Honey flavors in mead

[ScadsOBees]

Hi
I'm about to embark on my first venture into meadmaking. I have a lot of questions that I'll probably be posting soon, but my first is which variety of honey should I start out with. I don't know what the fermentation process will do to the flavor.

I have 2 varieties of honey. The first is what I consider "basswood". It has a bit of fruity flavor, a whiff of menthol or mint, and a slightly dry finish. (no, I don't use essential oils in the hive!!!) It is a good taste, but can be overwhelming.

The other variety is more generic, better than clover honey in my opinion.

Would the "basswood" be too strong if I am just shooting for a good basic mead, or would the flavors ferment and change?

Thanks!

[Aspera]

It depends on a large variety of factors. In particular, I think the yeast and the mineral content of the water you use could be important. The basswood honey will be just fine if you use a yeast that will leave some residual sugar ( I recommend wyeast 2206 or lalvin d-47) and about 1.5 lbs of honey per a gallon. Some yeasts, such as d-47 may blunt the honey aromas but will add nice flavors of their own. I also prefer a fairly soft, low mineral spring water and don't mind a short boil for my mead. Some spices or fruits also can really accent a honey's own aroma. In your case, I think that 1 oz of Styrian Goldings or Fuggles hops at the end of the boil would be really nice. A bit of dried mint, woodruff or lemon zest could also be nice. Go crazy with it and you won't regret it. smile.gif

[Aspera]

opps, forgot to add that you can always add more honey later in fermentation, but its hard to do the reverse.

[Gregory_Naff]

Rick,

The one constant about mead making that I promise. If you ask two mead makers about the "proper" way to make mead, you will get two different answers. Both are right.

I always recommend that a new mead-maker start with a generic honey. Make a simple, traditional mead. Keep a little of the honey back in a small jar so that you can compare the finished mead with the original honey.

I recommend that they use a "generic yeast" such as Pasteur Champagne yeast. Use about 4 lbs of honey per gallon of desired finished product (i.e. 20lbs for a 5 gallon batch). This will make a medium to medium-dry mead. . Add some yeast nutrient, Servomyces or Wyeast. I would only pasteurize the mead by brining it to 165 degrees f for 10-15 minutes. Cool and pitch the yeast. Rack to secondary after fermentation stops, and let it sit a couple of months. Then try it. There is no wrong way to make mead, and it is hard to make a mistake. Like all things, some meads are better than others.

Good Luck and Happy Brewing.

[Anthony]

Hi Rick,

Gregory is 100% correct. If you ask two mead makers about the "proper" way to make mead, you will get two different answers. Both are right.

IMO, a generic honey would be best for the cherry melomel, it should impart a honey flavor and aroma to the mead without masking the cherry tones.

I prefer stronger, more distinctive honey for making varietal mead.

Knowing what to expect from the yeast used, is very helpful in figuring out how much honey is needed to get the desired results.

Information on common wine yeast used for making mead is here - http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp - select a yeast that will ferment to the ABV (Alcohol By Volume), 12% - 20% you want your mead to finish at.

If you prefer using an Ale yeast - http://beersmith.com/Yeasts/Yeasts.htm - has the information on what you can expect.

Once you've selected a yeast that will reach the ABV you desire (also note the temperature range of the yeast), you'll need to figure out exactly how much honey is needed to make the mead sweet or dry.

This calculator - http://www.gotmead.com/making-mead/mead-calculator.shtml - calculator will help in determing how much honey/sugar/fruit is called for.

Should you deside to make Braggot (mead with malt) this is a great help in figuring how much of what to use - http://hbd.org/recipator/ -

This can be of help when using fruit in beer, mead and wine - http://www.gotmead.com/smf/index.php/topic,596.0.html -

For good all around information on making mead/wine - http://winemaking.jackkeller.net - from basic sanitization to blending.

Lastly, this may very well be the most informative site on earth for information related to mead and mead making - http://www.gotmead.com - The link to the forums is on the upper right side, just below the banner ad.

I hope this helps.

Happy mazing,

Anthony

[ScadsOBees]

Thanks for all the information and the directions. I'll be reading for a while.

For the most part I was apprehensive because there is a lot about wild strains of yeast, impeccable sanitation, and sterilization, and it sounds like it is difficult to get right. I'll still be impeccable but I be so apprehensive about it failing.

-rick

[Aspera]

Scads,

Don't go crazy trying to sterilize stuff. A reasonable but degree of sanitation will improve the flavor your mead, but sterilizing stuff usually isn't necessary. In general, it is really hard to contaminate mead. Sulfites are a weak sanitizer, but more than adequate for meadmaking. While I usually boil my unfermented mead, this has more to do with clarity than with sanitation. The general rule is just to keep everything physically clean, and keep oxygen out of the fermenters. Two teaspoons of bleach in 5 gallons of water will sanitize a clean fermenter in 24 hours. Worried about bleach flavors? Just rinse with a tea kettle full of boiling hot water.

[Anthony]

Hey Rick,

Iodophor, an iodine solution, is a better way to sanitize mead making/brewing qeuipment. It's ment to be used as a sanitizer, unlike bleach. 2 minute contact time is all thats needed AND you don't have to rince your equipment to make it safe, simply let it dry.

BLC (beer line clener) works wonders for cleaning everything from bottles to racking canes. Unlike dish soap which leaves a film, BLC rinces clean.

Happy mazing,

Anthony