Meadowfoam Recipe Suggestions

[Briatta]

A little background. I've been brewing (ciders and a JAOM) all three weeks as of today, not counting all the reading and research beforehand. Last week I heard of Meadowfoam honey for the first time, was intrigued and was looking up prices. Local place had it for $12/lb so I didn't think I would be doing anything with it anytime soon.

Today I go to a u-pick farm to grab some tomatoes and they have 6lb jars of Meadowfoam for $16.00 ($5.33/lb). So I quickly scoop up a few jars after I stop gawking. Now I know everyone has different tastes, but I'd like to know what everyone would consider a good mead recipe suggestion for use with the Meadowfoam. I want to make something that would enhance the fact that this isn't your average honey.

Anyone got any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[loveofrose]

My Meadowfoam BOMM is the best I've tried so far. Bonus is one month to big marshmallow goodness. You can find it post here on the board.

One caveat is that this mead needs to be at least semi sweet. Meadowfoam has a bit of a milkweed note when dry.

All wine yeast I've tried need at least 2 years to get marshmallowy goodness back. Even then, the esters really overpower it too much.


Better brewing through science!

 

[Briatta]

My Meadowfoam BOMM is the best I've tried so far. Bonus is one month to big marshmallow goodness. You can find it post here on the board.

One caveat is that this mead needs to be at least semi sweet. Meadowfoam has a bit of a milkweed note when dry.

All wine yeast I've tried need at least 2 years to get marshmallowy goodness back. Even then, the esters really overpower it too much.


Better brewing through science!

Hehe. I subscribed to that thread before I made this post. And I'm not a fan of dry so no problem there. Who wants dry marshmallows anyway?

 

[Arpolis]

It is hard to say anything against what Loveofrose does with his meads. The process he uses is really good. I follow many of the same practices, just different yeasts. And always have good results. But I have not tried my full process with meadowfoam honey specifically so I have less experience to talk confidently.

So +1 to Loveofrose and a big Gratz to the low cost meadowfoam score!

 

[Briatta]

I'm probably going to use part of it in loveofrose's recipe, but I have to admit I so want to try some of it with this experiment:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/our-chocolate-mead-experiment-94358/

The thought of creating a chocolate mead with a marshmallow honey is just too much to resist since it would give me a mead that I could name, "Please Sir, I Want S'more?"

 

[gratus fermentatio]

3lbs honey & water to 1 gallon (scale up if you want), appropriate additions of yeast nutrient/energizer & DAP, 1 split vanilla bean in secondary. Calculate residual sugar vs yeast tolerance OR step-feed until yeast tolerance is reached & continue until desired sweetness is reached. Choose your yeast accordingly.
Regards, GF.

 

[Briatta]

3lbs honey & water to 1 gallon (scale up if you want), appropriate additions of yeast nutrient/energizer & DAP, 1 split vanilla bean in secondary. Calculate residual sugar vs yeast tolerance OR step-feed until yeast tolerance is reached & continue until desired sweetness is reached. Choose your yeast accordingly.
Regards, GF.

Thanks for your suggestion. Although, seeing as how I've been doing this all of three weeks now (as I mentioned in my original post) I'll have to research some of your instructions. Though I get the gist of most of it.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Different strains of yeast have different levels of alcohol tolerance, some higher than others. If you want your mead to be about 14% ABV, then choose a yeast that has an alcohol tolerance of about 14%; meaning a strain that will die off at about 14% ABV.

Then just calculate how much fermentable sugar (honey) it wall take to get you to 14% when the SG hits 1.000. Here is a handy calculator:
http://winemakersacademy.com/wine-alcohol-content-calculator/
Using the 14% model, an OG of 1.105 should be just about right; at 1.000 the ABV should be 14.3%. The linked site also gives you the formula if you want to do the math.

So if you choose a yeast that tops out at 14% & you calculate the OG so that the SG will be 14% at 1.000, all you need do is add honey till the sweetness level you want has been reached. I do this with every wine/mead/melomel, I don't use any sorbate, nor do I backsweeten. It's possible that the yeast will take it a bit dryer than anticipated; it's also possible the yeast could peter out before the target SG has been reached. I've had to deal with both, but about 99% of the time it turns out just right for me.

Hope that clarifies things. Regards, GF.

 

[Briatta]

Different strains of yeast have different levels of alcohol tolerance, some higher than others. If you want your mead to be about 14% ABV, then choose a yeast that has an alcohol tolerance of about 14%; meaning a strain that will die off at about 14% ABV.

Then just calculate how much fermentable sugar (honey) it wall take to get you to 14% when the SG hits 1.000. Here is a handy calculator:
http://winemakersacademy.com/wine-alcohol-content-calculator/
Using the 14% model, an OG of 1.105 should be just about right; at 1.000 the ABV should be 14.3%. The linked site also gives you the formula if you want to do the math.

So if you choose a yeast that tops out at 14% & you calculate the OG so that the SG will be 14% at 1.000, all you need do is add honey till the sweetness level you want has been reached. I do this with every wine/mead/melomel, I don't use any sorbate, nor do I backsweeten. It's possible that the yeast will take it a bit dryer than anticipated; it's also possible the yeast could peter out before the target SG has been reached. I've had to deal with both, but about 99% of the time it turns out just right for me.

Hope that clarifies things. Regards, GF.

Thanks for that, though I've read that different yeasts also have different flavor profiles in addition to the differences in attenuation. I don't want to use a strain that is going to change it for the worse versus complementing it. I know that loveofrose uses Wyeast 1388. Do you have any additional suggestions for a yeast for a straight Meadowfoam honey?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Different yeasts will often give you different flavour profiles, it depends on what you want for your end product. I've never used the strain you mentioned, but here's some info on it:
https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=128
Seems it's a Belgian ale yeast; not sure if it'll go to 14% ABV.

I'd say 71B-1122 would work well for you. Also, if you have good temp control, you could go with D-47, just make sure you don't let the fermentation temp get above 65*F. D-47 throws a lot of fusels at higher temps. Those fusels will eventually age out, but it'll take a long time. Here's some info on Lalvin yeasts, just click on the yeast packets for the data sheets:
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/strains.asp#

You might go with wyeast strain 4242 "fruity white":
https://www.wyeastlab.com/hw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=46

Again, if you have good temp control, you might try Assmannhausen or Steinberg yeasts, they require a lower temp, but can give you some very nice results.
I think Lalvin 71B-1122 will be the easiest to use & will give you good results. Be sure to use yeast nutrient/energizer & DAP (diammonium phosphate) for a good, healthy fermentation.
Regards, GF.

 

[loveofrose]

Actually, Wyeast 1388 description only applies to beer. Having made both beer and mead with 1388, I can say it behaves like a completely different yeast in each brew.

1388 will easily and consistently go to 14% in mead. With a slow step feed, I've got it to hit 19%.

Better brewing through science!

 

[Briatta]

Actually, Wyeast 1388 description only applies to beer. Having made both beer and mead with 1388, I can say it behaves like a completely different yeast in each brew.

1388 will easily and consistently go to 14% in mead. With a slow step feed, I've got it to hit 19%.

Better brewing through science!

Okay, newbie questions again. Your comment about the description applying only to beer made me think about something. Not 100% on topic, but related.

I know each yeast is generally geared toward a specific application (beer, cider, mead, wine) and as such the descriptions apply to the intended application. I also know that many people use yeasts for applications it wasn't initially intended for. I currently have a cider using S-04 which is intended as an English ale yeast, but appears to be very popular as a cider yeast. Has anyone tried to gather up a collection of yeast descriptions for the other applications, i.e., Wyeast 1388 tends to have a higher attenuation when used in meads than it does in brewing beer and flavors are such such? That would be an awesome list of info to have.

 

[loveofrose]

I would love the list you are asking for. Mazers have known for years that published wine yeast characteristics in wine may or may not be present in mead. To my knowledge, no one has put together a fermentable specific yeast characteristic chart.


Better brewing through science!

 

[stabzmcgee]

My Meadowfoam BOMM is the best I've tried so far. Bonus is one month to big marshmallow goodness. You can find it post here on the board.

One caveat is that this mead needs to be at least semi sweet. Meadowfoam has a bit of a milkweed note when dry.

All wine yeast I've tried need at least 2 years to get marshmallowy goodness back. Even then, the esters really overpower it too much.


Better brewing through science!

LoveofRose,
I am hoping to make my first meadowfoam. I have 12.5 lbs of really good- really expensive meadowfoam. I keep being told on facebook mead groups that I should ferment a neutral honey and backsweeten with my meadowfoam. What are your thoughts on this? Would this possibly leave me with a less quality product?

I was thinking of either doing this, or doing a 3.5 gallon batch with the meadowfoam with 10lbs- fermenting dry, and backsweeting. This or dumping all the 12.5 in and hoping i can choose a yeast that will actually stop and leave it sweet.

This will only be my second batch, and i probably went too big in price for my honey. I mainly went after meadowfoam as I had a boiler meadowfoam mead that was simply amazing. hoping to emulate that profile. Any words of advice you can provide are much appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[loveofrose]

LoveofRose,
I am hoping to make my first meadowfoam. I have 12.5 lbs of really good- really expensive meadowfoam. I keep being told on facebook mead groups that I should ferment a neutral honey and backsweeten with my meadowfoam. What are your thoughts on this? Would this possibly leave me with a less quality product?

I was thinking of either doing this, or doing a 3.5 gallon batch with the meadowfoam with 10lbs- fermenting dry, and backsweeting. This or dumping all the 12.5 in and hoping i can choose a yeast that will actually stop and leave it sweet.

This will only be my second batch, and i probably went too big in price for my honey. I mainly went after meadowfoam as I had a boiler meadowfoam mead that was simply amazing. hoping to emulate that profile. Any words of advice you can provide are much appreciated.
Thank you!

It has been quite a while since this thread was started. Since then, I’ve mastered the use of meadowfoam honey. I would definitely go 100% meadowfoam if possible. I have 2 recipes. The first is here:
https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Sweet-meadowfoam/ This recipe is basic and allows the honey to shine through.

The second recipe is hardcore, but worth it. Here: https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/marshmallow-maximus/ This recipe uses every trick in the book to capitalize on the marshmallow flavor.

Whichever route you choose, start your own thread with a mead log. I would be happy to help!

 

[stabzmcgee]

Thank you for the help! I greatly appreciate it. I will be trying a similar version to your simpler method. A few questions:

1. Did you do any campden for oxydation/etc, or bentonite for clarity?

2. Can I do tosna instead of using Fermaid K and K2CO3 with similar results?

3. How are you ensuring your yeast doesn't go nuts and keep hitting higher than 14/15, drying out the mead?

4. If I want to use the majority of my meadowfoam for a 3 gallon batch, I assume that woukd be 10.5 lbs of honey and 3x the amount of water, 3x the amount of nutrients?

Thanks again for the help!

 

[loveofrose]

Thank you for the help! I greatly appreciate it. I will be trying a similar version to your simpler method. A few questions:

1. Did you do any campden for oxydation/etc, or bentonite for clarity?

2. Can I do tosna instead of using Fermaid K and K2CO3 with similar results?

3. How are you ensuring your yeast doesn't go nuts and keep hitting higher than 14/15, drying out the mead?

4. If I want to use the majority of my meadowfoam for a 3 gallon batch, I assume that woukd be 10.5 lbs of honey and 3x the amount of water, 3x the amount of nutrients?

Thanks again for the help!

1. Nope. Not necessary.
2. The nutrient schedule is Fermaid O based like TOSNA, but has to be adapted with Fermaid K since GoFerm is not used with liquid yeast.
3. Wyeast 1388 with take a 1.140 mead to 1.020. It will only consume 120 points if you add all honey upfront.
4. Yep.