Hi All
While this is my first batch of mead, I've brewed over 30 batches of beer and generally had good results. Most were good to very good batches. So a lot of this is somewhat familiar ground, and I've got all the equipment needed.
I'm going to do a 5 gal batch of simple traditional still mead. I'm using quality Orange Blossom honey and I'm not going to boil or heat the honey-water. After much reading and searching, I'm going to closely follow Curt Stock's method of staggered nutrient additions - stirring the must daily - and watching the ph. The final goal is an off-dry or semi-sweet mead. I definitely do not want a dry mead. I'll post the final recipe before brewing but its not much more than:
13 to 15lbs Orange Blossom honey
Spring water to reach 5 gal
Yeast
Nutrients
My two questions are:
Yeast - From my beer brewing experience it comes down to Fermentation-Fermentation-Fermentation to get a quality end result. Meaning that fermentation is a very critical process in any kind of brewing. So I am looking at doing a 1 liter starter using either White Labs WLP720 Sweet Mead/Wine Yeast or Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead Yeast. Has anyone used these yeasts and what were your final results or impressions ? Do any of you use starters for your yeast ? I've used both dry and liquid yeasts and both work well, but my results with a 1 liter starter and liquid yeasts have always been stellar.
Bottling - All this corking seems much more complicated than bottle capping. I keep seeing the need to use number 9 size corks to ensure a good seal for what may be years of storage for some bottles. This requires a floor corker machine that runs over $70. What have some of you experienced in corking your batches ? Could you use a smaller cork and wax bottle sealing ? Have any of you bottled into 22oz beer bottles using caps ?
I do not want to cut corners on this first batch when it comes to yeast or final packaging.
Thanks for your time and help - very much appreciated.
While this is my first batch of mead, I've brewed over 30 batches of beer and generally had good results. Most were good to very good batches. So a lot of this is somewhat familiar ground, and I've got all the equipment needed.
I'm going to do a 5 gal batch of simple traditional still mead. I'm using quality Orange Blossom honey and I'm not going to boil or heat the honey-water. After much reading and searching, I'm going to closely follow Curt Stock's method of staggered nutrient additions - stirring the must daily - and watching the ph. The final goal is an off-dry or semi-sweet mead. I definitely do not want a dry mead. I'll post the final recipe before brewing but its not much more than:
13 to 15lbs Orange Blossom honey
Spring water to reach 5 gal
Yeast
Nutrients
My two questions are:
Yeast - From my beer brewing experience it comes down to Fermentation-Fermentation-Fermentation to get a quality end result. Meaning that fermentation is a very critical process in any kind of brewing. So I am looking at doing a 1 liter starter using either White Labs WLP720 Sweet Mead/Wine Yeast or Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead Yeast. Has anyone used these yeasts and what were your final results or impressions ? Do any of you use starters for your yeast ? I've used both dry and liquid yeasts and both work well, but my results with a 1 liter starter and liquid yeasts have always been stellar.
Bottling - All this corking seems much more complicated than bottle capping. I keep seeing the need to use number 9 size corks to ensure a good seal for what may be years of storage for some bottles. This requires a floor corker machine that runs over $70. What have some of you experienced in corking your batches ? Could you use a smaller cork and wax bottle sealing ? Have any of you bottled into 22oz beer bottles using caps ?
I do not want to cut corners on this first batch when it comes to yeast or final packaging.
Thanks for your time and help - very much appreciated.
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