I have a couple questions. i am starting off small with 1 gallon batches. I have gone over a few recipes and some call to boil the honey and some call for warming it up to make it pore more easily. Is there any benefit to boiling the honey to 140 degrees ? Also what temp should i keep the must after i pitch the yeast?
New to mead
- Thread starter benha
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Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I would avoild heating the honey above 100-110°F at all costs. There is zero need to boil honey (for sanitary reasons doubly so) and more benefits from NOT heating it.
For the temperature to keep it at for fermentation, look at the yeast data. I would advise going with a Lalvin Labs strain instead of claimed 'mead yeast' strains from others.
Also, depending on the OG, or target ABV%, plan on having it in bulk form for many months. IMO, 9-12 months is a good minimum time frame. Longer is even better. Rack it every few months as it clears (after fermentation has finished) and you'll have something great.
Check the forums, and tools, on the Got Mead? Web site for more info. I would look at the forums for updated methods not the newbee's guide from the main site (thats more dated).
For the temperature to keep it at for fermentation, look at the yeast data. I would advise going with a Lalvin Labs strain instead of claimed 'mead yeast' strains from others.
Also, depending on the OG, or target ABV%, plan on having it in bulk form for many months. IMO, 9-12 months is a good minimum time frame. Longer is even better. Rack it every few months as it clears (after fermentation has finished) and you'll have something great.
Check the forums, and tools, on the Got Mead? Web site for more info. I would look at the forums for updated methods not the newbee's guide from the main site (thats more dated).
TheBrewingMedic
Well-Known Member
Just scanning through the forum here, you'll find a lot of threads labeled as "new" or "newb" or "beginer" reading through them you'll probably find any questions you have answered there, if not just ask them here.
I agree with Golddiggie about not heating your honey, at most I'll put the container in real warm tap water so it flows out easier, it doesn't take much heat to get it good and liquidy.
Gotmead.com newbie guide has good info but the forums there have more, updated stuff.
If you can get your hands on "The Complaet Meadmaker" by Ken Schramm, it's a bit outdated as well but has great info on the basics as well as a lot of scientific info behind honey and fermation etc. that helps explain how many things work.
I'd recommend starting simple, start with maybe a traditional (honey, water, yeast, nutrients) just to get the basics of mixing the must, hydrating and pitching the yeast, feeding, aerating/degassing and patience down. or if you want to go with something even easier search for the "JAOM" or Joes Ancient Old Mead recipe, it uses all grocery store ingredients and is a rare case of being able to throw everything together in a jug and forgoing all of the other steps and techniques and it actually works.
For equipment if a new mead maker were to ask me what "must haves" there are, I'd say a hydrometer and a notebook, gravity readings are your friend and they only cost $6-$8 for the most basic and a notebook to document everything from ingredients to the steps taken, everything, because you never know when you are going to make something so amazing you'll want to duplicate it or you want to tweak something on the next batch and having reference of the last batch is incredibly helpful. Autosiphons (also real inexpensive) are also amazing little devices, at racking time they make things real easy.
Good luck and welcome to the mead making addiction.
I agree with Golddiggie about not heating your honey, at most I'll put the container in real warm tap water so it flows out easier, it doesn't take much heat to get it good and liquidy.
Gotmead.com newbie guide has good info but the forums there have more, updated stuff.
If you can get your hands on "The Complaet Meadmaker" by Ken Schramm, it's a bit outdated as well but has great info on the basics as well as a lot of scientific info behind honey and fermation etc. that helps explain how many things work.
I'd recommend starting simple, start with maybe a traditional (honey, water, yeast, nutrients) just to get the basics of mixing the must, hydrating and pitching the yeast, feeding, aerating/degassing and patience down. or if you want to go with something even easier search for the "JAOM" or Joes Ancient Old Mead recipe, it uses all grocery store ingredients and is a rare case of being able to throw everything together in a jug and forgoing all of the other steps and techniques and it actually works.
For equipment if a new mead maker were to ask me what "must haves" there are, I'd say a hydrometer and a notebook, gravity readings are your friend and they only cost $6-$8 for the most basic and a notebook to document everything from ingredients to the steps taken, everything, because you never know when you are going to make something so amazing you'll want to duplicate it or you want to tweak something on the next batch and having reference of the last batch is incredibly helpful. Autosiphons (also real inexpensive) are also amazing little devices, at racking time they make things real easy.
Good luck and welcome to the mead making addiction.
