1st Mead, just winging it.

[drew1d]

Hello HBT, So I just started my first Mead. I took a recipe from a book called "Strong Waters." It talks about a 1 gallon recipe which I used a multiple of five. 12lbs honey, yeast nutrient, acid blend and grape tanin. And a spice bag of cloves, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. (Metheglin). I pitched redstar champagne as suggested. (4 packets). When I secondary, I may add another packet or switch it to cuvee. When I reach a sweetness I like I'll add camden tabs to stabilize. Did I over do it on the yeast?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Probably. each packet is designed for 1 five gallon batch. Also I'm not sure campden tabs will stop actively fermenting yeast. You're best bet on this would be to stabilize and back-sweeten it after it has finished fermenting.

However I wouldn't worry about having the batch be ruined by over-pitching. It may ferment very fast and blow out some of your aromas from your spice bag. Many add spices after primary for better extraction and aroma retention.

 

[biochemedic]

You certainly did not over do it, and you probably actually achieved a proper pitching rate.

Check out any of the yeast pitch rate calculators online (such as Mr. Malty), and plug in your OG and volume...Mr. Malty recommends 3.4 five gram packets of yeast for an OG of 1.090 (which is what I estimated for 12 lbs honey in 5 gallons). Yes, go ahead and set the calculator for "ale" ... most wine yeast is indeed saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale yeast, as opposed to saccharomyces pastorianus, or lager yeast), and while some are saccharomyces bayanus, I've never been able to find any info to suggest that that strain should be pitched at any lower a rate than S. cerevisiae.

I generally use 15 gm dry yeast for my full-size mead batches, and I probably should be using 20 gm. Over pitching is extremely hard to do...

 

[drew1d]

ok, just put it in the secondary today. The smell of cloves is the most dominant. Secondary, with one packet of cuvee. Tastes ok, but a sipping wine rather than chugging. I hope it mellows out over the next few months.

 

[fatbloke]

Well as long as you didn't use more than 2 cloves per gallon you should be fine. They're powerful little buggers and more than 2 per gallon can leave you with an overpowering taste......

 

[Arpolis]

Yea your just over a month and a half in. The mead will mellow out with time. Time fixes all. You will be astonished how the mead tastes month over month and the difference from now and a year from now.

 

[drew1d]

Well as long as you didn't use more than 2 cloves per gallon you should be fine. They're powerful little buggers and more than 2 per gallon can leave you with an overpowering taste......

I think I used 15 for 5 gallons. Totally overdid it. Live and learn.

 

[fatbloke]

I think I used 15 for 5 gallons. Totally overdid it. Live and learn.

Well that's 3 per gallon, so it's likely gonna be strong and "clovey" but not too bad.

Some of it will mellow out.... I'd suggest 6 to 12 months ageing.....

 

[drew1d]

Well that's 3 per gallon, so it's likely gonna be strong and "clovey" but not too bad.

Some of it will mellow out.... I'd suggest 6 to 12 months ageing.....

Will it mellow out if I bottle it then let it sit?

 

[fatbloke]

Will it mellow out if I bottle it then let it sit?

It should mellow, there's just no reall way of knowing how much or how long it might take. I'd give it a 12 month minimum......

 

[drew1d]

Well I have it in the carboy now, I really meant can I bottle now, rather than let it sit in the carboy. Does it matter?

 

[fatbloke]

Well I have it in the carboy now, I really meant can I bottle now, rather than let it sit in the carboy. Does it matter?

If you stabilise it so that there's no possibility of any referment starting, then either leave it to clear naturally, or if you need the carboy then the 2 part finings that have kiesol and chitosan in them should get it cleared in a couple of days.

I prefer to bulk age (the home brewers compromise) because that gives consistency across the batch prior to bottling (most of us don't have full climate control for bottle aging like the Pro's tend to). So if you do need to bottle then just make sure its fully cleared and keep the bottles in as cool and dark place as you can, then forget about it for at least 6 months.

You can even bottle some in beer bottles, so you've got smaller sample sizes to check how its mellowing/developing/aging.........