Mead Lover's Digest #1322 Wed 30 May 2007

 

Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor

 

Contents:

Re: prefered yeast types (MeadGuild@aol.com)
prefered yeast types ("Doug Honey Love Ranch") (Vuarra)
To puree or not (Ed Howell)

 

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Subject: Re: prefered yeast types
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 00:21:43 EDT

Doug wrote:

> > I was wondering what yeast the list members recommend to produce the highest
> > alcohol levels for dry mead. I am getting ready to start my 2007 6 gallon
> > primaries with the 240 lbs of honey I have. In the past I have typically
> > used 10 to 12 pounds of honey in each primary, this usually get to 12%.
> > I like my drinks with a real kick and I do this with my fruit wines,
> > I usually mix with enough sugar to get 14%; some of the yeasts say they
> > are tolerant up to 18% but I do not know if they work well with honey.

Lalvin EC-1118 and K1V-1116 will ferment out to 18% and higher.
Yeast nutrients are recommended for all Mead primary fermentations.
IMO a high gravity Mead "requires" yeast nutrients.

If you want to go for broke, try WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale Yeast
and be prepared for the esters.

Dick

Richard D. Adams, CPA (retired)
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated


Subject: prefered yeast types ("Doug Honey Love Ranch")
From: Vuarra <vuarra@yahoo.ca>
Date: Thu, 24 May 2007 07:24:01 -0700 (PDT)

I'm just finishing a mead using Lalvin EC1822. Using my wife as a barometer,
I'm looking around 19% alcohol, with a very slight sweet taste.

Purists go to the next article: I *did* one S.G. reading just before adding
yeast, and I think it was around 1.150 or so, but pretty much irrelevant,
as I didn't really take temperature into account, plus I added *a bunch*
more honey after primary fermentation was done and the level of liquid
in the carboy had dropped. It was pitched a year ago, and it has a very
slight burn to it… can't really call it rocket fuel, but in this case,
it's a bad thing.

Vuarra
Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound.)


Subject: To puree or not
From: Ed Howell <edhoel@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 25 May 2007 05:25:58 -0700 (PDT)


I have approx. 8 lbs of fresh blackberries that I am
going to use in a melomel. When I add these to the
secondary should I puree them first or leave them
whole?

Thanks,

Ed Howell


End of Mead Lover's Digest #1322