Hello GotMead Forums,
I'll try to be as brief and concise as possible. I've successfully produced two batches mead before, however, it's been a few years and I would like to get a more seasoned opinion before I give back in again. I'm including my recipe and proposed process. Feel free to pick it apart, it's why I'm here.
Recipe - sized to 6.5 gallons
The Must -
21 lb and 2.26 oz honey (enough to attain a desired ABV of 15% and a final s.g. of 1.016)
Enough water to Q.S. to the 6.5 gallon mark
3.25 tsp yeast energizer
6 tsp yeast nutrient
The Yeast -
1 vial of White Labs WLP720
The Starter -
3 cups water
1 cup honey
1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
1/8 tsp yeast energizer
The Process -
1. Sanitize all the equipment & containers.
2. Pasteurize both the must and the starter @ 130°f (I remember reading or hearing that at 140°f the complex compounds in the honey that give it the floral hints begin to degrade).
3. Lock up the must at room temp.
4. Pitch the yeast into the starter, aerate, airlock.
5. Let the starter do it's thing for ~24 hrs.
6. Aerate the must, just prior to pitching the starter.
7. Shake the starter, the pitch into must - both should be roughly the same temperature.
8. Airlock the must.
9. Agitate the must over the next 2~3 days, then leave it alone.
10. Watch your airlock, once it slows to a bubble every 30 minutes (around the two week mark) it's racking time.
11. Sanitize all equipment.
12. Sample s.g. and rack into secondary container, taking care not to aerate the mead, airlock don't disturb.
13. Let fermentation finish and monitor s.g., once stable place in fridge overnight to encourage flocculation of the yeast since it has a low natural flocculation rate.
14. Rack once more to tertiary container, take care not to aerate, airlock, don't disturb - now it's bulk aging for another two to four months depending on how impatient I am.
15. Refrigerate overnight for final clarification.
16. Bottle directly from tertiary container, with racking cane.
The questions -
A) Is the starter necessary? - the calculated o.g. is around 1.131 and I've read and been told it's to much for the yeast to get a foothold in without the starter.
B) Should I be watching the sugar breaks and subsequently be performing nutrient additions? - this was my former process and my first batch was fantastic, my second batch however managed to over ferment and I had a bone dry 18% abv mead. Not bad but not what I was after.
C) Are there any glaring flaws in the method? - I'm always looking to improve
D) Are there any tips you'd offer me as a fledgling mead maker? - Again, I'm always looking to improve.
I'll try to be as brief and concise as possible. I've successfully produced two batches mead before, however, it's been a few years and I would like to get a more seasoned opinion before I give back in again. I'm including my recipe and proposed process. Feel free to pick it apart, it's why I'm here.
Recipe - sized to 6.5 gallons
The Must -
21 lb and 2.26 oz honey (enough to attain a desired ABV of 15% and a final s.g. of 1.016)
Enough water to Q.S. to the 6.5 gallon mark
3.25 tsp yeast energizer
6 tsp yeast nutrient
The Yeast -
1 vial of White Labs WLP720
The Starter -
3 cups water
1 cup honey
1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
1/8 tsp yeast energizer
The Process -
1. Sanitize all the equipment & containers.
2. Pasteurize both the must and the starter @ 130°f (I remember reading or hearing that at 140°f the complex compounds in the honey that give it the floral hints begin to degrade).
3. Lock up the must at room temp.
4. Pitch the yeast into the starter, aerate, airlock.
5. Let the starter do it's thing for ~24 hrs.
6. Aerate the must, just prior to pitching the starter.
7. Shake the starter, the pitch into must - both should be roughly the same temperature.
8. Airlock the must.
9. Agitate the must over the next 2~3 days, then leave it alone.
10. Watch your airlock, once it slows to a bubble every 30 minutes (around the two week mark) it's racking time.
11. Sanitize all equipment.
12. Sample s.g. and rack into secondary container, taking care not to aerate the mead, airlock don't disturb.
13. Let fermentation finish and monitor s.g., once stable place in fridge overnight to encourage flocculation of the yeast since it has a low natural flocculation rate.
14. Rack once more to tertiary container, take care not to aerate, airlock, don't disturb - now it's bulk aging for another two to four months depending on how impatient I am.
15. Refrigerate overnight for final clarification.
16. Bottle directly from tertiary container, with racking cane.
The questions -
A) Is the starter necessary? - the calculated o.g. is around 1.131 and I've read and been told it's to much for the yeast to get a foothold in without the starter.
B) Should I be watching the sugar breaks and subsequently be performing nutrient additions? - this was my former process and my first batch was fantastic, my second batch however managed to over ferment and I had a bone dry 18% abv mead. Not bad but not what I was after.
C) Are there any glaring flaws in the method? - I'm always looking to improve
D) Are there any tips you'd offer me as a fledgling mead maker? - Again, I'm always looking to improve.
