# Mead recipe **URL:** \ **Category:** Other Fermentables\ **Created:** [July 4, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041 "2014-07-04T00:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/1 "2014-07-04T00:54:33Z")
SO i need to make a friend of mine some mead, He did a lot of Electrical work for me and its part of the payback.  Im looking for some suggestions and tweaks but im thinking the following. 1 Gallon of Honey 4 G of water to Aprox 1.085 or so. de-Chlorinate water with p meta(amount?) P Meta to control Wild yeast once mixed(how much?) 1tsp yeast nutrient 1 tsp Acid Blend(?) Aerate Pitch 2 packages of 47B wine yeast 1 day after p meta Ferment at 70-75F Add 1tsp yeast nutrient 12-24 hrs after yeast pitch Aerate(?) Ferment for 7-14 days until final gravity has been reached.  Expected to ferment dry to 1.000 or below. I will probably Oak the entire batch to add tannins and may split off a few gallons to add fruit too. Any thoughts or recommendations on amounts would be great. Thanks jeff ---
**Author:** ![erockrph](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/erockrph/32/13330_2.png) [@erockrph](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/erockrph)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/2 "2014-07-04T03:07:48Z")
No need for Campden for wild yeast control in a mead. There isn’t anything really of concern that would be growing on/in honey. Read up on “Staggered yeast nutrient” additions, it will make a huge improvement in the quality of your mead, especially when it’s young. I’d save the Acid Blend until after it is done fermenting and adjust to taste. A normal mead fermentation tends to drive the pH down, potentially to the point where it may start to affect yeast activity. In a dry mead there may be enough acidity produced by the yeast where you don’t need to adjust it. You want to aerate/degas 2-3 times a day for the first week or so. You’ll know when to stop your aeration regime when you don’t get much foaming when you aerate. I’d ferment mid-to-low 60’s to keep it clean. If you use staggered yeast nutrient, you could possibly have enjoyable mead within a month or two. But it could well be a year or longer before it starts to hit its prime. Mead generally takes a lot longer than a beer of comparable gravity to be ready. ---
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/3 "2014-07-04T13:01:10Z")
OK, so 5g of Yeast Nutrient at pitch with aeration.  Every 24 hours add another 5g of Nutrient and Aerate until end of fermentation? ---
**Author:** ![smkranz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/smkranz/32/19_2.png) [@smkranz](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/smkranz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/4 "2014-07-04T13:18:39Z")
Best to keep fermentation down around 65º. ---
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/5 "2014-07-04T13:22:04Z")
> [@smkranz](#): > > Best to keep fermentation down around 65º. Sadly with my current lack of ferm control and the weahter, im not sure i can get it below 70.  It will be what it will be sadly till i finish my brewery. ---
**Author:** ![realbeerguy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/realbeerguy/32/8843_2.png) [@realbeerguy](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/realbeerguy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/6 "2014-07-05T00:55:28Z")
Basically everything Eric said.  D47 is good to leave on the lees.  If you want to have a quicker turn, 71b-1122 may be the way to go.  If you can do a swamp cooler to get below 70dF, do it.  I’ts worth the effort to ferment in the low 60’s to minimize the creation of fusals.  Nutrient & degas to 50% sugar depletion, typically 3-4 days.  Total fermentation should be around 30 days to complete and let the yeast do some clean up. ---
**Author:** ![erockrph](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/erockrph/32/13330_2.png) [@erockrph](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/erockrph)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/7 "2014-07-05T01:06:33Z")
This is from Curt Stock’s “Melomels for Dummies” document, that is required reading for fruit meads, but worth the read regardless. Here’s his approach to SNA: [quote]SNA was developed by the commercial wine industry as a way of supplying nutrients as the yeast needs it during the growth phase – kind of a just-in-time delivery. Healthy yeast are essential for a clean fermentation with less chance of off-flavors or the production of higher alcohols (fusels) which can give mead a burning sensation on the back of the throat – the “rocket fuel” sensation. I prefer to use Fermaid-K (yeast energizer) and diammonium phosphate or DAP (yeast nutrient) for adding the additional nutrient requirements of the yeast during fermentation. One teaspoon of Fermaid-K and two teaspoons DAP should be adequate for a 5 gallon batch. You can mix them together for a stock blend and add them using the following schedule: Add ¾ teaspoon yeast energizer/nutrient mix immediately after pitching yeast. Add ¾ teaspoon yeast energizer/nutrient mix 24 hours after fermentation begins. Add ¾ teaspoon yeast energizer/nutrient mix 48 hours after fermentation begins. Add ¾ teaspoon yeast energizer/nutrient mix after 30% of the sugar has been depleted. [/quote] Personally, I just add the first addition to the must when I mix it with water, then add the remaining ones at days 1, 2, and 3. His amounts work in melomels, but if this is just a straight mead with no fruit, I’d probably bump these additions up a bit (maybe a full teaspoon for each addition). The fruit in melomels does provide some additional nutrient that you won’t be getting in a straight honey mead. Fermaid K works great, but you could use another yeast nutrient if that’s what you have. I’ve used the Wyeast nutrient that I use for beer in place of the Fermaid with no ill effect. ---
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/8 "2014-07-05T01:43:34Z")
Thanks Man, ill go with a teaspoon at day 0-3.  I have fermaid k so it should work perfectly.  Ill mix it with a little water to get the DAP dissolved and then pitch.  Should i aerate at the same time?  Also, i have 2 packages of dry wine yeast, should i re hydrate it in water the same way i do fermentis yeast or is there a different protocol? Cheers, Jeff ---
**Author:** ![smkranz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/smkranz/32/19_2.png) [@smkranz](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/smkranz)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/9 "2014-07-05T03:17:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Thanks Man, ill go with a teaspoon at day 0-3.  I have fermaid k so it should work perfectly.  Ill mix it with a little water to get the DAP dissolved and then pitch.  Should i aerate at the same time?  Also, i have 2 packages of dry wine yeast, should i re hydrate it in water the same way i do fermentis yeast or is there a different protocol? > > Cheers, > Jeff De-gas (beat it up, don’t just stir), _before_ you add nutrients.  There is so much CO2 in the must during the first week that adding anything dry or granular and then whipping it up will result in a very dramatic “volcano” effect of CO2 coming out of solution, that can make one holy mess.  It’s almost worth doing just one time, to see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/10 "2014-07-05T03:25:39Z")
> [@smkranz](#): > > It’s almost worth doing just one time, to see what happens. This part isnt super helpful to my cleaning times;) ---
**Author:** ![fejjgw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/fejjgw/32/4173_2.png) [@fejjgw](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/fejjgw)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/11 "2014-07-05T03:26:28Z")
I have a fizz-X.  so i will “whip it good” before adding the nutrients. Cheers, Jeff ---
**Author:** ![erockrph](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/erockrph/32/13330_2.png) [@erockrph](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/erockrph)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/mead-recipe/17041/12 "2014-07-05T03:35:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Thanks Man, ill go with a teaspoon at day 0-3.  I have fermaid k so it should work perfectly.  Ill mix it with a little water to get the DAP dissolved and then pitch.  Should i aerate at the same time?  Also, i have 2 packages of dry wine yeast, should i re hydrate it in water the same way i do fermentis yeast or is there a different protocol? > > Cheers, > Jeff As said before, degas & aerate before your nutrient additions to avoid a Krakatoa reenactment in your fermenter. Speaking of fermenters, what size were you planning on using for a primary? You want a lot of headspace so you don’t have issues with degassing. I don’t usually do 5 gallon batches, but if I did, I’d probably want to use a 7.9 gallon wine fermenter instead of the usual 6.5 gallon bucket/carboy. Rehydrate your yeast per the instructions. If you can use Go-Ferm (a rehydration nutrient), it is highly recommended. If you don’t, you should still be OK - especially since you’re pitching two packs.