New to brewing and Mead... Quick question?

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TMH

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So i've been doing a lot of research and me and the wife really want to try making mead. Neither of us have tasted it before, or brewed before, but have found many recipes that sound very good. My question is this. We were able to get a pretty good deal on an equipment kit (fermenter, carboy, etc), so even though it will be our first time brewing we went with the 5 gallon carboy and fermentor in case we find a recipe that both us and our families really like. So a few of the recipes we want to try are 5 gallon recipes, my question is would there be an issue to brewing lets say only half the size of the recipe (2 1/2 gallons instead of 5 gallons) using the 5 gallon carboy and fermenter?

Just asking because it seems like people tend to use the smaller 1 gallon carboy for smaller recipes? Would it hurt the making of the Mead by only using using half the size of the recipe (as long as all the ingredients are coverted to halves as well) while using the larger carboy and fermentor?

Like I said not really sure if this is even a dumb question or not, but I dont wanna waste a good chunk of $ on honey for a 5 gallon recipe and it turns out we ended up not liking that specific Mead? Would rather make a smaller batch to make sure its one we like.

Thanks for any and all help, again i'm a complete noob to this.:mug:

Also this is a great site so far.
 
So i've been doing a lot of research and me and the wife really want to try making mead. Neither of us have tasted it before, or brewed before, but have found many recipes that sound very good. My question is this. We were able to get a pretty good deal on an equipment kit (fermenter, carboy, etc), so even though it will be our first time brewing we went with the 5 gallon carboy and fermentor in case we find a recipe that both us and our families really like. So a few of the recipes we want to try are 5 gallon recipes, my question is would there be an issue to brewing lets say only half the size of the recipe (2 1/2 gallons instead of 5 gallons) using the 5 gallon carboy and fermenter?
The actual brewing part is no problem - because the airspace will fill with CO2 being released from the brew, excluding any air/O2 during the active ferment stage.
Just asking because it seems like people tend to use the smaller 1 gallon carboy for smaller recipes? Would it hurt the making of the Mead by only using using half the size of the recipe (as long as all the ingredients are coverted to halves as well) while using the larger carboy and fermenter?

Like I said not really sure if this is even a dumb question or not, but I dont wanna waste a good chunk of $ on honey for a 5 gallon recipe and it turns out we ended up not liking that specific Mead? Would rather make a smaller batch to make sure its one we like.

Thanks for any and all help, again i'm a complete noob to this.:mug:

Also this is a great site so far.
The only dumb question is the one you forget to ask. Both here and at "mead specific" places like Gotmead, people are pretty happy to help point you in the right direction.

With the batch size thing, it's often what's available in your location i.e. here, you'd be far more likely to find a 1 gallon jar (still termed "demi-john" if it's the type with two finger lugs at the neck) as they used to be used for selling cider (hard cider in US parlance), so they're still present and available...... and convenient for small batch size (they're 1 imp gallon/4.55 litre capacity).

As for making a batch and worrying about whether you'd like it or not ? If you made a batch of traditional i.e. honey, water, nutrient/energiser and yeast, then you can always split it up and then steep fruit in some of the splits to attain different flavours - actually doing it like that, you're more likely to be able to get a more fruity taste in the batch/brew as flavours and colour pigments are often reduced/bleached by the yeast action during the ferment (particularly the primary stage).

So I'd suggest that if you got a 5 gallon traditional on the go, then while it's fermenting, source a few 1 gallon jugs (at least 5, possibly a couple more as fruit plus liquid would get too more than 5 gallon volume), you can then have a play.

Hell, if you can get a 1 gallon/4litre mineral water can, you could even get a batch of JAO on the go as well - keeping it's brewing seperate, as it's thought best by many, to make a "bench mark" batch first by staying as closely to the original recipe as possible.

If you haven't already read it, here's a link to the Gotmead NewBee guide - the JAO recipe is in chapter 6. The guide is a lot to read but offers much more than just a starting method/idea......
 
The amount of headspace (empty fermenter/carboy space) mainly comes into play in the secondary and later vessels, but like FB said, start a "traditional" 5 gallon batch, super simple recipe.

ie:
15 pounds of a honey that you think tastes really good

enough water (boiled and cooled tap water or bottled spring is best if you have chlorinated municipal water) to fill to 5 gallons

Yeast nutrients available online or your local homebrew store, follow package instruction for amount for 5 gallons but id recommend putting 1/2 in on day 1 and 1/4 in on day 2 and 3, its called step feeding and there is more to it but for the first batch that will do you well.

A couple packs of yeast, I like lalvin wine yeasts, figure out if you like a sweeter or dryer beverage before choosing one.

For any technical and procedural questions there is the gotmead guide as FB mentioned, a lot of beginner threads going on right now here or private message people and ask questions. If you can get it the book "The compeat meadmaker" by ken schramm is an excellent resource as well.

While it does its primary ferment, find some one gallon jugs, apple products and wine comes cheap in them, check out your local recycling center, you can usually grab a couple free ones then get some #6 stopper and airlocks which are real cheep. Then you can make 5 different styles and see where your preferences are to focus on future batches.
 
I appreciate all the info, and think i will be trying a few different flavors off the original "base". I do have The compeat meadmaker and have read it, its a very good book. Again thanks for the help about headspacing and such
 
I appreciate all the info, and think i will be trying a few different flavors off the original "base". I do have The compeat meadmaker and have read it, its a very good book. Again thanks for the help about headspacing and such
Excellent. Making a base traditional and then adding fruit is one of the easier ways of getting some of the flavours discussed both here and at gotmead. Kens book is good, though I like the way the Gotmead Newbee guide is structured. I guess that because it's an online resource, it doesn't have to try and squeeze so much into X number of pages - plus it's aimed at the new mead maker, Kens seems to be aimed at those of us who already have a grasp of some of the issues.

Good luck with your first efforts.
 
When we were accumulating 1 gal glass jugs we kept our eye out for the Gallon jugs of Gallo wines to be on sale. We picked up quite a few for 9.99 a gallon. Not the greatest wine but it is almost free when you look at what LHBS get for the 1 gallon carboys.
 
I actually found some 1 gallon glass carboys at the LHBS for 3.95 a piece earlier, Yea Im excited to try to make this stuff, seems like the possibilities of different falvors are pretty much endless
 
And it quickly becomes an addicting hobby, what will start as tinkering with a few fruits or spices becomes an endless adventure of adapting different flavors and styles. A melomel then a metheglin now try a bochet, before you know it a hybrid melmethochet is in the works and while that's bubbling away the itch starts once more. Got some honey left let's try this thing called a braggot. As you stand admiring the varied palette of colors in your collection of carboys, the wheels turn again...what's going to be the next luscious concoction ....
 
Yea the gears are already spinning and haven't even got the honey yet. Here is a question, I believe I am following this right but wanna make sure. If I do a base 5 gallon, I would ferment for the 5 gallon then rack into a 5 gallon carboy for the secondary correct? Then follow by racking into 1 gallon carboys to make multiple different flavors to try out out of the base after it has finished the secondary fermentation? Or do I go from the 5 gallon primary fermentor straight to the 1 gallon carboys which contain the individual recipes. Again sorry if these are somewhat elementary, but just don't wanna screw anything up.
 
Never have to apologize for asking questions. You can go from your primary fermenter into your 5 individual gallons, if you are planning on using fruit you will actually have enough to fill 5.5-6 containers because of the space taken up by the fruit. That extra is great to have to top off containers later in the process. Did your initial kit come with a hydrometer?
 
Yea basically everything but the pot to mix the water/honey in, still need to pick one up
 
does it have to be a stainless steel pot for the initial blending of the honey water etc. or can you use aluminum?
 
Don't need anything huge, even for 15 pounds of honey, if you're going with a low heat method something that will hold basically 2.5 gallons is enough (1 gallon of water, ~1.25 gallons of honey). No need to heat the entire batch of must.
 
Correct, honey doesn't need to be boiled to disinfect it like people once thought, it's one of the most sanitary substances on earth naturally. The only thing you may need or want to boil is the water if you have municipal chlorinated water, boil then let it cool basically to room temp before mixing it with your must.

The only reason to boil honey really is if you are making a bochet, otherwise you loose a lot of the flavor and aroma characteristics of the base honey.
 
My local LHBS advised to use Lalvin EC 1118 with the batch, seeing how im going to do a traditional and then rack into differrent 1 gallon batches (fruit flavored), is this a good yeast or would 71B be a better choice
 
I've never used 1118.......it has a reputation for being very aggressive and thorough fermentor.......however it also has a reputation for stripping flavors.

If you are going for a high gravity 1118 is probably a good choice. D47 is a good choice for around 14% if you can keep it cool.


Here is a link to a nice yeast table http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=625&Itemid=42
 
1118 is a beast, it will take your recipe probably straight to dry dry. The folks at most LHBS's have limited knowledge of mead, most are usually beer experts with good wine knowledge and know what mead basically is so they use their combined know how of the other two to give decent guesstimations, however mead is an entity similar yet completely different than its fermented cousins, so when they recommend yeast for making mead they suggest one that they know works with honey with minimal chances of a lagged or stalled ferment (basically so you won't go back and complain it's not working). 1118 is usually where one turns when they have a stuck ferment because it'll plow it's way in and get things rolling.

71-B or D-47 would be good places to start, with either, and especially with the D-47 you have to keep it in an area that maintains an ambient temp between 60-69 degrees farenheit for optimal ferment and prevent fusel alcohols developing (they taste kinda kerosinish bad and take a long long time if ever to age out fully). D-47 is good for traditional and show meads, 71-B will also work well but it's strength is working with fruit juices and concentrates so I'd be more inclined to use it in a cyser or pyment.

They will both give a medium sweet (1.01-1.015) base in the 14% to even 16%+ abv range if very well treated, providing they have the fermentables available to reach higher than 14%. Then if you want some a little dryer there are ways of keeping a ferment going after you divvy your big batch up into the small containers. (like repitching some 1118 to devour and sugars left behind)
 
A good choice of yeast for the traditional aspect would be K1V-1116 it has a nice wide temperature range a decent level of alcohol tolerance and is known as a good one for traditionals. So adding extra fruit flavours for variation should enhance the base.
 
1118 is a beast, it will take your recipe probably straight to dry dry.

Maybe I did something wrong, but 1118 couldn't take my braggot dry. Ended at around 15% (or 1.036) with quite a bit of sweetness left. I'm assuming it was from the malt sugars which I guess 1118 must not be good at eating.
 
They do have 71B as well so I may just try that, not worried about a high final ABV, but more worried about taste, if 1118 tends to drown out the taste and make it super dry then thats not really the direction I think I wanna go with my first attempts.
 
btw if you are looking for some 1 gallon jugs you can by some Carlos Rossi wines and use those...assuming you like wine. I think there only about $13 and of course it comes with a gallon of wine.
 
You will want to rack once if not twice before splitting the batch to get out the sediment. I'm doing the same experiment as you. Hope it works out!
 
Boiling won't remove chloramines from the water. Use filtered water or about a quarter of a Camden tablet for a five gallon batch
 
Finished starting the primary fermentation last night, its bubbling away nicely this morning, I figured I should rack it at least into the 5 gallon carboy for a little while to help with the sediment, then rack into the 1 gallons with the flavoring(fruits, etc).

Just to clarify, If I rack once or even twice if needed, I wont need to add any additional yeast or any thing else before the final rack to the 1 gallon + fruits correct, just rack once or twice till its mostly free of sediment then add the fruit in the final 1 gallons?
 
Correct, you're not racking into secondary until primary fermentation is done anyway so the yeasts job is done and your'e moving onto flavoring/aging/clearing phases.

Good idea to go bulk for first rack, let it settle out/clear, shouldn't need to do this again, Primary >> Secondary >> Split, should be fine. You will be racking off the fruits/spices eventually anyway so any residual sediments will work it's way out.
 
Cool, can't wait for it to be done, and ready to taste, it does somewhat of a pleaseing smell coming from the airlock already.
 
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