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First Mead..yeast question


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#21 ScottS

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 06:37 AM

now do I need to add additional yeast nutrients with the new yeast?

No. If you haven't had fermentation yet, the nutrients you already put in should still be available.Swirl things up again if you haven't already. With no fermentation for 3 days, it would probably be good to get everything stirred up and back into solution.

#22 MtnBrewer

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 06:37 AM

Another question..I will add additional yeast packs when they arrive..(I did add the coopers yeast and had airlock activity) now do I need to add additional yeast nutrients with the new yeast?

If you added nutrients before, then they are still there and there's no need to add more. Also note that Wyeast Sweet Mead yeast is the same as 1084.

#23 ScottS

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 06:39 AM

so I need a very basic recipe for a mead thats not too sweet and not dry..maybe even a little extra flavor??

Basic mead instructionsThat's for a dry mead, but basically to make a sweet mead you just make dry mead to completion and then add honey until it tastes right. :rolf:Check out the recipe, and hit us with questions.

#24 dungeonbrewer

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 06:44 AM

Basic mead instructionsThat's for a dry mead, but basically to make a sweet mead you just make dry mead to completion and then add honey until it tastes right. :rolf:Check out the recipe, and hit us with questions.

Make the mead to completion then add honey till it tastes right?? When do you add any extra honey? in bottling bucket or after you bottle it and sit down to drink it?

#25 ScottS

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 06:51 AM

Make the mead to completion then add honey till it tastes right?? When do you add any extra honey? in bottling bucket or after you bottle it and sit down to drink it?

Usually what I do is make a dry mead and then age it for 9-12 months. Then I dissolve some honey in a small amount of water and stir that in a little at a time, tasting it as I go. Once I hit the point where it tastes right, I close it up and let it sit for a couple weeks. The flavors will blend a little more and the sweetness will mellow a bit, so at that point I taste and sweeten again if necessary. Usually I'll age it more after that, but sometimes not. If it tastes good, it's ready to drink at that point. The sweeter it is, the younger you can drink it typically.

#26 Wayne B

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Posted 15 April 2009 - 07:39 AM

Ok, lets see.. smacked the pack at 9pm. Woke up and finished the mead process at around 9am. This kit had 12 lbs wildflower honey. Yea..no more kits for me..so I need a very basic recipe for a mead thats not too sweet and not dry..maybe even a little extra flavor??

Yeah - you are not the first to report that yeast left in a smack pack for 12+ hours didn't seem to be viable any more. I know that Wyeast doesn't specifically state how long the yeast will survive in there once the nutrient pack is ruptured (and they recommend more than 3 hrs, with 5 as the "sweet spot"), but I'd have my doubts about any yeast left at room temperature in a sealed enclosure for half a day or longer.And yes, I know they say if refrigerated an activated smack pack will last for days, but that's not what I assume you did with yours....

#27 dungeonbrewer

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Posted 16 April 2009 - 01:32 PM

Yeah - you are not the first to report that yeast left in a smack pack for 12+ hours didn't seem to be viable any more. I know that Wyeast doesn't specifically state how long the yeast will survive in there once the nutrient pack is ruptured (and they recommend more than 3 hrs, with 5 as the "sweet spot"), but I'd have my doubts about any yeast left at room temperature in a sealed enclosure for half a day or longer.And yes, I know they say if refrigerated an activated smack pack will last for days, but that's not what I assume you did with yours....

Yea..I forgot to add that this was also in the instructions: (I guess I did not follow it to a "T" as I do not feel comfortable letting the yeast sit that long for my beer- I smack and about 4-5 hours later..pitch)But for the mead, I waited about 12 hours.2. Activate liquid yeast 24 hours in advance. If your mead kit includes Wyeast liquid yeast (Dry Mead, Sweet Mead, Melomel, Orange Blossom, and Basswood-Riesling), you will get best results if you incubate the yeast a day or so in advance. To incubate: remove the yeast from the refrigerator, and smack the package. This breaks open the inner pouch and releases yeast food and nutrients into the yeast. Shake the package well and leave it in a moderately warm place (70-80 F). As the yeast incubates, the package will begin to inflate. It is not necessary for the pack to fully inflate before use. Note: When stored in a refrigerator and used within 3 months of purchase, our Wyeast packs will show inflation within 5 days of activation, or we will replace them free of charge. Do not brew with inactive yeast - we can replace the yeast, but not a batch that fails to ferment properly

#28 zymot

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Posted 26 April 2009 - 09:30 PM

Usually what I do is make a dry mead and then age it for 9-12 months. Then I dissolve some honey in a small amount of water and stir that in a little at a time, tasting it as I go. Once I hit the point where it tastes right, I close it up and let it sit for a couple weeks. The flavors will blend a little more and the sweetness will mellow a bit, so at that point I taste and sweeten again if necessary. Usually I'll age it more after that, but sometimes not. If it tastes good, it's ready to drink at that point. The sweeter it is, the younger you can drink it typically.

When you go with this method, what amounts of honey are you talking about? I mean in a typical high/low ballpark range. I ask because I have no idea and want to get feel for the process. As in the dry mead you make in the first step requires how much honey? 8 lbs? 10l bs? 12 lbs? And when you dissolve honey in water and add it to sweeten it up, how much are we talking? 1/4 lb? 1 lb? 4 lbs?I am just trying to get feel for how much honey makes a dry mead and how much you might add to undry it.zymot

#29 ScottS

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Posted 27 April 2009 - 07:18 AM

When you go with this method, what amounts of honey are you talking about? I mean in a typical high/low ballpark range. I ask because I have no idea and want to get feel for the process. As in the dry mead you make in the first step requires how much honey? 8 lbs? 10l bs? 12 lbs? And when you dissolve honey in water and add it to sweeten it up, how much are we talking? 1/4 lb? 1 lb? 4 lbs?I am just trying to get feel for how much honey makes a dry mead and how much you might add to undry it.zymot

The wine yeasts I use have a 14% alcohol tolerance. In a 5 gal batch, 1 lb of honey ferments out to about 1% abv. So to make a dry mead, I do 14 lbs of honey (12 lbs = 1 gal) + water to make 5 gals total.When sweetening, I mix up a cup of honey in an equivalent amount of water, sometimes more honey and less water, whatever you can get to dissolve well. Dump about half of it in, stir and taste. Repeat. If I use it all, I'll let it sit for a week and do it again. I try to undershoot the sweetness level I'm looking for, with the intent of topping it off the following week. It takes a bit for the flavors to blend. I think I usually use maybe a pint of honey total in the sweetening process? It's been awhile, I don't remember, but it's really not all that much.


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