First timer
First timer
Hi all,
Been brewing AG and wine for a fair few years with 40+ brews to my name so know a bit about brewing but 4 weeks ago attempted my first mead. Just a gallon in a Demijohn to start with, as of today the thing is still bubbling slowly. Never had anything that's stayed fermenting for that long[FLUSHED FACE]. Any comments from the experienced mead players?
Been brewing AG and wine for a fair few years with 40+ brews to my name so know a bit about brewing but 4 weeks ago attempted my first mead. Just a gallon in a Demijohn to start with, as of today the thing is still bubbling slowly. Never had anything that's stayed fermenting for that long[FLUSHED FACE]. Any comments from the experienced mead players?
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- Under the Table
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Re: First timer
It takes ages. Quite a few country wines can take a month or more, but mead laughs at them as it goes on and on and on.
And then it takes ages to mature as well.
Leave it to itself, it'll get there.
And then it takes ages to mature as well.
Leave it to itself, it'll get there.
Re: First timer
Depends on yer recipe/method.
Slow is a show mead (honey, water, yeast). Finish sweet and take forever.
Go with a traditional, as above but with nutrients, maybe some potassium carbonate, and it can speed up a fair bit.
OB's spot on though, let it do its thing. Like "British Rail", it gets there eventually.....
Slow is a show mead (honey, water, yeast). Finish sweet and take forever.
Go with a traditional, as above but with nutrients, maybe some potassium carbonate, and it can speed up a fair bit.
OB's spot on though, let it do its thing. Like "British Rail", it gets there eventually.....
Re: First timer
Thanks Guys or should I say "blokes"
The recipe I used was something like;
500g honey
Yeast
8 raisins
top up to 1 gallon with water
I shall sit back and embrace the bubbles
The recipe I used was something like;
500g honey
Yeast
8 raisins
top up to 1 gallon with water
I shall sit back and embrace the bubbles
Re: First timer
What yeast do you use for mead?
FV1:
Nothing
FV2:
Nothing
Conditioning:
Guava Wine Batch 1
Drinking:
Gin
Nothing
FV2:
Nothing
Conditioning:
Guava Wine Batch 1
Drinking:
Gin
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- Under the Table
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Re: First timer
I tend to use GV4 coz I think mead should be strong, so I push it as high as I can.
But with 500g honey in a gallon, his recipe is only coming out about 5% anyway, so I'd probaby use an ale yeast.
Honey lacks many of the nutrients yeast likes so I always add some, this will be partly why this recipe is slow.
But with 500g honey in a gallon, his recipe is only coming out about 5% anyway, so I'd probaby use an ale yeast.
Honey lacks many of the nutrients yeast likes so I always add some, this will be partly why this recipe is slow.
Re: First timer
I like K1-V1116 (if Montpellier strain was good enough for Brother Adam.....). Also D21. There's a few others I use for specific types.oldbloke wrote:I tend to use GV4 coz I think mead should be strong, so I push it as high as I can.
But with 500g honey in a gallon, his recipe is only coming out about 5% anyway, so I'd probaby use an ale yeast.
Honey lacks many of the nutrients yeast likes so I always add some, this will be partly why this recipe is slow.
If you've got a HBS that does the Wyeast liquid ones, the Belgian 1388 one gets good reviews for "quick" meads (Bray a.k.a. "loveofrose" over at gotmead and homebrewtalk, has his BOMM mead that gets a very favourable mention with it - drinkable in a month apparently).
Seems a lot of it is about the yeast and good nutrition, so more than the OP's few raisins. Some tronozymol will suffice........
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Re: First timer
Had a bottle of my syrup melomel a couple of nights ago.
If you are put off by the cost of decent honey, I definitely recommend trying a melomel instead of a straight mead, the fruit hides any deficiency in the honey flavour.
And if you're a real cheapskate like me and enjoy a hint of toffee back note, use golden syrup instead of honey.
If you are put off by the cost of decent honey, I definitely recommend trying a melomel instead of a straight mead, the fruit hides any deficiency in the honey flavour.
And if you're a real cheapskate like me and enjoy a hint of toffee back note, use golden syrup instead of honey.
Re: First timer
Well it will be won't it. With only a small number of raisins for nutrition, it's like a show mead - i.e. yeast, water and honey. Which is fine if you want it very sweet and taking a very, very long time to ferment.Jules T wrote:It's still bubbling!!!!!!!
Yeast doesn't only need the sugars, it needs all the other usual micro nutrients you find in wines and beers (honey is famously deficient in those).
A good few tablespoons of boiled bread yeast should help, if it's still fermenting away now.........