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Low og dry sparkling mead

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MEAD333

MEAD333

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 10, 2013
8
0
0
Tx
Hello everyone,
This is my first time posting here. I have a low gravity dry mead that was started this past saturday.

Ingredients
1 mint green tea bag
1lb. organic wildflower honey
1gal spring water
us-05 dry yeast

First i heated the water up to 160 and added half the pack of yeast to the water(for nutrients,need to buy some) and the the tea bag, took it off the heat and let steep for 20 mins. Once the water cooled to 120 I added the honey and stirred. Once the must was cool I transferred it to the fermenter and pitched the other 1/2 pack of yeast. It has been fermenting happily at around 65°F. Ill post pictures later tonight.
I am just curious what the rest of you here think about my process and would also like any feedback on similar projects.
 
B

B. Goldwater

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 29, 2013
69
0
0
Denver, Colorado
Welcome to GotMead!


I am assuming this is a one gallon batch?

What flavor profile are you trying to get in your end result?

Did you taste it once all ingredients minus yeast were mixed, if so was it subtle in flavor?


If you are wanting the mint green tea to be the headliner I think you might be light from the start... Also assuming you removed the tea bag after steeping and didnt add it to the fermenter...

In my limited experience I would taste it after primary and then possibly add another teabag or two in secondary to let the small amount of alcohol present leech more of the flavors of the tea leaves out...

It really all depends on what you are trying to obtain in the end result...

My $.02
 
MEAD333

MEAD333

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 10, 2013
8
0
0
Tx
Thanks for the .02 cents B. you got me thinking.

I thought I was being thorough in my description of my process but I guess I did forget a few things;). This is a one gallon test batch recipe. The end flavor profile I am not totally sure of. I have only made fruit meads of high gravity in the past. I tried it today and it tastes great! No real evidence of the tea bag I added(and then removed after the steep) except the slight color addition. I took a gravity reading once I got home from work and have only had a grav drop of .010, but its still fermenting strong. I then added back the same amount of water it took for the reading mixed with a fat TBS of honey and a tsp of yeast after heating to kill the yeast then cooling to match ferm temp.
 
B

B. Goldwater

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 29, 2013
69
0
0
Denver, Colorado
MEAD333 said:
Thanks for the .02 cents B. you got me thinking.

I thought I was being thorough in my description of my process but I guess I did forget a few things;). This is a one gallon test batch recipe. The end flavor profile I am not totally sure of. I have only made fruit meads of high gravity in the past. I tried it today and it tastes great! No real evidence of the tea bag I added(and then removed after the steep) except the slight color addition. I took a gravity reading once I got home from work and have only had a grav drop of .010, but its still fermenting strong. I then added back the same amount of water it took for the reading mixed with a fat TBS of honey and a tsp of yeast after heating to kill the yeast then cooling to match ferm temp.
Click to expand...

Glad I was able to stimulate your noggin...

I will be interested to hear how this turns out for you, and what changes you might possibly make as you go along. As it ages the tea might make a comeback on the flavor profile, but in my limited knowledge, i would still assume that it would be light and subtle with the original quantity you used. I have been thinking of starting a ginger tea/peach variation so keep us updated on your progess if you could.

BTW, it is possible to return your samples taken for readings to your batch with no ill effects. You just have to make sure you SANITIZE everything that touches it first. It is totally a matter of personal preference, but wanted to make sure you knew it was possible.
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,447
59
48
Ottawa, ON
I'm pretty sure the 160F will kill the yeast, but next time I'd reccommend microwaving or boiling it in water for at least a few minutes to make sure the yeast cells lyse (pop), otherwise all the good stuff you want the other yeast to be able to eat might be trapped inside the cell membranes... although at a low OG, I often skip the nutrients altogether and it always seems to work out fine.
 
MEAD333

MEAD333

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 10, 2013
8
0
0
Tx
So the mead tastes pretty dang good right now. It also has a decent amount of C02 from fermentation which helps me get a better idea of the end product. Im going to let it age as long as I can before bottling just to make sure the gravity is all the way down. This week i hope to make a 5 gallon batch of something similar to put into my new keg system I just got:D
 
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