cyser last night and I think the yeast didn't take as gravity is still the same. How long do I wait before I rule it a dud and can I just pitch another batch of yeast.

5.5 gallons total

4 gallons farm fresh apple juice
10 lbs wild flower honey
Approx 3 qts water (brought gravity to 1.122)
8.25g 71b-1122

Added 6.5g go ferm to 110f water, pitched yeast at 104. Waited 15 mins, added 1/2c must to yeast starter, waited 15 mins and pitched to must bucket

Yeast nutrient- 8g DAP and 5g K-ferm added in 4 stages

pH was around 3.5

Did basically same recipe for pyment and that gravity is dropping.

Thanks for the advice. This is my second attempt and first attempt went fine and is chilling in a Carboy

 

[RunninMixz]

So I made my cyser last night and I think the yeast didn't take as gravity is still the same. How long do I wait before I rule it a dud and can I just pitch another batch of yeast.

5.5 gallons total

4 gallons farm fresh apple juice
10 lbs wild flower honey
Approx 3 qts water (brought gravity to 1.122)
8.25g 71b-1122

Added 6.5g go ferm to 110f water, pitched yeast at 104. Waited 15 mins, added 1/2c must to yeast starter, waited 15 mins and pitched to must bucket

Yeast nutrient- 8g DAP and 5g K-ferm added in 4 stages

pH was around 3.5

Did basically same recipe for pyment and that gravity is dropping.

Thanks for the advice. This is my second attempt and first attempt went fine and is chilling in a Carboy

Sounds like it should be fine. 71 is a slow acting yeast. I would give it a solid stir, prob with a wand, since its 5 gallon. If its a bucket u could maybe safely pick up and swirl the bucket. If your at 48 hrs and no activity, repitch. I think leave the starter running covered for 12 hrs, prior to pitching now that all the DAP is in there. Let the yeast multiply a bunch before getting it in there. Add some honey to the starter so it can start eating at it.

 

[wiltznucs]

So I made my cyser last night and I think the yeast didn't take as gravity is still the same. How long do I wait before I rule it a dud and can I just pitch another batch of yeast.

5.5 gallons total

4 gallons farm fresh apple juice
10 lbs wild flower honey
Approx 3 qts water (brought gravity to 1.122)
8.25g 71b-1122

Added 6.5g go ferm to 110f water, pitched yeast at 104. Waited 15 mins, added 1/2c must to yeast starter, waited 15 mins and pitched to must bucket

Yeast nutrient- 8g DAP and 5g K-ferm added in 4 stages

pH was around 3.5

Did basically same recipe for pyment and that gravity is dropping.

Thanks for the advice. This is my second attempt and first attempt went fine and is chilling in a Carboy

Your recipe should work although admittedly I've never used 71b. Consider bumping up your pitch rate, I'm using a minimum of 2 grams per gallon nowadays and sometimes as much as 4-5 on higher Gravity melomels.

 

[moc5131]

Your recipe should work although admittedly I've never used 71b. Consider bumping up your pitch rate, I'm using a minimum of 2 grams per gallon nowadays and sometimes as much as 4-5 on higher Gravity melomels.

Thanks Chad....I used KV-1116 last time and it took off right away. I ordered the yeast online this time so not sure how old it was or stored (if that is even an issue).

If I re-pitch after 48 hours, will any harm be done and should I start over my nutrient additions?

 

[moc5131]

Sounds like it should be fine. 71 is a slow acting yeast. I would give it a solid stir, prob with a wand, since its 5 gallon. If its a bucket u could maybe safely pick up and swirl the bucket. If your at 48 hrs and no activity, repitch. I think leave the starter running covered for 12 hrs, prior to pitching now that all the DAP is in there. Let the yeast multiply a bunch before getting it in there. Add some honey to the starter so it can start eating at it.

Yeah, I've been aerating it with a stirrer, I didn't realize 71 is that slow. When I used KV-1116, the gravity started dropping off after 15 hours or so. I will give it another day before acting. My only concern is with the cost of the ingredients, I don't want it sitting too long and have the juice go bad.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Has anyone checked the finished gravity of Black Agnes? Naegerbomb - can you weigh in?

 

[wiltznucs]

Thanks Chad....I used KV-1116 last time and it took off right away. I ordered the yeast online this time so not sure how old it was or stored (if that is even an issue).

If I re-pitch after 48 hours, will any harm be done and should I start over my nutrient additions?

If it hasn't started by 48 hours I would re-pitch. I would hold off on the nutrient and see if the fermentation takes off. If you still don't see activity I'd guess you may have a pH related issue.

 

[wiltznucs]

Has anyone checked the finished gravity of Black Agnes? Naegerbomb - can you weigh in?

I've tried, but I always end up gagging on the hydrometer.

 

[Naegerbomb]

Has anyone checked the finished gravity of Black Agnes? Naegerbomb - can you weigh in?

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

 

[wiltznucs]

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

As a fellow Meadmaker, let me be the first to state that this is no small feat and requires exacting precision in technique.

 

[quirkzoo1]

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

 

[axeman91821]

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

Damn. Now I don't even feel bad that my first mead is only down to 1.042.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Damn. Now I don't even feel bad that my first mead is only down to 1.042.

Hah! Exactly where my black currant mead settled at. Tastes good but I was thinking somewhere in the 1.030's would be better.

 

[cannonboi]

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

While you're posting trade secrets, care to provide us a scaled down recipe for 5 gallon batches?

 

[Naegerbomb]

While you're posting trade secrets, care to provide us a scaled down recipe for 5 gallon batches?

Sorry, man. That's the one thing I can't do. What I can do is tell you to use whole IQF black currants (chop them up a bit with a stick blender after they've thawed a bit) and to use a buttload of fruit per gallon. If you think you're using too much fruit, double it. Then add a couple pounds and do the damn thing. You'll need a 10-gallon fermenter for a 5-gallon batch of Schrammomel -- and you might think about hunting down a SiphonTap.

 

[cannonboi]

Sorry, man. That's the one thing I can't do. What I can do is tell you to use whole IQF black currants (chop them up a bit with a stick blender after they've thawed a bit) and to use a buttload of fruit per gallon. If you think you're using too much fruit, double it. Then add a couple pounds and do the damn thing. You'll need a 10-gallon fermenter for a 5-gallon batch of Schrammomel -- and you might think about hunting down a SiphonTap.

Gotcha -- and you all don't stabilize, right?

 

[Naegerbomb]

Gotcha -- and you all don't stabilize, right?

We don't filter anything, don't boil, don't pasteurize, and don't add sulfites or sorbates. It's all ~14% ethanol, high acidity/low pH, world-class axenic technique, and hard work.

 

[FTowne1]

It's consistently around 1.100 FG. Yes, you read that right.

Jesus Christ.