light mead

[james]

I have previously made mead which resembles dry white wine when complete, but this summer I'm considering making a lighter, lower-alcohol beverage to be drunk in larger quanities- a replacement drink for beer on a hot day, for example. I'm imagining a 5% ABV very pale & dry drink, bottle conditioned for a sparkle, possibly flavoured with herbs or a little elderflower, drunk well chilled. My aim is an easy-quaffing pint.

I'm considering using around 600g honey per gallon, and EC1118 champagne yeast.

Before I start on this, am I being totally stupid making a 5% mead to be drunk in pints or is it a go-er? If it is a go-er, does anyone have any advice?

I've been considering the addition of elderflower. If I do add it, I'd need only a very slight addtion so it doesnt mask the flavour of the honey. The idea is to just get a slight aroma and a very delicate muscat taste, not a full blown catty elderflower hit. I can do this quite well with home-made elderflower cordial (which I can check the diluted taste of in advance)

Any other herbs that people think would work well with a chilled, sparkling "ale replacement" mead?

[wipka84]

Something a little citrusy might go well, lemon thyme.

A lighter version of Ancient Orange/Lemon mead??

[Richard S]

Using your hydrometer, you will need a starting gravity of 1.030. Fermented dry this will give you approx 5.43% abv.

[rjb222]

You will also need to be extra sanitary. There will not be enough alcohol to protect your mead. So i would use some sulphite when done like ina wine to protect it from spoilage.

[james]

You will also need to be extra sanitary. There will not be enough alcohol to protect your mead. So i would use some sulphite when done like ina wine to protect it from spoilage.

yes, this was a concern of mine also. I intend it to be brewed quickly and drunk equally quickly. Short shelf-life is OK.

I need to be careful when adding sulphite however, becuase I want to maintain a live culture once bottled to allow bottle conditioning, similar to ale.

Its trickly, becuase I'll be bying my honey from a supermarket, so I presume this stuff will have already been pasturised, so wont need sterilising. All the equipment will need to be super-clean, but then I'm unsure whether sulphite addition towards the end of fermentation would be counter-productive.

This is the big doubt in my head with regard to if its actually viable.

I was thinking of using EC1118 becuase (...if I've got this right...) it produces small amounts of SO2 that will help maintain the sterility of the mead. It may be possible to increase the sulphite level slightly without impacting the yeast activity, but in previous mead fermetations I've done, I've noticed that fermetation can be slow anyway...I wouldnt want to stress the yeast further.

[Duffbeer]

Don't add sulphite if you want to bottle prime, it should keep like a beer for 12 months or more. EC 1118 is a good choice of yeast, although with such low alcohol levels any good wine yeast would work.
Regarding the elderflowers, why not use fresh ? we're not far off blossom and they will give a much fresher and more delicate bouquet added at the later stages of fermentation.

[rjb222]

Don't add sulphite if you want to bottle prime, it should keep like a beer for 12 months or more. EC 1118 is a good choice of yeast, although with such low alcohol levels any good wine yeast would work.
Regarding the elderflowers, why not use fresh ? we're not far off blossom and they will give a much fresher and more delicate bouquet added at the later stages of fermentation.

I agree the bottle prime will give you a good shelf life.

[rjb222]

I was thinking of using EC1118 becuase (...if I've got this right...) it produces small amounts of SO2 that will help maintain the sterility of the mead. It may be possible to increase the sulphite level slightly without impacting the yeast activity, but in previous mead fermetations I've done, I've noticed that fermetation can be slow anyway...I wouldnt want to stress the yeast further.[/QUOTE]





The by production of SO2 wont happen with a mead it is the content of grape skins that releases SO2 in a grape wine ferment. With a mead that is going to be bottle primed I would go with a braggot recipe a small addition of malt extract and use a brewers yeast will give you better results for what profile I think you are looking for. EC-1118 will blow off a lot of the subitle flavors in the honey. If you do not want to use a malt extract then use a D-47 by lavin this yeast will enhance the flavors of the honey.

[fatbloke]

Because of the relatively small amount of honey, I'd say 71B instead of EC-1118 and also use the strongest flavoured honey you can lay your hands on.

Why ? you get better taste retention with 71B over EC-1118. Plus the low amount of honey will loose a lot of the flavour through the ferment - EC-1118 removes a lot more than 71B. Dark, strong flavoured honey (something like Buckwheat), because the pale ones often have very gentle, subtle flavours - a lot of which would go during ferment, hence the buckwheat suggestion.

Honey doesn't need sterilising or pasteurisation, it already has very good anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and a certain element of anti- viral properties. supermarket honey will have a lot of those "processed out". So filtered and as close to raw would be better IMO

Your choice.....

regards

JtFB

[rjb222]

Why ? you get better taste retention with 71B over EC-1118.



Your choice.....

regards

JtFB

I agree with what you are saying here John. I think D-47 to be a better choice as it has a lower alcohol tolerances and will die of sooner than 71B but still pull out the desired flavors.

[james]

thanks for the very good advice everyone.

First, to answer Duffbeer's question regarding the use of elderflower cordial: by using a cordial, I can go strait to demijohn without having to strain out flowers at some point during the fermentation. I've been concerned about this part of the process due to the possibility of oxidation. By using cordial, I can add the syrup direct to the demijohn. I appreciate that I'd get a fresher flavour from from fresh flowers, so if anyone has a cunning plan to allow me to do this without increasing my risk of oxidation...please suggest it!

Thanks for the information regarding the yeasts. Very interesting re: EC1118/ SO2 & grapes.

So I've got the two following options:
1) adding a bit of malt syrup and using a brewers yeast. My favourite brewers yeast is Danstar "Nottingham", so this is probably what I'd use in this case...
rjb222: what's a "braggot" recipe? What proportion of malt extract would you suggest?

2) Using dark honey to maximise the flavour and using either 71-B or Lalvin's D-47.
fatbloke: can you suggest a UK source of D-47 or 71-B? My local brewshop doesn't have these....

One other reason I intended to use EC1118 was because of its gelatinous floc, so it wouldnt be problematic in the bottle. So if I'm not using EC1118, then the yeast I do use still needs to be quite gelatinous. How does this figure with D-47 and 71-B?

This information is really helping me to work out how I'll brew this. Thanks

[lockwood1956]

I have D47 (*as does hobbywinesupplies*)


71B?

I dont have any at the moment, but Gervin Varietal D is the same yeast, and it is becoming more widely available again through home brew stores.


give me a shout if you cant get any, we can sort you out....

I would also look to get better honeyy than that available from supermarkets...try your local beekeepers association

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/

hope this helps
regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

ooops!

sorry

here is a more relevant link

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/directory/index.php/cat/2/local-beekeeping-associations/

[rjb222]

For your yeast choices Check out Duffbeers home brewing supply he give discounts to members. here is a typical Braggot recipe.http://www.geocities.com/helewyse/04braggot5.html It uses nottingham yeast as well.

[lockwood1956]

. I've been concerned about this part of the process due to the possibility of oxidation. By using cordial, I can add the syrup direct to the demijohn. I appreciate that I'd get a fresher flavour from from fresh flowers, so if anyone has a cunning plan to allow me to do this without increasing my risk of oxidation...please suggest it!

You would have to work extremely hard to contaminate mead through oxidation, the stuff seems to be impervious to it.....so i simply wouldn't worry about it

regards
bob