Mead: Tips for a Predictable Fermentation By: Harold Gulbransen Mead : Honey Wine : Ambrosia Nectar of the Gods
BJCP website defines various types of mead http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html • Melomel [fruit] • Cyser [apples] • Pyment [melomel using grapes] • Metheglin [herbs &spices] • Braggot or Bracket [malted grains] Harold Gulbransen
When entering a Mead in competition one MUST specify : • Strengths – Hydromel – FG 0.990 -1.010 – Standard – FG 1.010 – 1.025 – Sack – FG 1.025 – 1.050 • Sweetness – dry, semi-sweet, sweet • Carbonation – still, petillant, sparkling Harold Gulbransen
Making Mead [5 gallons] • “Must” = Honey + Water [carbon filtered or bottled] + Nutrients + Oxygen + Yeast • Equipment – similar to extract brewing plus a “mix stir” for agitating must • Heat or No-Heat [All equipment must be sanitized carefully] Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Yeasts my favorites are: • Lalvin 71B-1122 (Narbonne) • Red Star Pasteur Red (Davis 904) • Red Star Montrachet • Red Star Cote des Blanc (Davis 750) • Lalvin Rhone 4600 (Cote du Rhone) • Lalvin RC212 (Burgundy) Harold Gulbransen
Day 0 • 4 gallons water [chlorine free] • 15 – 18 lbs of Honey [semi-sweet / sweet mead] approx 1.120 – 1.140 OG [dissolve using “mix - stir” and an electric drill] • Nutrients – provide a source of free amino nitrogen [FAN], carbon, phosphate & sulfate – 1 gm DAP [diammonium phosphate] =1/4tsp – 0.5 gm Fermaid K [ Lallemand’s micronutrient blend] = 1/8 tsp • Oxygenate thoroughly • 2 pkgs [10 gms] Yeast rehydrated [104 F water + 12.5 gms of Go-Ferm] – Go-Ferm by Lallemand is an organic nutrient, dosed @1.25 gms of Go-Ferm/gm of yeast • pH – keep this above 3.8 [preferably 4.0 – 4.2] Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
Day 1 • Stir mead with “ mix- stir” Harold Gulbransen
Day 2, 4 & 6 • Stir mead with “mix - stir” • Add 0.5 gms DAP & 0.25 gms Fermaid K • Check pH – if too low, buffer with KOH or CaCO 3 [add 0.5 tsp at a time and check pH again] Harold Gulbransen
Day 3, 5 & 7 • Stir mead with “mix -stir ” Harold Gulbransen
Adding Fruit &/or Spices • If adding fruit, consider adding a day or two after must is actively fermenting [checking pH as fruit can be acidic] or in secondary fermenter • Spices can be added anytime [e.g. Day 0, then taste after 6 months and add more if needed – less is more!!] Harold Gulbransen
Acid Balancing • When fermentation is complete, rack and after 6- 12 months, perform an acid balance test . • Acid Balancing Kits can be purchased at Curds & Wine and require some “titration skills” • I prefer to balance my meads to slightly lower than dessert wines [sweeter] Harold Gulbransen
JoAnne told Me I had to talk about my screw-ups!! • Don’t add acid to the “must”, it can drop the pH too much causing the fermentation to stop • Don’t add too much honey [> 1.170] as the mead will finish too sweet. 100 gravity points is about max. • Mild berries often disappoint [e.g. strawberries, blueberries] • 2 or 3 Chipotle Chilies are TOO much – Really!! • Adding too much nutrient results in a minerally flavor • If it’s not great in 12 months – WAIT Harold Gulbransen
Changes that made my Meads Better • Carbonating a sweet mead – carbonic acid balances the sweetness • Subtle use of spices • Use Honey w/ character [Citrus, Buckwheat, Macadamia, Tupelo] • Acid Balancing after 12 months Harold Gulbransen
• Special Thanks to Kris England [St. Paul Homebrewers] for an excellent Mead presentation at the 2008 AHA conference in Cincinnati Harold Gulbransen
Harold Gulbransen
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