Mead University

[loveofrose]

I wanted to tell you guys about a new resource I’ve put together in partnership with You to Brew called Mead University: Mead Making 101 — You To Brew

As the creator of Bray’s One Month Mead, I’ve been constantly improving the way I make mead. Mead University is designed to be perpetually updated with best practices. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

As an update, I am also Master Mead Maker for You to Brew mead subscription boxes. If you want unique meads ready to brew, give it a look!

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Well done.

 

[loveofrose]

I forgot to mention something. If you guys want any specific articles, please suggest it. I am actively writing more articles for Mead University and would love to hear what folks are interested in. Cheers!

 

[DonBon]

This has been extremely useful to read through - thank you for putting it together. As a new brewer I can't comment on the veracity of the information, but it's very well laid out and will be the foundation for my future meading until I learn otherwise!

Some very minor notes on the content:

• In your page on nutrients, in the section What are these nutrients?, you discuss Fermaid K and its use in the USA. I think you have a typo here - "sighted" should be "cited".
• In the same page, you discuss potassium carbonate and its impact on buffering capacity, but don't explain what buffering capacity actually is or why you would want it. It would be useful to have that explained.
• As the guide is aimed at beginner brewers, it would be very handy to have a glossary of terms for reference.

Meanwhile, I'm suitably motivated and off to source some honey. Thanks again!

 

[Miraculix]

Have you had a chance to compare the mangrove Jack yeast with your recommended dry yeast yet?

I've made a few meads with it now and have the feeling that the results tastes a bit hotter than meads fermented with lutra kveik, which did not have any hottness at all. But the lutra didn't clear... I'm currently doing another lutra one, I added NaCl as it should help with the clearing and I added a bit of go ferm although it was slurry that I used. Will try to max out the abv. this time, to see how the kveik will behave regarding higher alcohols in this more extreme scenario.

The previous one was remarkably clean tasting. Only the haze was a problem.

 

[loveofrose]

This has been extremely useful to read through - thank you for putting it together. As a new brewer I can't comment on the veracity of the information, but it's very well laid out and will be the foundation for my future meading until I learn otherwise!

Some very minor notes on the content:

• In your page on nutrients, in the section What are these nutrients?, you discuss Fermaid K and its use in the USA. I think you have a typo here - "sighted" should be "cited".
• In the same page, you discuss potassium carbonate and its impact on buffering capacity, but don't explain what buffering capacity actually is or why you would want it. It would be useful to have that explained.
• As the guide is aimed at beginner brewers, it would be very handy to have a glossary of terms for reference.

Meanwhile, I'm suitably motivated and off to source some honey. Thanks again!

Thanks for the feedback! I will make the suggested changes this week!

 

[loveofrose]

Have you had a chance to compare the mangrove Jack yeast with your recommended dry yeast yet?

I've made a few meads with it now and have the feeling that the results tastes a bit hotter than meads fermented with lutra kveik, which did not have any hottness at all. But the lutra didn't clear... I'm currently doing another lutra one, I added NaCl as it should help with the clearing and I added a bit of go ferm although it was slurry that I used. Will try to max out the abv. this time, to see how the kveik will behave regarding higher alcohols in this more extreme scenario.

The previous one was remarkably clean tasting. Only the haze was a problem.

I have tested Mangrove Jack yeast. With my nutrient protocol stated in Mead University, It makes a very clean, neutral mead that maxes out at 18% ABV.

In my hands, Lutra maxes out at 14.5% ABV. It’s clean, but provides a lager-like minerality and crispness that is very nice for lighter honeys.

 

[Miraculix]

I have tested Mangrove Jack yeast. With my nutrient protocol stated in Mead University, It makes a very clean, neutral mead that maxes out at 18% ABV.

In my hands, Lutra maxes out at 14.5% ABV. It’s clean, but provides a lager-like minerality and crispness that is very nice for lighter honeys.

That is good to know, as my current Lutra batch has a most that results in about 15% abv, if fermented dry. I did a little mistake by adding too much water to the most too early, so I was not able to squeeze in more honey to up the abv as the fermenter was already full. Now I am glad that I did not raise it any further.

The meads I made with MJ yeast were all with some kind oif fruit juices, so it might also be that this kind of messes with my taste buds a bit, as I am not used to drink fruity meads. They are good though, but I think they will be much better after half a year or a year of storage. The hottness I was talking about is subtle, to be fair, I was comparing it more to the previous lutra mead I made with a similar abv. which did not give me even the slightest hint of higher alcohols in the taste. So it might be a bit of an unfair comparison to start with.

18% abv is freaking high. I might give mj yeast a try next time, to create an 18% mead. I have a relatively cool basement now in the winter, this will certainly slow the fermentation down and also lower the amount of higher alcohols being produced. Last time I used it, the yeast went nuts after a few hours, really ripping through the sugars, it was at room tempereature.

 

[loveofrose]

Happy Monday everybody! We've just added a glossary to the Mead University as well as an equipment list. Even more mead information in one place, enjoy:

US
https://www.youtobrew.com/glossaryhttps://www.youtobrew.com/equipment
EU
https://www.youtobrew.co.uk/glossaryhttps://www.youtobrew.co.uk/equipment