New Clover Sweet Mead

[Talon]

Okay, following the first recipe I'd ever made, which was the 3 gallon sweet clover mead from Leeners.com, I've done something different for experimentation sake. Rather than strictly following their recipe, I did a warm mix and shaker aeration method.

From this process, I've got a good yeast cake on the top, which I'd not had before, plus, before the yeast cake arrived, I'd some sediment on the bottom of the carboy. It was funny watching this sediment. The yeast had dropped to the bottom while it multiplied. It would all of a sudden shoot up a little ball of sediment into the must like an explosion or maybe a water spout of a humpback whale. Just interreting side note, though...

Other than that, I'm following the recipe to the letter to see how it turns out differently from the original. If the warm mix method turns out better, I'm switching to that!

Talon.

 

[Oskaar]

Was the yeast rehydrated before you pitched?

 

[Talon]

No, the recipe never specified a yeast starter, so every time the yeast was pitched dry.

In the past it took much longer for the yeast to start, almost seeming to verge on not starting at all until 2 days later and pushing the airlock float up. And even when it did push up the float, it bubbled once every 10 seconds at the least. The recipe never called for the aeration of the must in any way at all, either. I'm thinking that due this new variable is the reason why it's working as well as it is.

The reason for my warm mix without pasturization method was that I'd heard so much about making mead this way and how people had raved over it, etc and never got a bad mead from this type of process. So, I figured I'd give it a shot with a known recipe that I knew well and had made enough of to be very familiar with the process and could compare some serious notes on.

Talon.

 

[Jmattioli]

Rehydrating yeast is not a yeast starter per se. Usually just plain water is used and it is rehydrated usually for 15 minutes and no more than 30 minutes before pitching. It is suppose to be healthier for the yeast to rehydrate with plain water and the included medium with the dry yeast rather than in must. Curious on what brand of yeast was used? How much clover honey per gallon?
Joe

 

[Talon]

2lbs of clover per gallon.
1 5gm package of Red Star Cote Des Blanc.

I was following the Leeners.com recipe to a degree, the only variable being the warm mix/shaker method. The next variation will be no sulfites/campden tablets on top of what I've already done...

 

[Jmattioli]

I've used Cotes de blanc a number of times. Has always been a slow fermentor for me. I'm used to 3 to 4 weeks max. That yeast always drags mine out to 6 to 10 weeks. However, I've used 3 lbs per gallon. With only 2 lbs of clover it won't be too long for you nor will it be sweet unless you plan on sweetening later. Also if you read on the back of the packet of yeast, you will see that Red Star says to rehydrate yeast in 1/4 cup of tepid water. Sounds similiar to Lalvin instructions. Let us know how everything turns out.
Joe