Toggle sidebar

Doomed from the beginning...?

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
B

Boogaloo

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 13, 2011
147
0
16
Silver Spring (right outside of DC)
Hello everyone!

Brand new to this site and wanted to say hello and share with you my current (and first) mead experiment. Is it destined for doom or glory?? Hopefully you guys can help me out.

So to start out I saw a Robin Hood movie and Friar Tuck had a cart full of Mead. I thought Mead was a beer and decided to look it up. I was surprised it was made out of Honey and looked it up on YouTube. After watching a couple of videos I declared myself a Mead making expert and headed to CostCo. They had 5 lbs of honey on sale for 10$. I'm starting to realize this is a decent price for honey. The next day I went to the local homebrew store...

I asked an employee if all I had to do was mix honey with water, add yeast, poor it into a jug and then put an airlock on it, he said 'basically.' So I bought a 1 gallon jug, a plug with a hole in it, D47 yeast and an airlock. Headed home...

When I got home I mixed all 5 lbs of honey into 1 gallon of distilled water and mixed it with a wooden spoon for 10 mins. I poored 3/4 of the yeast into a bowl with piping hot water and it didn't do anything... I killed my yeast. So I used the remaining 1/4 packet of yeast and put it into lukewarm water and it bubbled nicely for 10 mins.. I then poured that into the honey/water mix and stirred it up. Then I funneled it into the jug and put an airlock on it.

So... the Mead mixtured bubbled for 3 days and is now not doing anything. I've read this site and figure I need a hydrometer now. But here's the thing, is this batch doomed?? Or will it come back with a furiously delicious vengance??

Some questions if you would like to answer:

1. Is 5lbs for 1 gallon too much?
2. Is D47 not good for Mead? I've heard mixed critiques.
3. Was only using the 1/4 packet of yeast a mistake? Too little?

I wish I would have looked for this site earlier. Any help would be awesome! Thanks.

~Randy
 
Welcome Boogaloo!

Doomed? Perish the thought!

D47 is a fine yeast for mead.
Costco honey is bland, but will make drinkable mead - raw honey is better.

5 Pounds of honey is too much for a gallon of mead and that will tend to choke the yeast. My suggestion would be to diluted it down. If you add another 1/2 gallon of water, you'll be in good shape. You'll need a container that will hold 1.5 gallons of volume (or you can split it between two 1-gallon containers). That will leave you with a gravity level that the yeast can handle.

Next, the yeast need nutrients. If you go to the homebrew shop, you would like to get DAP (aka nutrient - looks like white crystals) and add about 3/4 tsp. You also want energizer (like Fermaid K - looks like tan powder) and should add about 1.5 tsp. That should allow the yeast to get going and get this done.

If that doesn't work, let us know and we can help you prepare to pitch another kind of yeast.

You definitely need a hydrometer, and I'd suggest reading the NewBee guide (see link in column to the left). The good news is that mead may be the most forgiving of all the fermented beverages.

Endeavor to persevere!
Medsen
 
Thanks for the reply. =) Your answers are just what I needed to hear. I was cursing that jug when I left for work this morning.

I just went through the newbie guide and it was very informative. I will take all of your suggestions and head over to the homebrew store as soon as possible. They are very friendly there. I'll try to post updates as I go along. Thanks again.

~Randy
 
Boogaloo said:
Thanks for the reply. =) Your answers are just what I needed to hear. I was cursing that jug when I left for work this morning.

I just went through the newbie guide and it was very informative. I will take all of your suggestions and head over to the homebrew store as soon as possible. They are very friendly there. I'll try to post updates as I go along. Thanks again.

~Randy
Click to expand...

Hey Randy, you are not alone with your mead. During my first batch I also just bought honey, water and yeast, and after reading and many helpful tips from the godmead community, I believe I now have a nice set of tools for mead making. Keep us posted on your batch.
Good Luck!
 
Now THIS is more like it, none of that coming to GM BEFORE starting the mead like that organized guy from Colorado did last week. :)

Welcome, and if you want to make mead, you're in the right place!
 
Doomed at the beginning perhaps, but never fear, repentance is never far for those who strive for good.
Follow Medsen's advice, he know's what he's about. You'll be fine, and you mead shall be Saved.

Oh and welcome!


*Excuse my nuttiness, it's a side effect of mead. Speaking of which, I have to try that almond mead I'm making...
 
Hey, you're only doing a gallon instead of jumping in headfirst with 5. Call it an experiment (or a learning experience) and go with it. My current experiment, knowing what I do about mead, should really be doomed from the start because I did NOTHING you're supposed to do with mead...but I was bored at the time and had made up too much honey syrup mix.

Most meads are salvagable and there are some REALLY knowledgeable people on this board (I'm not one of them, I'm just crazy. Look up Oskaar, Medsen Fey, Chevette Girl, TheAlchemist, AtoE, people like them)

BTW

WELCOME TO GOTMEAD!
 
Well, you've already learned one thing - don't overheat your yeast! Welcome to the addiction- er, hobby of meadmaking! It's fun!

(And thanks Soyala_Amaya, but I suspect the majority of us are knowledgeable AND crazy, we'll hold a spot for you, it mostly comes from not being afraid to try anything so you can learn from your mistakes)
 
Whoa! What type of site did I stumble across?? hahaha. Everyone said I was crazy for making wine from honey. Guess I'm in the right place!

The local HB store closes early tonight so I'll be heading over tomorrow night after work. I'm not gonna give up on this.

~Randy
 
kudapucat said:
Doomed at the beginning perhaps, but never fear, repentance is never far for those who strive for good.
Follow Medsen's advice, he know's what he's about. You'll be fine, and you mead shall be Saved.

Oh and welcome!


*Excuse my nuttiness, it's a side effect of mead. Speaking of which, I have to try that almond mead I'm making...
Click to expand...

Apologies in advance to Catholics, you can blame my wife for telling me what it's called :-D


I believe in saccharomyces, the yeast almighty, Creator of mead and mirth; and in holy honey, it's wonderous food, our sweet: Who was conceived in holy intoxication, born of the anerobic metabolization; suffered under unholy heatwave, was innoculated, aerated and was locked. It descended into lag phase; the third day it rose again from the carboy; It ascended into bottles, is seated at the right hand of the jovial party patrons; from thence it shall come to intoxicate the living and pickle the dead. I believe in the saccharomyces, the holy carboy, the imbibing of spirits, the forgiveness of spillage, the raising of the glass, and mead everlasting. Amen.

P.S. Are we sure insanity isn't a requirement? :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheAlchemist
Loadnabox said:
Apologies in advance to Catholics, you can blame my wife for telling me what it's called :-D


I believe in saccharomyces, the yeast almighty, Creator of mead and mirth; and in holy honey, it's wonderous food, our sweet: Who was conceived in holy intoxication, born of the anerobic metabolization; suffered under unholy heatwave, was innoculated, aerated and was locked. It descended into lag phase; the third day it rose again from the carboy; It ascended into bottles, is seated at the right hand of the jovial party patrons; from thence it shall come to intoxicate the living and pickle the dead. I believe in the saccharomyces, the holy carboy, the imbibing of spirits, the forgiveness of spillage, the raising of the glass, and mead everlasting. Amen.
Click to expand...

The Nice-Meadin' Creed?
I love it! :)
 
Loadnabox said:
Apologies in advance to Catholics, you can blame my wife for telling me what it's called :-D


I believe in saccharomyces, the yeast almighty, Creator of mead and mirth; and in holy honey, it's wonderous food, our sweet: Who was conceived in holy intoxication, born of the anerobic metabolization; suffered under unholy heatwave, was innoculated, aerated and was locked. It descended into lag phase; the third day it rose again from the carboy; It ascended into bottles, is seated at the right hand of the jovial party patrons; from thence it shall come to intoxicate the living and pickle the dead. I believe in the saccharomyces, the holy carboy, the imbibing of spirits, the forgiveness of spillage, the raising of the glass, and mead everlasting. Amen.

P.S. Are we sure insanity isn't a requirement? :)
Click to expand...

Officially ganked for my facebook! This made my morning! (took some editing to make it 500 characters, but it works)
 
Soyala_Amaya said:
Most meads are salvagable and there are some REALLY knowledgeable people on this board (I'm not one of them, I'm just crazy. Look up Oskaar, Medsen Fey, Chevette Girl, TheAlchemist?, AtoE, people like them)

BTW

WELCOME TO GOTMEAD!
Click to expand...

Ha!
Flattering, to be sure, but I've been mazing for less than a year and have barely anything that's drinkable yet (sipping Learning to Bow at the moment).
 
Loadnabox said:
I believe in saccharomyces, the yeast almighty, Creator of mead and mirth; and in holy honey, it's wonderous food, our sweet: Who was conceived in holy intoxication, born of the anerobic metabolization; suffered under unholy heatwave, was innoculated, aerated and was locked. It descended into lag phase; the third day it rose again from the carboy; It ascended into bottles, is seated at the right hand of the jovial party patrons; from thence it shall come to intoxicate the living and pickle the dead. I believe in the saccharomyces, the holy carboy, the imbibing of spirits, the forgiveness of spillage, the raising of the glass, and mead everlasting. Amen.
Click to expand...

LoveLoveLove this!
 
Loadnabox said:
I believe in saccharomyces, the yeast almighty, Creator of mead and mirth; and in holy honey, it's wonderous food, our sweet: Who was conceived in holy intoxication, born of the anerobic metabolization; suffered under unholy heatwave, was innoculated, aerated and was locked. It descended into lag phase; the third day it rose again from the carboy; It ascended into bottles, is seated at the right hand of the jovial party patrons; from thence it shall come to intoxicate the living and pickle the dead. I believe in the saccharomyces, the holy carboy, the imbibing of spirits, the forgiveness of spillage, the raising of the glass, and mead everlasting. Amen.

P.S. Are we sure insanity isn't a requirement? :)
Click to expand...

This is a super piece of work! I must borrow it as well.

As for insanity... Maybe not a requirement but a heavy suggestion? :)
 
I'm so putting that on FB! And I'm sure I'll end up in the same place your heathen heiney ends up too...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom