Sweet mead
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Maybe 15.5%, about 1.118 OG to start.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Hi Rustylee, I think you may be asking the wrong question. You want to make a mead to a specific level of alcohol that is nicely balanced with the intensity of flavors , the acidity, the tannins, and the viscosity of the mead. That is typically, around 12% ABV. Twelve percent ABV is a starting gravity of about 1.090 (or about 2.5 lbs of honey to make a gallon of mead. You let the yeast ferment every last molecule of sugar in the honey and then if you prefer a sweeter mead you stabilize the mead (using K-meta and K-sorbate) and you add either more honey or another sugar source. The fact that your yeast can ferment stratospheric amounts of sugar is really of very limited interest. Your interest is in using the yeast you like to make the mead you want. And as I always say: YOU, not the yeast is in the driving seat. The yeast is your engine but YOU are the driver.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
ah.. but it's really not possible to know. The tolerance of the yeast is not defined in absolute terms. The yeast is "guaranteed" to ferment to X % ABV all other things being equal but it can soemtimes ferment to 150% of X and but rarely, if ever will it fail at 90% of X. My rule of thumb is to treat such figures in the same way you treat the breaking strain of rope or chain. If you are reasonably cautious you might assume the published figures UNDERESTIMATE the breaking load by 100% BUT you still don't put a demand on the rope for even 1% more than its published strength. But like an elevator: if it says that it can handle 1000 lbs you MIGHT bet it won't fail if the load is 2000 (100% more) BUT if you load it with 1500 lbs and the elevator crashes to the ground floor - you have only yourself to blame. They said 1000 lbs.
But there are people who do this and do get repeatable results. Bray Denard says his 1388 reliably stops after 120 gravity points. And I think Ken Schramm does it with his commercial meads. Of course both have very defined and controlled processes with lots of experience. The worst that can happen is that either you blow past the published limit and have to add more honey, or it stops short and you get a very sweet mead.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
But Maylar, 120 points is 16%. How many wines made by commercial wineries which are viewed as top class come near 16%? Just curious.
TheBluePhantom
Brewing for sport
You could always pasteurize and backsweeten. extra work, but no chemicals.
None that I know of. Some people (like Squatchy) go even higher with melomels that get diluted in secondary with fruit. I think Schramm's stuff is in the 14% range and I believe he's a 71B guy. If I was trying to avoid sulfites I might try it with an ale yeast that quits at 10-12%.
I understand that besides controlling spoilage (oxidation and bacteria) that the addition of sulfite prevents potassium sorbate from making a geranium taint due to lactic acid bacteria. Maybe in a mead that could be prevented?
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
I don't know that bathing a wine in K-meta after you have added K-sorbate and have added MLF bacteria that you cannot get geranium aromas and flavors.
FWIW, don't be afraid of high ABV. Most of my meads are in the 16-18+% range (d47 will hit 18+% with good nutrition and thermal management).
If you are just looking for a simple traditional mead 1 gallon batch, choose your desired ABV target, which will drive your SG (Starting Gravity). Add your yeast and nutrients (I am a fan of the TOSNA 3.0 protocol) and let d47 do its thing. 3-4 weeks later, you will have made mead. It will have what is described as a 'hot' alcohol flavor. If your sanitation was good, your nutrition was good, and you had some good honey, it should be perfectly drinkable.
At this point you have a choice to make. The simple solution (and easiest) is to set your gallon jug somewhere and let it sit for several months. The more complicated method is to get a second sterilized jug, and rack your mead into it, before sticking it somewhere to sit for several months.
At the end of aging, shove it in the fridge for a few days to finish clearing it.
The aging process will mellow the alcohol flavor and bring out the character of the mead. At that point you can choose to bottle it, or rack it into another gallon jug, and drink it.
If you are just looking for a simple traditional mead 1 gallon batch, choose your desired ABV target, which will drive your SG (Starting Gravity). Add your yeast and nutrients (I am a fan of the TOSNA 3.0 protocol) and let d47 do its thing. 3-4 weeks later, you will have made mead. It will have what is described as a 'hot' alcohol flavor. If your sanitation was good, your nutrition was good, and you had some good honey, it should be perfectly drinkable.
At this point you have a choice to make. The simple solution (and easiest) is to set your gallon jug somewhere and let it sit for several months. The more complicated method is to get a second sterilized jug, and rack your mead into it, before sticking it somewhere to sit for several months.
At the end of aging, shove it in the fridge for a few days to finish clearing it.
The aging process will mellow the alcohol flavor and bring out the character of the mead. At that point you can choose to bottle it, or rack it into another gallon jug, and drink it.
