light mead

[Duffbeer]

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!

Don't worry about oxidation during the fermetation process, it will drive off any oxidation in the fruit or juice, if your going to add cordial then add it at the later stages of fermentation, this will prevent the flavours/aroma's being blown off.
One thing to watch for is knocking your SG out by adding cordial you don't want to be ending up with a too high gravity reading.
I also favour using a beer yeast for this style of drink, it is low in acohol, but a beer yeast may just leave a desirable slight sweet texture to the finished product.

[rjb222]

Hey Bob good to see we are on the same page.LOL

[lockwood1956]

I also favour using a beer yeast for this style of drink, it is low in acohol, but a beer yeast may just leave a desirable slight sweet texture to the finished product.

hadn't thought this way, but yes, a beer yeast wont ferment totaly to dry, so would leave some varietal sweeteness in there, that likely would be desirable.

[fatbloke]

hadn't thought this way, but yes, a beer yeast wont ferment totaly to dry, so would leave some varietal sweeteness in there, that likely would be desirable.

Did I miss read the thread...... I thought this was for a light sparkling type mead.....

So will a beer yeast still have the guts to carbonate it naturally ????

regards

JtFB

[Duffbeer]

Sure will, beer yeasts can ferment surprisingly high alcohol levels and are quite hardy.

[fatbloke]

Sure will, beer yeasts can ferment surprisingly high alcohol levels and are quite hardy.

Ah, right. Not having made any beer (yet) and what with the usual strengths being considerably lower in most cases, I didn't know what sort of levels might be achieved.

Well, I still don't but have now got the vaguest of ideas........

Hey ho!

regards

JtFB

[Duffbeer]

Ah, right. Not having made any beer (yet) and what with the usual strengths being considerably lower in most cases, I didn't know what sort of levels might be achieved.

Well, I still don't but have now got the vaguest of ideas........

Hey ho!

regards

JtFB

Beer yeasts can achieve a good level of alcohol as such in a Barley wine 13%.

[rjb222]

You can increase the alcohol a beer yeast produces by doing a two step. This is done by a starting gravity of 1.040-1.050 starting the ferment when the krausen is high add 1 gallon of a boiled malt with a gravity of 1.070. this should bring the sg on your main batch up to aprox 1.040 again the yeast will again take this down to around 1.017 FG. I have done this with brown ales works very well with out stressing the yeast with more sugars than they like.

[lockwood1956]

Beer yeasts can achieve a good level of alcohol as such in a Barley wine 13%.

Steve (asphaltboy) uses wine yeast for his barley wine (oops did i give away his secret?)

he makes great barley wine.

[fatbloke]

It's just that I have "issues" with Barley wine - like Blleeeaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh

but it is handy to know that some beer yeasts have those sort of abilities...

You never know, it might come in handy.

regards

JtFB

[lockwood1956]

Looking through all my recipes etc, it seems that they start with ale yeast, but use champagne style yeast (such as Lalvin EC-1118 to finish the ferment)

I think most ale yeasts peter out at around 9% ABV so wouldn't be able to attenuate the higher end alc levels contained in some barley wine, so wine yeasts are used to finish the ferment.

regards
bob

[Ian]

I've started a batch today.

Using Tsamanian Leatherwood Honey. And, as i didn't have any beer yeast, Young's High alcohol wine yeast. Not ideal but, I'll probably ferment it out to dry and add honey at bottling for a secondary fermentation.

I've done this, successfully, a couple of times with cyser.

Fingers crossed.

[fatbloke]

I've started a batch today.

Using Tsamanian Leatherwood Honey. And, as i didn't have any beer yeast, Young's High alcohol wine yeast. Not ideal but, I'll probably ferment it out to dry and add honey at bottling for a secondary fermentation.

I've done this, successfully, a couple of times with cyser.

Fingers crossed.

Ah!, not it might have been an idea to ask about honey types Ian, because one to definitely avoid like the plague is Eucalyptus honey, and I might be wrong, but I was under the impression that Leatherwood is related to the Eucalyptus........

Can't guarantee that without hitting google.....

But if it did turn out to have a slight menthol/eucalyptus hint/flavour it's not because you've done anything wrong.

Spanish Lavender honey is quite strong flavoured and reputed to make good mead (got a gallon that's clearing at the moment), heather honey is also supposed to make a good one.

Plus "Ashton and Duncan's" making mead book (now well and truely out of print, but available at amazon market place), they suggest the strongest tasting and darkest honey's, of which, Buckwheat comes to mind.

Good luck with your efforts and I hope it does actually come out ok..

regards

JtFB

p.s. oh and yes, youngs HA yeast will definitely ferment dry, I used it for the first ever batch of mead I made (with cheapo supermarket honey) and after it had aged for a while, was amazed how well it came out...

[Ian]

Ah!, not it might have been an idea to ask about honey types Ian, because one to definitely avoid like the plague is Eucalyptus honey, and I might be wrong, but I was under the impression that Leatherwood is related to the Eucalyptus........

Can't guarantee that without hitting google.....

But if it did turn out to have a slight menthol/eucalyptus hint/flavour it's not because you've done anything wrong.

Spanish Lavender honey is quite strong flavoured and reputed to make good mead (got a gallon that's clearing at the moment), heather honey is also supposed to make a good one.

Plus "Ashton and Duncan's" making mead book (now well and truely out of print, but available at amazon market place), they suggest the strongest tasting and darkest honey's, of which, Buckwheat comes to mind.

Good luck with your efforts and I hope it does actually come out ok..

regards

JtFB

p.s. oh and yes, youngs HA yeast will definitely ferment dry, I used it for the first ever batch of mead I made (with cheapo supermarket honey) and after it had aged for a while, was amazed how well it came out...

Thanks for the comments.

It would seem that Leatherwood does have Eucalyptus undertones. Though, to be honest, I couldn't smell or taste any.

We'll have to see. I'll let you know.

[james]

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.