Temps for mead

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NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 27, 2009
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NE US
Daytime temp is 83 night time is 76. Will mead turn out OK within this range?

I can keep it in the basement where temps are about 75 day and night.
 
This really depends on the yeast that was used. They each handle temperatures differently.

If you have a basement why isn't it down there already. :) I would kill to have a basement to move my operation to.
 
Yeah, this is almost 100% yeast specific, though cooler is better is the general rule of thumb. Do some looking at the Lalvin yeast website and around these forums and you'll find lots of info as to what the temp tolerances are for different yeasts.

You'll want to be keeping it in the 75F place though, because even that is pushing it for the upper range of most yeasts (hint, just because they say they can ferment hotter doesn't necessarily mean that it will taste good ;)).
 
I am using natural yeast. For my bottled honey I added a few grains of bee pollen. For country wines only yeast on fruits.

My basement is only half ass. It is a split level house and cooler downstairs but not a real basement.

I did pick up some Lalvin yeast as rec by Medsen. But don't plan to use them unless nat yeast fails.
 
In that case there is no possible way to determin temp range that the yeast can do something nice in. I would keep it as cool as you can.
 
Keep in mind that all commercial wine yeasts are natural - they are only isolated strains from particular places around the world known for making fine wines, and the isolated strains have predictable fermentation properties. "Wild" yeasts found on fruit, flowers and plant leaves (and I assume, in pollen as well) aren't so predictable, and you may get fantastic results with one batch done that way, only to have the next batch smelling and tasting like nail polish remover.

I have experimented with wild (actually more likely "feral") strains of yeast from my property, and although the attempts were fun and one in particular produced an outstanding mead, I wouldn't want to regularly risk the time and $$ that a good mead recipe entails, by trusting the fermentation to wild yeasts.