Hello, I am in need of some good advise. I want to make a dry mead (12lbs of honey). My question is how much acid blend should I use?
I am thinking of just buying some orange blos. honey and yeast nutrient. Then putting it into the secondary with a certain amount of acid blend. How much do I use? What are your thouhts. I want this mead to taste like a dry white wine. At this point I have made two meads, one terrible, one not too bad.
I’ve never used Acid Blend.
Have you read about Staggered Nutrient Additions?
http://home.comcast.net/~mzapx1/What issues are you having with your other meads? Can you list the ingredients and process you used?
I have read about the every 24 hours adding yeast nutrient, and probably do this for the mead that I want to make.
I was hoping to learn how much acid blend to use (if any at all).
12lbs of orange blossom honey
yeast nutrient
acid blend??
After say 6 months in secondary, 6 months in bottles. I hope for a dry finish. Please add any ideas you might have to improve this simple approach. I have brewed many extract beers over the last 3 years, but a joe’s ancient orange and a 15lb clover honey mead which was too sweet for me are my only attempts at mead.
For a dry finish use champagne yeast. I don’t make a lot of mead, but what I have made has been without any acid. I recently opened a bottle of mead I brewed over 10 years ago and I was very happy with it.
+1
Regarding acid blend, I think most meads benefit greatly from a small addition, after fermentation is fully complete (I refer to still (wine-like) meads…I can’t comment on fizzy meads because I can’t stand them. LOL).
As to how much acid blend, that’s pretty much something that can only be determined by trying it in increments. Very small, well documented increments (so you can repeat the recipe another time if you desire).
Thanks for the advice guys…if I were to add just a little acid blend to help the flavor, are you talking about maybe a teaspoon? Do you gentle stir it in? Thanks again!
Your best bet is to pick up an acid test kit and check your TA to properly adjust your acid levels.
I’ve never used champagne yeast. But have read that people don’t care for the flavors.
Dry/sweet in a mead will depend on the starting OG. Honey will ferment down to 1.000 if the alcohol content doesn’t get above the yeast’s tolerance.
12lbs of honey should give an OG of 1.063 in 5 gallons. Fermented down to 1.000 is 8.48% ABV. Well below most beer yeast or wine yeast tolerances.
15lbs (1.079) is starting to reach the tolerance for beer yeast. 18lbs (1.095) for wine yeast. 71B and D47 are wine yeast that many use.
I’ve never used champagne yeast. But have read that people don’t care for the flavors.
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The 10 year old mead I made was over 18% and champagne yeast is about the only way to get that high. I wanted it that high because I want it to last long enough to give to my granddaughter on her 21st.
The only context that I ever read about people not liking the flavor of champagne yeast is when it’s used in high O G beers.
I’ve never used champagne yeast. But have read that people don’t care for the flavors.
[/quote]
The 10 year old mead I made was over 18% and champagne yeast is about the only way to get that high. I wanted it that high because I want it to last long enough to give to my granddaughter on her 21st.
The only context that I ever read about people not liking the flavor of champagne yeast is when it’s used in high O G beers.[/quote]
Fair enough statement on the flavor profile when using champagne. If it works for you, it’s good.
But, the champagne yeast alone doesn’t guarantee that the mead will be “dry” That is strictly based on the amount of sugar (honey) and water used. The OG.
You can get a dry mead using beer yeast, wine yeast or champagne yeast.
I’ve never used champagne yeast. But have read that people don’t care for the flavors.
[/quote]
The 10 year old mead I made was over 18% and champagne yeast is about the only way to get that high. I wanted it that high because I want it to last long enough to give to my granddaughter on her 21st.
The only context that I ever read about people not liking the flavor of champagne yeast is when it’s used in high O G beers.[/quote]
Fair enough statement on the flavor profile when using champagne. If it works for you, it’s good.
But, the champagne yeast alone doesn’t guarantee that the mead will be “dry” That is strictly based on the amount of sugar (honey) and water used. The OG.
You can get a dry mead using beer yeast, wine yeast or champagne yeast.
First off acidity = PH level before you adjust it you first have to know what it is and there are testing kits to do that. You can find that info here http://www.stormthecastle.com/mead/chec … r-mead.htm. So if you are looking for a Mead done in say three months there are ways to do it but the purpose of aging in must is the same as wine depending on the type in this case orange blossom honey nothing else so the PH adjustment may be small.
Second on this site they offer up a book The Complete Mead Make by Ken Schramm I strongly suggest buying it and reading it.
More recent if you have a smart phone or tablet add to Beer Smith Broadcast 49 where Michael Fairbrother the fastest growing Meadery in the USA about staggered feeding of the yeast. If you are younger you can also check out "the brewing Network. The thing is Mead is connected more to making beer than wine so any advice on brewing beer applies to making Mead. :cheers:
I have found that using about 10lbs per 5 gals depending on verity and year of it gives anywhere from 8 to 10%. Do take an OG for the start and an finish OG. The object of making Mead is not to get drunk but savor the flavors.
Blaspheme!
If I could make a 1% IPA that tasted like Goose Island or one of the other great commercial beers I would. 8)
sorry I’m extremely have dis appoint in u
can’t fine— u got dat link SON? I checked for podcast. Looksee dey D-scrippshan say “Brewing India Pale Ale (IPAs) with Mitch Steele – BeerSmith Podcast #49”
WASSAP HERE SON WA55UP
tryna git dat sweet mead 4 mah gurlz
<3<#<3<4
sorry I’m extremely have dis appoint in u
can’t fine— u got dat link SON? I checked for podcast. Looksee dey D-scrippshan say “Brewing India Pale Ale (IPAs) with Mitch Steele – BeerSmith Podcast #49”
WASSAP HERE SON WA55UP
tryna git dat sweet mead 4 mah gurlz
<3<#<3<4
