Mead : Honey Wine : Ambrosia Nectar of the Gods BJCP website - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• ne 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
• r 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
• f Go-Ferm]

– Go-Ferm by Lallemand is an organic nutrient, dosed @1.25 gms

• f 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

CaCO3 [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