T-58 mead

[m1k3]

I just repitched 4.5 gallons of water and 6 pounds of wild flower honey on the yeast cake from a T-58 Belgian beer fermentation.

Anyone ever done this? What can I expect?

 

[m1k3]

Maybe a Belgian hydromell 1.040ish?

 

[Beerrat]

Interesting! did it start fermenting and is it aggressive?

 

[fatbloke]

I doubt you'll end up with the result you mention m1k3. That's a tiny amount of honey made up to 5 gallons. Honey isn't like any mash. It's 100% fermentable and if there's enough nutrition that the live yeast can get from the yeast cake, then it will more likely ferment dry.

Don't forget, with beers/mash etc, any residual sweetness is usually unfermentable sugars - you won't have any of that at the moment.........

I'd have thought you'd just get a lower strength dry batch.........

Might be wrong but I don't think so.......

 

[m1k3]

Interesting! did it start fermenting and is it aggressive?

Yes, it took off quickly. I did not oxygenate the must since the pitching rate is so high.

I did not temp control the fermentation directly but it was in the same fermentation fridge as the Beer that was being held at 65F.
I could see a small krausen 1/2" on top in the morning.

I have not taken any gravity readings yet. Once it turned the an opaque white with yeast fully in suspension after 24 hours, I bumped the temp up to 75F and I'll hold it there until I see floculation.

I plan to transfer it to 2L soda bottles and let them age out until needed. I'm hoping my wife might like it.

 

[m1k3]

I doubt you'll end up with the result you mention m1k3. That's a tiny amount of honey made up to 5 gallons. Honey isn't like any mash. It's 100% fermentable and if there's enough nutrition that the live yeast can get from the yeast cake, then it will more likely ferment dry.

Don't forget, with beers/mash etc, any residual sweetness is usually unfermentable sugars - you won't have any of that at the moment.........

I'd have thought you'd just get a lower strength dry batch.........

Might be wrong but I don't think so.......

That sounds good to me. I have 6 more pounds of honey but I don't think I want to backsweeten or up the gravity.

You are right, this is nothing like beer. BeerSmith predicts 1.046 to 0.989 for 7.4% ABV.

Has anyone ever used T-58 to make a mead? I'm wondering if the mead will have the same banana/phenolic character.

I'll report back on the results on mine.

 

[m1k3]

The gravity last night was 1.000

The sample tasted great, but not very belgian.

I'm cold crashing it to get it to clear, and then I'll bottle in 2L bottles.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439597871.224508.jpg

 

[m1k3]

Bottled in 2L bottles.

And now more yeast is settling out in the bottom of the bottles.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1439597943.662626.jpg

 

[ZeroLife]

This sounds delicious. How do you think the addition of wheat would be? Make a Belgian wheat braggot?

 

[fatbloke]

One of the handy things about using moulded plastic bottles, is that the shape of the feet make for good containers for the lees - but invariably you need to carefully cut the top off to be able to rack any mead from the lees if you use one of the "snorkel" type racking canes (straight ones work - but fluid dynamics mean that as the levels drop, there's enough suction to life some lees with the fluid).

I appreciate that some don't worry about that as they will be drinking it themselves and aren't fussed about a little bit of cloudinesss...... I'm a great believer that we, even as home mead makers, should make the effort to get as professional a finished product as we can - people are gullible and "eat with their eyes" too much - and often if they don't think it's been produced well will claim that it's OK, but not like when you buy some.......

Well done that it seems to have come out well so far

 

[Maylar]

I appreciate that some don't worry about that as they will be drinking it themselves and aren't fussed about a little bit of cloudinesss...... I'm a great believer that we, even as home mead makers, should make the effort to get as professional a finished product as we can - people are gullible and "eat with their eyes" too much - and often if they don't think it's been produced well will claim that it's OK, but not like when you buy some.......

nestar:

I agree. And it really doesn't take much effort, just time. Anything I ferment will be crystal clear before serving it. It's a matter of pride.