Honey Mead. Some may call it Ambrosia

[Thefatdoghead]

[SIZE=14pt]So made this Mead about 1 and a half years ago. Used liquid yeast and a variety of honey from markets around the Sunshine coast. I was aiming for a sweet mead but I got a desert mead. It's still so good and when ever I go to a nice restaurant ill bust a few out under the table. Still waiting for the next couple of batches to finish but it's a patient mans game, I'm quiet patient after tasting my first mead. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]For all those out there that want to make mead....Dont start with JAO. It's really nice but it's no where near as nice as just using straight up good varital honey. [/SIZE]

 

[GalBrew]

Looks great. Recipe details?

 

[Thefatdoghead]

[SIZE=14pt]Honey 100%[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Yeast Wyeast 4184 Sweet mead[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Always make sure the honey is from a good variety and tastes floral or how you want it to. Don’t let the PH drop to low during fermentation and follow all the guidelines of good yeast health and pitching rates same as beer etc etc. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]I made a 5L starter with 1 pack of yeast. No where near enough. Next time i'll buy 5 packs of yeast and make a 5L starter and pitch the lot. Iv'e used dry yeast and god forbid me bread yeast (JAO) and the clear winner is the liquid yeast, even though I pitched not enough cell's, it still cleared up and has turned out great. I filtered water from the tap through a carbon filter but my mate has some well supply that is apparently really soft water so im going to try my next batch with that. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Keys to brewing a great Mead: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]1. The best ingredients[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]2. Yeast health and fermentation[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]3. Keep it in glass after primary and keep an eye on the PH that it doesn't drop below 3.2[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]4. Patiense[/SIZE]


By no means am I an expert at brewing mead. I have read a book on mead and im very interested in brewing more but thats just what ive learned over the last couple of years. I do love the flavours the JAO mead brings but for starting out I just want to see what Honey brings and in a way there is so much more complexity in just Honey than adding herbs spices and fruit blah blah. That for me is the next fronteer and im looking forward to it.

 

[mash head]

Good work. It must have been a fairly big batch to need a 5lt starter. Nothing other than fermented honey aye, sounds interesting.

 

[tanukibrewer]

Your mead looks awesome. But for me it is a case of never again.i can brew beers of a fairly decent standard but in the couple of times I have tried to make mead all I ended up with was a petrol like substance that cost me about $12-$15 a litre.

 

[WarmBeer]

[SIZE=14pt]Honey 100%[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Yeast Wyeast 4184 Sweet mead[/SIZE]
...
[SIZE=14pt]I filtered water from the tap through a carbon filter [/SIZE]

So, if it's 100% honey, what's the water for?

 

[Airgead]

The amount of honey is important. Even the sweet mead yeast will result in a dry mead if the OG is too low.

The sweet mead yeast is just a yeast with a low alcohol tolerance (I think its 12-14% or so). Any mead with a potential alcohol < 14% will end up dry. Any with a potential > 14% will end up progressively sweeter.

But yes, a straight mead. Just honey, water and yeast, with proper aging, is a wonderful thing. I find at least a year is needed. Like you say, its a patient man's game.

If as someone said, it comes out like petrol, there are a few things to try. It sounds like fusils are being produced. that could be due to a ferment temp too high, so try keeping it down around 16c or so. The other thing could be yeast stress. Honey is very low in nutrients and this can stress the yeast and cause long, slow fermentations with lots of weird stuff being produced. Add some yeast nutrient and that may well help. And again, proper aging. they do taste pretty ordinary for a while.

My recipe for a straight mead-

For a dry, I use honey for a potential alcohol of 12%-14% (OG around 1.090..to 1.100). 71B yeast is by goto yeast for mead. It has a tolerance of 14% or so. Yeast nutrient. At least 1 year in the bottle.

For a semi sweet, I'll push the potential alcohol to 15-16% (OG 1.120-1.125), Otherwise same as before.

For a fully sweet, I'll push the potential alcohol to 17-18% (OG 1.130-1.140).

If I want a dry mead with a higher alcohol, I'll use a yeast like DV10 or D47 which will go up to 16%. For a really strong one you can go something like EC1118 which will go up to 18%.

Cheers
Dave

 

[mash head]

Do you boil your honey? I know from brewer pete and others that the need to boil is debatable.
Presently I just add it to my beer but would like to experiment with mead (I have access to tonnes of honey). At least a year has me thinking though, I know good things come to those who wait but my patience would be tested. Before any one else jumps on me I know some meads mature for a lot longer.

 

[Airgead]

Nope.. I'm strictly in the no boil camp.

I find that boiling kills a lot of flavour and aroma compounds. Honey is naturally hostile to microbes anyway so care and attention to sanitaion plus a big pitch of yeast mean that I have never had a batch go bad. You only need to work about honey once its diluted.

Cheers
Dave

Edit - if you want something that matures a bit quicker.. some fruit meads (melomels) are a good choice.. they can mature in a couple of months... but are better after a year or so)

 

[Airgead]

Oh... and for the pedants out there (And I know this forum contains more than one)... its not "Honey Mead". its just Mead. Mead is by definition made with honey. So the honey part is redundant.

If you want to get technical.. a strong, sweet mead is called Sack.

Cheers
Dave

 

[tricache]

Tried my first mead (honey and fruit based) start of the year and its been bottled for about 2 months so far, looking forward to trying it for Christmas, doubt it will be as amazing as that but fingers crossed it doesn't taste like drain cleaner :lol:

My next mead I will be trying liquid yeast for sure and dropping the fruit and just going straight honey and water.

One question, did you use finings or a clearing agent or is just just natural clearing?

 

[Airgead]

Have to say something here about yeast. Specifically liquid yeast.

I use liquid yeast in all my beers. Reason - all the good strains come as liquid.

In my meads I use dry yeast. Reason - all the good strains come as dry strains from the winemaking industry.

Its not whether the yeast is liquid or dry that makes the difference. Its the strain. In the beer world, liquid yeast is king because the strains that survive drying (while getting better) are generally less good than the ones you can only get as a liquid. In the wine world its different. there dry yeast is king. For some reason, wine strains survive drying more than beer strains and all the good winemaking strains are available dry.

Dry yeast is cheaper, easier to handle, gives a huge number of viable cells and in the wine world has all the best strains.

Don't get hung up on liquid yeast for mead. Its not worth it.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Mardoo]

Airgead, I was thinking of trying some Belgian yeast with a dark honey I've gotten. I'm guessing you've tried and it's not worth pursuing? I have little mead experience so maybe that idea is just a wind egg?

 

[Airgead]

Actually, never tried the belgian mead myself. Could be a good match with a darker honey.

One thing to watch though - the yeast won't necessarily give the same flavours as it does in beer. Thee esters etc produced depend on the precursor chemicals and trace elements available to the yeast. Those are completely different in honey compared to malt.

Not saying it won't work but just be aware.

Mind you... a belgian braggot has been on my to do list for a while now. Might do it as a winter warmer for next year.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Mardoo]

Also Airgead I've been meaning to ask you whether you start out adding all the honey before pitching or do progressive additions of honey after pitching? I've run across both as suggestions but am curious about results of each method.

 

[Mardoo]

Mind you... a belgian braggot has been on my to do list for a while now. Might do it as a winter warmer for next year.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave! Definitely on my list too for a while. I got delayed by an unexpected move. But hopefully I'll get it in the fermentor in the next month or so. Thinking of adding some rye.

 

[Airgead]

Also Airgead I've been meaning to ask you whether you start out adding all the honey before pitching or do progressive additions of honey after pitching? I've run across both as suggestions but am curious about results of each method.

I keep it simple. Just add it all at once. I find its more predictable that way.

The only exception is if I am aiming for something sweet where I might add a little more at the end just to sweeten it up a bit once the yeast has konked out. Trouble with that is doing progressive additions can re-activate the yeast and take it way over its usual alcohol tolerance. I have ended up adding a little then a little more and more... and ending up with an 18% mead from a 14% yeast.

I also add any fruit after primary fermentation as it retains more fruit character.

Plain meads though.. all at once.

Cheers
dave

 

[Mardoo]

Wonderful. Thank you so much!

 

[spryzie]

What's the SG of pure honey?

How much water to add to get 1.140 for a sweet mead?

 

[Airgead]

Depends on the honey. Somewhere in the region of 1.5kg for a 4l batch will get you into the ballpark.

Its hard to measure SH undiluted honey. Its so thick that you need special refractometers or hydrometers.

Fortunately its easy to adjust. Aim a little low, test and add more honey till its right.

Cheers
Dave