What effect will too much Nutrient have?

Welcome All,
After reading Ken Schramm's book, "the Compleat Meadmaker" it appears for the most part that a minimum of 130 miligrams per liter of FAN (Free Amino Nitrogen) is needed for a robust fermentation. It appears that 1 teaspoon per gallon of most yeast nutrients will provide approximately double that minimum not accounting for any already present in the Must. (honey/water supply) My question is: What are the penalties, if any, for using too much yeast nutrients? Will taste be affected? Does it take longer to age properly? etc. etc.

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It's my opinion that many of those meadmakers who write, "tastes like Listerine, what did I do wrong" are guilty of the "if one is good, two is better" school of nutrient and acid additions.

My meads, with NO additions other than grape tannin, are ALWAYS drinkable after they have finished fermenting (generally 2-3 weeks). Sure they may somewhat improve with age, but none of them are "listerine-like" or other bad flavors.

YMMV,

Chuck

Welcome All,
After reading Ken Schramm's book, "the Compleat Meadmaker" it appears for the most part that a minimum of 130 miligrams per liter of FAN (Free Amino Nitrogen) is needed for a robust fermentation. It appears that 1 teaspoon per gallon of most yeast nutrients will provide approximately double that minimum not accounting for any already present in the Must. (honey/water supply) My question is: What are the penalties, if any, for using too much yeast nutrients? Will taste be affected? Does it take longer to age properly? etc. etc.

Click to expand...

Too much of any additive, nutrient or otherwise, can impart chemical, bitter, or other off flavors. Follow the instructions closely on the label of the additive, not what might be given in a mead recipe. It's also helpful to find background information on the additive, which may include more specific details on what can happen to a must when the additive is misused.

There was an article published in one of the American Mead Association journals by Jace Crouch titled (I think, I'm at work and can't check) "The Great Yeast Test." This was a comparison of yeast strains, and differences between meads made with additives and those made without. In general, the natural meads had brighter and more distinctive flavors, and continued to show improvement over a long aging period. The meads made with additives improved with aging, but leveled off after about nine months or so and showed no other changes.

-- Dan M.