Mead Calculator Help

miss_rach said:

Guys,
I must be dumb and stupid as I can't figure out how this work...
http://gotmead.com/blog/the-mead-calculator/
I want to make a 5 gal batch of mead that's around 14%abv....what do I block do I need to check and what values do I need to input?

I thought I'd just check the 5 gal batch and out in a abv of 14$ and it would say hoe much honey I needed...nope that doesn't work...

can someone just give me that basics on how to do it...I don't get all wrapped up with all that other stuff...just honey and water to get a % abv is all I'm looking for!!! This shouldn'e be rocket science!!!

Click to expand...

You have to check 2 boxes:
One would be the 5 gallon batch
the other would be either honey amount or SG. As far as SG it depends on not only what your ABV but ALSO your residual sugar.

You can use this link to help you get your initial SG. You can work backwards if you know your desirable ABV as well as desirable final gravity: http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

Final gravity is partly dependent on how much residual honey/sweetness you want.

15 lbs in 5 gallons will get you 14%

Maylar said:

15 lbs in 5 gallons will get you 14%

Click to expand...

True with a final gravity of 1.001. That is fine if miss_rach wants dry. It also depends on what residual sweetness she wants and what the yeast tolerance of that yeast is.
If the yeast tolerance is higher than 14% then the mead could go higher than 14 % but not likley higher than 14.88% (based on Final SG of .995).

Also some strains, like most of the Ale/lager yeasts, cannot go to even 14%.

Bottom line miss_rach: to give you a precise answer and/or to help you use the mead calculator we need more information:
1) what yeast are you using
2) how mcuh residual sweetness do you want? If you dont know an ideal SG we can give you an idea if you let us know: dry, off-dry, sweet, or dessert sweet?