# 19.6 - Belgian Dark Strong Mead



## biggo

A Recent recipe made as a test and turned our really well, the West Coast Brewers quite enjoyed it.
Recipe: BDSM
Brewer: Sean Johnson
Asst Brewer:
Style: Semi-Sweet Mead
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (30.0)
Recipe Specifications
————————–
Boil Size: 21.00 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 25.00 l
Bottling Volume: 25.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.076 SG
Estimated Color: 18.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 0.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 95.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 0.0 %
Boil Time: 0 Minutes
Ingredients:
————
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
21.00 l Wandi 6167 Water 
0.60 kg Candi Syrup, D-180 (180.0 SRM) Extract 10.7 %
1.0 pkg Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) [12 Yeast
24.3 g Yeast Nutrient (Fermaid O-7.0 days) Other 
5.00 kg Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 89.3 %
Notes:
——
Added Dissolved Honey to fermenter
Added Dissolved Hard Dark Candi sugar
Added Water up to 21 Litres
Activated Carbon Filtered Water no modification - Wandi 6167 (Water report attached)
No Boil
1 min- Inject oxygen.
added Nutient
24.3g over 4 additions

24hours- 6.1g
48hours- 6.1g
72hours- 6.1g
7th day- 6.1g
Added yeast


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## Danwood

Hey Biggo,

Coincidentally, I just got some Belgian Strong yeast for a few batches of mead, only mine's WLP 545 (but also from the Ardennes region). I've read these types have been used to great success, and surprisingly quickly too.
Do you know the type of honey you used ?
And is that 24g of nutrient you're adding at intervals before pitching the yeast, or am I reading that incorrectly ?
If so, that's an awful lot of nutrient for 25L, isn't it ? My nutrient says 2.2g for a batch.

Aaaand, what's the reason for pitching the yeast 7 days after oxygenating the must ?

Forgive all the questions. I've not brewed a huge number of meads. 

Cheers, Dan


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## biggo

Danwood said:


> Hey Biggo,
> 
> Do you know the type of honey you used ?
> And is that 24g of nutrient you're adding at intervals before pitching the yeast, or am I reading that incorrectly ?
> If so, that's an awful lot of nutrient for 25L, isn't it ? My nutrient says 2.2g for a batch.
> 
> Aaaand, what's the reason for pitching the yeast 7 days after oxygenating the must ?
> 
> Forgive all the questions. I've not brewed a huge number of meads.
> 
> Cheers, Dan


I will clear a few things up 


The Yeast is added on day one
Oxygen is added just before the yeast 
The amount of Nutrient I use is about right if little low for Fermaid O (you need to use more than the standard (DAP) Nutrient)
(Important - Degas before each addition to avoid a CO2 Mead eruption.)
24.3g nutrient over 4 additions ( have a look at this I use the Tosna method)
24hours- 6.1g
48hours- 6.1g
72hours- 6.1g
7th day- 6.1g


This is a great tool to help with creating a mead recipe http://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/ 
The Honey is a Local honey to me in WA called Yate honey


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## Danwood

Thanks for clearing that up, that first post doesn't read quite right. 

That's more how I'd expect the method to go, exept for the nutrient process, that's interesting information.
I've not tried any of the Fermaid products, just Wyeast nutrient.
So, would the Fermaid O be a better source of FAN then ? I see the link mentions the organic nitrogen component being more suitable.

I'm doing a bit of reading up now on this Sergio Motuela fella and his practices. 

Cheers for the info.

Dan


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## Blind Dog

How long from yeast pitch to drinking well? Per SWMBO my current batches of mead (2-3 months old) taste like metho, and she has a point. Interested in doing a side by side between BOMM and TOSNA,


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## biggo

Blind Dog said:


> How long from yeast pitch to drinking well? Per SWMBO my current batches of mead (2-3 months old) taste like metho, and she has a point. Interested in doing a side by side between BOMM and TOSNA,


3-4 weeks since it is around 9% and the lower amount of honey with a good nutrient regime really helps.


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## biggo

Danwood said:


> Thanks for clearing that up, that first post doesn't read quite right.
> 
> That's more how I'd expect the method to go, exept for the nutrient process, that's interesting information.
> I've not tried any of the Fermaid products, just Wyeast nutrient.
> So, would the Fermaid O be a better source of FAN then ? I see the link mentions the organic nitrogen component being more suitable.
> 
> I'm doing a bit of reading up now on this Sergio Motuela fella and his practices.
> 
> Cheers for the info.
> 
> Dan


The differences are (taken directly from the website)
The only issue with DAP is it may cause off flavours in mead at the rate required since there is no YAN/FAN in Honey 

Fermaid® O is certified organic by OMRI. It is an autolyzed yeast nutrient with a high content of organic nitrogen (amino acids)

Fermaid® K is a blended complex yeast nutrient that supplies ammonia salts (DAP)

Wyeast Nutrient Blend

I hope that helps


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## Danwood

Thanks again, Biggo. 

So my Wyeast has organic and inorganic nitrogen components. Which I suppose makes it good, but maybe not quite as suited to mead and wine musts as beer wort.

I was also reading yesterday that Motuela has analysed his mead musts and found an average of 30mg N/L present. Not much, but it can be subtracted from your calculated dosage - http://www.meadmaderight.com/info.html

I just placed an order for Fermaid this morning. I'm really looking forward to doing a few batches, plus Kelly Brook cider fest. is on soon down here, so a cyser would be good too.

Cheers, Dan


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## Mardoo

Yep, got s cyser planned myself.


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## biggo

Hi All,


The Candi Syrup, D-180 is incorrect and should be listed as Belgian Dark Candi Ssugar


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## Blind Dog

Still no pictures though?


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