Mead Making Short Pour - From the Northern Brewer blog

[NB-Marketing]

Considered the grandparent of fermented beverages, Mead and its offshoots have been around almost as long as recorded history.

Honey is a truly remarkable substance. It has anti-bacterial qualities that can preserve it for decades. A crystallized batch can be restored to brilliance on a warm water bath or even the microwave. Honey, water, and yeast are all that is required to make this phenomenal beverage. The bee itself is an amazing insect that is the cornerstone for most of our agriculture.

If you make your own wine, the transition to making Mead is easy, and the equipment needed is the same.

To be considered a Mead , the majority of fermentables must come from honey. There are distinct types of Mead – Classic Mead (honey, water and yeast), Melomel (fruit or fruit purees), Metheglin (spices or herbs), Pyment (grape juice) and Braggot (malted grains and hops).

The variety of honey is as important to Mead as the grape varietal is to wine. Northern Brewer carries a nice selection of honey, including Clover, Wildflower, Amber Blend, and– my favorite — Orange Blossom. Honey adds a subtle flavor quality to the final product.

The yeast you choose will go a long way in determining the type of Mead you produce. For a sweeter Mead , I prefer Wyeast 4184, Lalvin 71B-1122, or Lalvin ICV-D47. These are white wine strains and will leave a little residual sweetness in your Mead . Wyeast 4632 and Red Star Premier Cuvee will dry out your Mead a bit. For the driest Mead , go right to the Cannibal Warlord* of the yeast world and use a champagne strain. I prefer Lalvin EC-1118 or Red Star Pasteur Blanc

My base recipe for 5 gallons of still mead (non-carbonated) is as follows:
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Discuss or Comment Here on the Forum

[sneezles61]

I keep trying, but mead isn't in my future… Its not that its bad, my taste buds think its uneventful… But thats just me…I've had Braggot and enjoyed…. Sneezles61

[Madrn]

I just completed my first batch of mead and, as a beer maker, found it quite easy to manage. An addition of raspberries at the beginning produced a rosy glowing treat. Being fresh, it is rather harsh but understand with time it will soften. Makes for a wonderful gift especially if bottled in a clear bottle.

[gregpet]

I visited a meadery in California this fall. Had a good conversation with the owner operator. He makes four different honey meads and all were Champagnes, I ask him why he didn't make non sparkling. He said that because of the lack of tannin and acids, flat mead was not as interesting. I tasted all four and they were very good. Pretty expensive and he sold out every year. He gave me some hints and I might try it. Lots of local honey here on the Northern MN border
gregpet

[sneezles61]

Now to find someone up here that makes that! Sneezles61

[AlwaysWaven]

Hello, I made this mead this weekend using Lalvin D-47 and clover honey, and followed the directions as closely as possible. I have made JAOM a couple of times in the past and had good results. My concern is that this mead has had no activity in the air lock. I have fed it as prescribed (pitch, 24, 48, & 72), but have seen no bubbles. I know it is labeled "no-foam," but did I do something wrong?

[sneezles61]

What are you fermenting in? That could be a piece of the puzzle… Sneezles61

[porkchop]

D47 won't create a massive krausen like with some ale yeasts, but it still generates plenty of CO2 during fermentation that will create quite a bit of bubbling on the surface and some amount of foam. All yeast pretty much does that to varying degrees. Is this in a bucket? There's really hardly any risk to opening it up to take a peek.

[AlwaysWaven]

It is in a glass bottle that I have used for JAOM.

[porkchop]

You really should be able to see fermentation activity then. How long has it been since pitching the yeast? How old was the sachet? D47 is plenty vigorous... you would definitely see it fermenting.

[AlwaysWaven]

It will be a week on Sunday. I got the yeast from my local beer place and used it two days later.

[porkchop]

I suspect your yeast is toast. Can you get another pack soon? I would recommend ec-1118 at this point. You'll get a dry mead, but it will ferment for sure.

Id also recommend a starter - take a little of your must, add some water to dilute, and sprinkle in your fresh yeast. There should be activity within a few hours. Once it's going nicely, add the whole thing back to the whole batch.

[AlwaysWaven]

It just so happens that I have some 1118 downstairs.

I do not know what you mean by the second part (puts on flame suit).

[porkchop]

A starter's just a way to get your yeast acclimated to the high sugar environment so they aren't stressed when they get rehydrated. You can actually kill the yeast by rehydrating it when there's too much sugar dissolved in the liquid.

To keep things simple, sterilize a drinking glass, add some lukewarm water, and maybe a pinch of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and cover it with some sanitized aluminum foil. Don't stir, just let it dissolve and rehydrate on its own. Wait a half hour, you'll probably see the start of fermentation. Dump it into your mead. Should be good to go!

[AlwaysWaven]

Thank you for your help, PC. I will attempt this tomorrow. Would a hydrometer reading tell me anything before I restart it?

[porkchop]

Always a good idea. Although it's unlikely that you missed active fermentation, it's worth a check to make sure it didn't ferment out.

[AlwaysWaven]

Here is what it reads tonight -

[sneezles61]

lots to ferment there… Add yer new yeast as PC suggests? Sneezles61

[AlwaysWaven]

I did last night - do I feed for 4 days again?

[porkchop]

Are you using DAP for feeding? I don't think I'd want to add more than necessary. At this point id just ferment it out with ec-1118 and let it age. It will dry out with 1118, so if you're looking for a sweet or off-dry mead, you'll want to look into back sweetening.