Short mead/hydromel recipe?

[danerelj]

Hey guys, I have been tinkering around with my traditional mead and my jaom and I was thinking I would quite like something lower abv and sparkling.

I know the issue with making a short mead is lack of flavour and mouthfeel.

I was wondering if anyone has had success making a sparkling short mead, around the 5-6% abv mark, and what sort of flavours did you use?

Also inputs on honey quantities for an imperial one gallon batch would be appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[meatcleaver]

the fastest Mead I know of is Bray's one month Mead (b.o.m.m.)
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=429241
it's a full (wine) strength mead @ 10+% so not sure if it's exactly what you're after.
the key to a fast mead it seems is stepped nutrient additions.
hope this helps.

 

[meatcleaver]

I got to thinking... what you're after is a "session" Mead.
https://beerandbrewing.com/VZVtdC0AACwAo5tI/article/session-sparkling-dry-hopped-mead-recipe
this looks very good. if it were me, I might steep a bit of crystal malt to add some body/residual sweetness. I think yeast selection is going to be important too.

 

[dmtaylor]

I made this mulberry cyser last year with a goal of low alcohol. It would have worked had I not gotten lazy and left it in the fermenter for like 9 months before bottling. Turned out it finished at 0.996 and 9.4% ABV. But I could have used cold and sorbate to stabilize much earlier, and then the concept would have worked.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=24611.msg314213#msg314213

 

[bernardsmith]

I made this mulberry cyser last year with a goal of low alcohol. It would have worked had I not gotten lazy and left it in the fermenter for like 9 months before bottling. Turned out it finished at 0.996 and 9.4% ABV. But I could have used cold and sorbate to stabilize much earlier, and then the concept would have worked.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=24611.msg314213#msg314213

But you can make a low ABV cyser simply by making one batch of cider and one batch of a similar gravity mead (that would be around 1.050 - so about 1.5 lbs of honey) and then blending the two batches once they have both fermented dry - and if they need backsweetening , so be it but the total ABV is not going to be more than 6.5% or thereabouts. You could experiment using either a clover or wildflower honey or with a far more flavor-rich varietal like orange blossom or Tupelo or meadowfoam

 

[dmtaylor]

But you can make a low ABV cyser simply by making one batch of cider and one batch of a similar gravity mead (that would be around 1.050 - so about 1.5 lbs of honey) and then blending the two batches once they have both fermented dry - and if they need backsweetening , so be it but the total ABV is not going to be more than 6.5% or thereabouts. You could experiment using either a clover or wildflower honey or with a far more flavor-rich varietal like orange blossom or Tupelo or meadowfoam

Good ideas, thanks. I did use some raw honey from an apple orchard which in theory should have been more interesting than some other honeys. I've never been too impressed by orange blossom, but must say I love tupelo, that's great stuff. Not sure I've tried meadowfoam.

 

[loveofrose]

This is my fastest mead:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Fidnemed/

 

[danerelj]

This is my fastest mead:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Fidnemed/

This looks good, might have to give it a shot. I've started an orange spice short mead in a milk jug with a balloon as an airlock. I used the same ingredients I would have in a jaom, but my og is 1.058. Will let you know how it turns out. I'm going to bottle with a bit of honey to get some carbonation