light mead

[rjb222]

Hi Ian,
best of luck with your light mead. If nothing else, consider it a "proof of Concept" experiment.

I'm waiting for the elderflower. going picking this weekend. Will probably start some shortly thereafter.

Still undecided about whether to use all honey with a wine yeast or some malt and an ale yeast.

Questions to all:

1) Might I encounter problems in using an ale yeast without any malt? I'm intending to add DAP to keep the nutrient levels up.
2) How gelatinous is D-47? It sounds like a very nice yeast. I need a yeast that will make a firm sediment in the bottle.

Thanks.

I have found that any yeast when cooled tightens up and compacts. It is just how tight it gets. I do know that Danstar Nottingham yeast and Coopers brewing yeast tighten up very well under cool conditioning. D-47 is fairly tight when you rack it. I have never tried to cool D-47 for racking but I believe it would work in the same manner.

[Ian]

Well, I took a reading yesterday and it's his 1.000.

Had a quick taste. Slightly medicine-y and thin. But it is Mead Lite.

I'm going to leave it for a day or two and bottle it up.

Definately going to add honey (not Leatherwood!) for a slight sparkle

[rjb222]

Well, I took a reading yesterday and it's his 1.000.

Had a quick taste. Slightly medicine-y and thin. But it is Mead Lite.

I'm going to leave it for a day or two and bottle it up.

Definately going to add honey (not Leatherwood!) for a slight sparkle

Ian not so quick you could creat a dagerous situation of over carbonation and bottles exploding. Take some time and allow the product to sit for a few more days. When you get the same hydrometer reading three days in a row then proceed to the next step. Safety first.

[fatbloke]

Plus the medicinal taste is the alcohol content over riding the taste of the honey.

follow Roberts suggestion, but then I'd still age it for a couple of months, before doing anything else.......either that, or post Roberts suggestion, back sweeten (quite a lot - maybe up to 1020 as you want the carbonation but also to up the flavour of the honey) and then bottle it in champagne bottles, making sure that you're using plastic stoppers and wire cages.

then put it somewhere cool for a couple of months.

Oh and like "champoo", serve well chilled.

regards

JtFB

[Ian]

Plus the medicinal taste is the alcohol content over riding the taste of the honey.

follow Roberts suggestion, but then I'd still age it for a couple of months, before doing anything else.......either that, or post Roberts suggestion, back sweeten (quite a lot - maybe up to 1020 as you want the carbonation but also to up the flavour of the honey) and then bottle it in champagne bottles, making sure that you're using plastic stoppers and wire cages.

then put it somewhere cool for a couple of months.

Oh and like "champoo", serve well chilled.

regards

JtFB

I wasn't as brave as this.

I basically added a couple of teaspoons of bland honey per litre bottle and put it away.

I've chilled one and tasting now, it's not too bad. A slight sparkle to keep it drinkable, there is the hint menthol but it's not too overpowering.

Would I do this again? Yes. I'd like to try it with heather honey.