I’ve got a Speidel fermenter that just sits unused. I wanted to keep it for projects like this one…
I have a couple of questions after looking briefly at some recipe & instruction sites.
1. How important is temperature? As important as beer fermentation? I’d like to just set the fermenter in a corner of my house which stays 70* all the time.
I read that most people use distilled or RO water (I would use RO), and I saw one recipe which called for 50 ppm sulfite. Is this standard? What governs the use of water salts like with beer?
Any other tips? I’m thinking I’ll start with a semi-sweet traditional mead (no fruit added).
just as important. I typically ferment around 58F with 71b. Yeast strain makes a difference. That warm…Maybe a darker melomel (fruit mead) fermented with red wine yeast? Ymmv. I would not make any traditional mead at 70F.
Most people I know are against using RO water for their meads. I use RO for all my brewing and have used it for meads as well. Obviously it’s fine if you can figure out the water profile you want for the mead. I wouldn’t say there is a standard here though.
We ferment mead at warmer temps like 70 all the time. We often make 15-25 gallon batches and it would be pretty challenging to control temps. That being said we really take our time with mead which IMO is very important. We generally do about 10-14 days primary, rack into carboys and do a secondary in a pretty warm room (70ish) for 4-6 months then rack again into new carboys and put in the cellar (45-60 depending on season) for 1 year or longer.
Follow yeast nutrient guidelines. I just use organic yeast nutrient.
I really think a long secondary followed by a long time bulk aging is key to a good mead. Everyone who tries our mead can’t believe how poor commercial examples are in comparison. I’m sure its because they hurry it to get it on shelves in 6 months or so. They also have to sulfite it and back sweeten it etc. to get it to taste different.
Edit: just read Dan’s post : we make a lot of darker melomels, but still ferment at higher temps on lighter color meads with white wine yeast. At racking into tertiary there ARE quite a few fusels, but not at bottling a year later. I would say those meads are more complex when finished, so if “clean” is what you are going for lower temps might be better.
Ken Schramm says he ferments in the 62-63F range for 71B. That us good enough for me.
A few years back there was a mead panel at the NHC, all Mead Maker of the Year people on it. None of the meads served were older than 3 months. Those were all excellent.
Thank you all for your input. I was hoping to avoid tying up my fermentation chamber. But if I time it right that would not be an issue. So most use commercial spring water or whatever water doesn’t have chlorine in it?
I may have to buy a book on Mead basics. Any recommendations?
I use my well water which goes through a water softener which tests fairly neutral with not too much sodium compared to some softened water.
ken Shramm’s Compleat Meadmaker is well regarded and actually a pretty good read.
My point about temp is that a warmer fermentation is ok if you age it some.
I don’t doubt a good mead can be made that quickly and that a lower temp is desireable, if possible. The original post, as I read it, suggested that a 70 degree fermentation might be necessary and I think from my experience that is fine as long as it has time to age.
My gilfriend made mead for about 15 years before we met which is what I got used to. She always aged it for at least a year, which is what I am used too. Compared to a well aged mead, commercial meads taste like diluted honey liquor to me, so I am a bit biased.
Can I suggest Piatz’s new book? The Complete Guide to Making Mead: The Ingredients, Equipment, Processes, and Recipes for Crafting Honey Wine. In talking with Ken Schramm at NHC he recommended it as a new version of his book. Reading through it now…
The biggest difference in my meads was when I started using staggered nutrient additions (SNA). The meads reached FG quicker and cleared up quicker which means that in 3 months you can start enjoying it.
I think I have tried all or most of Moonlight Meadery, a couple B. Nektar, and a few I can’t remember. Friends sometime show up with a bottle of mead they have tried trying to convince us to sell ours. Its not that any are bad, its just that I never want a second glass because they have been pretty one dimensional. I would describe them as without flaws but not very interesting. I suspect that the ability to get mead ready fast with good fermentation control and staggered nutrient additions that commercial meaderies and homebrewers use to get the product ready fast results in mead that has few flaws but little complexity. I think that is probably why Ken Shramm waxes on about the wonders of aged mead in the Compleat Meadmaker. Just as winemakers can now produce a $10 dollar bottle that is pretty decent young, it doesn’t mean that aging isn’t better for many wines.
The other factor with commercial meads is that honey and fruit can be pretty expensive. I have a ton of fruit we pick ourselves so we can really go hog-wild. We also make so much mead (probably close to 300 gallons in bulk storage or long-term secondary as we speak) that we are not interested in being in a hurry. Our current system is to do a primary, usually in mid-sixties with staggered nutrient additions (although with our local dark honey and copious amount of fruit its not necessary for some varieties) for 10-14 days, rack into carboys and store upstairs in secondary (70ish) for 4-6 months, then rack into carboys and store in the cellar (45-60) for 1-3 years depending on variety. By this time because we have racked twice and stored fairly cold for a long time its crystal clear with a very small, tightly packed, sediment. We then bottle and cork and store sideways in the cellar. Lighter meads such as peach, pear, cyser etc. general bulk age a year then get drunk shortly after bottling. Mixed berry, blueberry, spiced elderberry (port-like 18%abv) etc we will try to let go 2+ years. We have a 15 year old blueberry for a special occasion.
RE: The Piatz book… it feels a bit more straightforward on process and recommendations than Schramm’s book. Both are on my list studying for the BJCP Mead exam later this month. I think they work well together with more current information, of course, in The Complete Guide.
I certainly would love to try Mr Schramm’s mead some day. I think that a big reason I like home brewing, cooking, etc is that I can make things to my liking. There’s no problem with properly made young meads, I just prefer how ours come out better.
Now that I have explained and defended my normal procedures I think its time to open my mind and make a mead to drink young. We have been picking lots of raspberries and will soon have some honey to harvest. I think a fairly low gravity raspberry mead would be a good candidate to drink young.