Whipped up my first two batches mixed up yesterday! Super excited to see how it comes out!
Mead brewing!
- Thread starter Ponycarman
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Looks nice! I confess I've been wanting to try some of the commercially available ones around here, but the bottles are usually immense... hate to commit if I ended up not liking it!
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- #3
I dove in head first
. Probably too early haha. I've never tried mead before but grabbed all the stuff to try it out haha. Figured I can find at least one to make I would like eventually haha. I have also heard homemade mead is way better than anything commercial. Everything I've heard described about it sounds nice though 
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- #5
How long does beer usually ferment? The time I read about mead varies a good bit.
That 1.112 sg is gonna be a doosey!
I have been considering taking a run at a batch of mead.
Do you plan to carbonate it or enjoy it still?
When I ferment a lager it usually takes 7 to 10 days at 10°C, ales are more like 4 to 6 days at 18°C.
I have never used a wine yeast so cant even guess at ferment time.
Enjoy!
Jay
I have been considering taking a run at a batch of mead.
Do you plan to carbonate it or enjoy it still?
When I ferment a lager it usually takes 7 to 10 days at 10°C, ales are more like 4 to 6 days at 18°C.
I have never used a wine yeast so cant even guess at ferment time.
Enjoy!
Jay
So now what? You just let it sit for how long?
How do you know what the alcohol content is?
How do you know what the alcohol content is?
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- #8
Nice! I don't plan to carbonate as of yet. But in the future I would love to learn how to bottle carbonate. I've heard some say a week for mead and some way longer 2+ weeks. Guess it depends on lots of factors. Learning as I go
. Hopefully they both turn out nicely.You just wait until the airlock stops bubbling. And then start taking samples and checking the specific gravity with a hygrometer, thats where the 1.112 starting gravity comes from.
Once the gravity has been stable for at least 2 or 3 days it is done.
There are calculators online that will give you the ABV based on SG minus FG.
I just checked with Brewers Friend calculator, 1.112SG down to 1.000 FG which it will probably reach gives 14.7% abv.
Jay
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- #11
This will sit until the activity dies down. Then siphon to another container to remove out any settled fruits or sediment. Then I plan to take another specific gravity reading and let it sit for a little while longer. Then one more reading to compare to the other and see if fermentation is finished. Adding other ingredients or spices if wanted and back sweetening. Have to stabilize it chemically or with pasteurization to prevent the yeast from re fermenting on an sugars added for back sweetening. Age how long you wish and drink! I am super new to this stuff and may have the sequence a bit out of order though
.How you find out the abv of a brew... when you first make it up you measure the specific gravity with a hydrometer. Then when fermentation is finished take another reading. There is a formala to figure out the abv using those two measurements. Also taking into account any additional dilution or sweetening.
For a mead 14% is on the high end no? I’m just trying to think of the last mead I had, it was probably 2 years ago. Sounds like a pretty straight forward method.
How long does it stay “good” and tasty after it’s ready to drink?
How long does it stay “good” and tasty after it’s ready to drink?
@Ponycarman Can you say what varietal of honey you used or was it a conventional store bought? Melomel is my favorite category of mead. It has been a long time but I used to make mead on a regular basis.
This will sit until the activity dies down. Then siphon to another container to remove out any settled fruits or sediment. Then I plan to take another specific gravity reading and let it sit for a little while longer. Then one more reading to compare to the other and see if fermentation is finished. Adding other ingredients or spices if wanted and back sweetening. Have to stabilize it chemically or with pasteurization to prevent the yeast from re fermenting on an sugars added for back sweetening. Age how long you wish and drink! I am super new to this stuff and may have the sequence a bit out of order though
How you find out the abv of a brew... when you first make it up you measure the specific gravity with a hydrometer. Then when fermentation is finished take another reading. There is a formala to figure out the abv using those two measurements. Also taking into account any additional dilution or sweetening.
Once you stablize it you can keep it in the fridge and sip on it for a few weeks?
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- #16
Yep. It keeps somewhat like wine. Can be bottled and aged for multiple years. But I hear 3 or 4 years is about its peak and not much happens after. I don't plan on aging that long haha. Maybe a couple months. Also gotta be careful of oxidation like with wine. Introducing oxygen after fermentation can cause off flavors and make vinegar.
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- #17
Thanks! I'll check it out!
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- #18
These are kinda experimental batches to get my feet wet so to speak. Store bought honey was used. For one it was 3lbs of honey, 4oz of steeped black tea(5 min steeping), 2oz of raisins, d47 yeast, and fermaid k nutrients. The cyser was 1.25lbs of honey and musselmans apple cider. Really curious how it is going to turn out. But locally source honey is most definitely in the future
.BeerSmith is a great option if you decide to continue your journey. 10 years ago I helped a fellow Brewer create a Brown Ale that took State in FL. Also helped him on some IPA's. It was cool to be able to create a balanced recipe with in 15 minutes while on the road traveling for work. Now he owns part a a brewery. Still discuss brewing in style of the beer.
If you have a Mead club or Brew Club in you area I suggest you attend a meeting, being some of your mead for review. You will be surprised and will learn a lot! For example I knew a guy that brewed the same style of every beer for 5 years to see how it aged and changed in flavors over the course. Yes he had a ton of kegs and yes i help build a walk in cooler, with exterior taps. His Belgiums were stupid good!!!
If you have a Mead club or Brew Club in you area I suggest you attend a meeting, being some of your mead for review. You will be surprised and will learn a lot! For example I knew a guy that brewed the same style of every beer for 5 years to see how it aged and changed in flavors over the course. Yes he had a ton of kegs and yes i help build a walk in cooler, with exterior taps. His Belgiums were stupid good!!!
May I ask if you were active in any of the FL brew clubs? I was based out of FL for a while but only active in some of the clubs for a brief period before my work travel curtailed most of my brewing. Prior to that I was fairly active in some TX clubs and regional competitions. Although all of that was some time ago.
