Newbie mead puzzlement

[KaptainKarl]

I’ve brewed a couple dozen batches of beer, so I’m not totally green, but I’ve never made mead. If I ruin a batch, too bad, but not the end of the World. Still, advice can be nice.

My goal is one gallon, sweet and still. I’d like to steer away from orange or cinnamon or cloves or any other flavorings. Just fermented honey water.

I’ve got honey from my bees, good water from my well. For yeast, I can read the listings at Northern Brewer (almost) as well as the next guy, but I’m in the dark beyond that.

Some people preach only using particular brands of yeast nutrient. A few vehemently advocate a handful of raisins and dead bread yeast.

There are a few who tell me to forget it - without blueberries and pineapple and fairy dust, it’ll have to sit in primary for two years and then spend forty full moons aging in a cask made from slivers of the True Cross.

Feel brave enough to boil it down for me? Thanks!

 

[jtratcliff]

I'd say, check out a JOAM and modify for your preferences...

 

[Amadeo38]

This website has a great batch builder that you can really tailor the flavor to what you want, and have great mead in a few short months.

https://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/

I really like the method using Fermaid O / Fermaid K / DAP (Travis Blount-Elliott's method).

If it were me, I’d use Lalvin D47 yeast, but only because that has produced the best results for my meads. I had off-flavors with EC-1118.

JAOM, referenced above, is a recipe that I believe takes years before it’s good. My meads that I’ve made using the batch builder in the link above were fantastic after only a couple of months. Just be sure to follow the nutrient regimen to the T, and rack off the lees not too long after primary ferm dies down.

 

[KaptainKarl]

Thanks Amadeo, that looks very helpful.

I looked into JOAM but read such different views on it. I guess I was put off by the seeming necessity of the Orange. But maybe a J-AM is doable?

 

[loveofrose]

The best current nutrient schedule for dry yeast is TOSNA combined with GoFerm rehydration found over at www.meadmaderight.com

For liquid yeast such as Wyeast 1388 of Bray’s One Month Mead fame, the best schedule is here: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Liquid-yeast-SNA/

If you want a more basic recipe for the sweet mead you asked for, look here for example: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Sweet-bomm/

Choice of yeast depends on what you want. I like 1388 because it’s fast and neutral. It doesn’t really add anything. Lots of folks love 71B for the ester profile. W15 is also good for adding a thicker mouthfeel.

 

[Maylar]

Go here: http://www.gotmead.com/forum/forum.php
Sign up, and post that same question.

Meadmaking has evolved over the last few years into a much more scientific and much less magical process that can yield wonderful results in a fraction of the time it used to. The folks at gotmead will point you down that path.

What you're intending to do is to make a "traditional" mead. There will be no spices, fruits, or lawn trimmings to hide behind. If you can make a good traditional, then you can consider branching out to other mead styles.

The JAOM recipe is very unique in that it literally breaks the established rules of mead making and still produces a very drinkable result. It was my first mead (see my avitar) and the only thing I learned from it was that I like mead (kinda the point of it) and wanted to learn more.

 

[jtratcliff]

JAOM, referenced above, is a recipe that I believe takes years before it’s good.

JOAM shouldn't take years, but my inderstanding is that it's almost fool proof. None of
the fiddling around w/ staggered Nutrient Additions, etc. So much less intimidating for a beginner.

But there's also BOMM ( Bray's One Month Mead) for quick turn around, fairly straight forward recipe.

 

[AkTom]

You can use ale yeast also. Remember, the higher the abv, the longer it will take to age out. Sometimes it does take time. Another lesson I learned. I bottle in beer bottles. After bottling, I wait as long as I can. When I sample, if it’s not good (smooth) I recap and let age another 3 months.

 

[bernardsmith]

Not sure if you started or not but to make a good mead using only honey, water, yeast and nutrients you want to use a good varietal honey. That is a honey whose flavor can stand out front and center. Orange blossom is one variety, tupelo is another and meadow foam is a third, but raspberry honey can also stand on its own two feet. When you are adding fruit or herbs or spices then you can use wildflower or clover honey. Those honeys are better as vehicles for other flavors.
A starting gravity of about 1.070 - 1.090 (plus or minus) will finish very drinkable in a few months. Increase the gravity and the mead will take far longer to be ready.

 

[madscientist451]

I started making mead about 10 years ago, I treated it like cider, throw in the yeast and don't mess with it, it mostly makes itself.
Unfortunately I got a big dose of off-flavors and I figured I just didn't really like mead all that much. Some commercial meads I tried weren't all that great either, so I figured it was just something that didn't suit my taste.
So I put mead making aside for a few years, but recently have gotten back into it, mostly after listening to podcasts while commuting to work.
So here is many hours of research boiled down to a few lines:
-Make small batches until you figure out what you are doing
-Lower ABV "craft mead" can be ready to drink in a few months. Full strength mead will take much longer depending on your methods.
-Use 1 packet of yeast per gallon, re-hydrate with Go-firm protect
(don't use yeast nutrient when re-hydrating)
-I like 71-B yeast, but others prefer d-47; use dried yeast to start out, maybe experiment with beer yeast later on.
-Heating your honey/water mixture above 100F will drive off aromatics.
-You can add Campden tablets to your must to sanitize if you want to or just skip it.
-Fermaid O yeast nutrient works great. For lower ABV mead you can add it all at the beginning, for higher ABV mead you'll need staggered nutrient additions.
-De-gassing the mead while its fermenting is recommended.
-Fermentation temperature make a big difference. If you don't have temp control, avoid making mead in the summer when the ambient temperatures are high.
-Adding fruit can also add lots of acidity, which can slow down and stress the yeast and possibly produce off flavors. Pro mead makers usually (but not always) make a base mead and then rack it on to fruit when the primary fermentation is done.
A good introductory podcast can be found on the Basic Brewing website.
Use google to look for "best mead practices".

 

[bernardsmith]

As Maylar points out, the forum for mead making is at GotMead. There mead and meadmaking is all they talk about. Gotmead is also very closely involved in the Mazer Cup - the most important international competition for home mead makers. It's also the home of the American Mead Makers Association - the professional association for commercial mead makers.

 

[KaptainKarl]

I'm starting this week. Part of my impetus is that I've got honey from my own bees. They feed in large part on basswood, but it's really just a mix of everything, not varietal in any real way.

I settled (on the advice of LHBS) on Wyeast. I'll use nutrient as well.

Just making one gallon -I assume I should use the whole pack of yeast?

 

[Maylar]

Sure. It's overkill but you can't really over pitch.