Sourdough Starter as yeast nutrient?

[thebrandon]

I was hoping to take a shot at making my first mead this weekend and Im not able to make it to any homebrew supply shops so I want to source all materials locally. I am going to probably be using some yeast that is leftover from fermenting a batch of beer I have going and Ive read a lot that for mead it needs a yeast nutrient. I have some sourdough starter and I was wondering if it would be wise to boil it to kill the yeast and use whats left as a nutrient or would this possibly lend off flavors? Also when I posted this at another part of the forum it was suggested to me that the slurry left over from the last brew would have enough nutrient in it to suffice. I am hoping that is the case but if not is the sourdough I viable option or can I get something at maybe a vitamin shop or natural food store that might work instead?

 

[MedsenFey]

Well, you can buy great nutrients online from a number of places, but if you want to use materials at hand there are several choices:

1. Bee Pollen - all natural and a good source of amino acids. You probably need a minimum of 1 oz per gallon (and 2 may be better).

2. Fruit - dried or fresh. JAO recipe uses 1 orange and a handful of raisins per gallon and that works.

3. Boiled yeast - making your own "autolyzed" yeast so to speak. You can use wine yeast, brewer's yeast, bread yeast, or the lees from a prior batch. With the latter especially, you may run some risk of developing off odor or flavors but it does work in most cases. You need a lot - 15 grams per gallon at minimum as the YAN content is low.

4. Malt - malt extract and grains have a lot of nutrient.

In any of these cases, you'd probably be wise to select a yeast that can do the job with minimal nutrients - 71B or K1V would be ones I'd consider if I wasn't going to use the traditional DAP/nutrient blends.

Good luck with it.

Medsen

 

[truckjohn]

If it's going to be your first shot at mead... let me put in another vote for Joe's Ancient Orange Mead... It requires none of the nutrient gyrations that you would do for a more typical Honey + water + Nutrient mead....

Another option....
Since you posted your location in Anderson, SC - why not drive out to Thomas Creek Brewery and home brew supply store in Greenville? They are right off of Hwy 25 in Greenville....

Thanks

 

[malkore]

I wouldn't use a sourdough starter as nutrient.

you can use unsweetened raisens though.

 

[drac0]

I've boiled bread yeast as yeast nutrient in the past with no off flavors and had good results.

 

[thebrandon]

Thanks for all the advice. As for why I dont drive up to Thomas Creek I was trying to hold off until I decide what I am going to brew next and I dont have a lot of time this weekend to get over there. I think I am going to use the raisins and orange. I might use the bee pollen if they have it at our natural food store but the only place I know I have seen it is gnc. I hadnt thought about using the brewers yeast I know Ingles stocks it and I guess its probably been deflavored right?