Safale S-33 Dry Yeast for Mead

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miss_rach

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 13, 2015
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Has anyone used this? Some of the research I've been doing says its a good yeast and makes a very nice sweet mead and no back sweetening need.

Anyone?
 
I have Safale US-05 in a teamed yeast experiment. It is smelling very 'beery" at the moment after the 1st week. I don't use it in my cider (anymore) for that very reason. If you try it yourself, stick with a one gallon traditional test batch. Less honey $$ to toss if you don't like the nose and taste (think 'craft beer mead').
 
Does it produce "sweeter" meads? I don't mind the "beer" smell if it makes sweeter mead. I've been using the Lalvin yeast and it takes my meads all the way close to 1.000 and its way to dry for me and I have to then back sweeten it and wait another few months in carboys for it to clear up once again to bottle. So I'm looking for a yeast that I can use that will produce a much sweeter finished product. Anyone have any ideas on yeast?
 
I use a math approach to make a sweet mead. Figure out what the yeast's typical alcohol tolerance is, and start at an OG just high enough that when the yeast hits it's tolerance level, the gravity will be right where you want it (e.g., 1.015).

It's not an exact science because you're dealing with a living organism. But it'll get close, and close is good enough for government work.
 
Actually, the tartness detracts from the perceived sweetness. For instance, 1.010 will be quite sweet in a traditional mead, but the same gravity in an acidic Berry melomel can taste quite dry. If sweetness is the goal, US05 would be better than S33. Do a side by side to test it.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html
 
I use a math approach to make a sweet mead. Figure out what the yeast's typical alcohol tolerance is, and start at an OG just high enough that when the yeast hits it's tolerance level, the gravity will be right where you want it (e.g., 1.015).

It's not an exact science because you're dealing with a living organism. But it'll get close, and close is good enough for government work.

I do the same