After a few weeks of lurking here and reading around some websites, I bought a mead making kit from a local homebrew supply. The employees recommended D-47 yeast and included a nutrient packet with the kit, they stressed that it was all I needed.
My first question: the D-47 yeast apparently needs to stay under 68 degrees, where I plan on storing the mead stays right at 66-70 degrees, and should be a little bit cooler now that winter is coming, but is staying that close to the top end of the temp range going to give my mead less a chance of being the best it could be?
The second question: the nutrient the included contains "Super Ferment," Bentonite, Tannin, and Pectin Enzyme. I did some reasearch and it seems the pectin enzyme and bentonite are used for clarification, but from what I have read on tannin is that is could impart a bad flavor on the mead.
Should I trudge forwards with what I have or make a drive back and resupply? I plan on the final product being a semi-sweet to sweet mead, I am making 5 gallons, with 16lbs or local raw honey. My wife is begging to add fruit in the secondary, so I may end up breaking the the batch up into a few smaller glass containers. I will also backsweeten as necessary.
Thank y'all very much for the help.
My recipe currently is:
16 lbs of honey
1pkg of D-47 yeast
Water
My first question: the D-47 yeast apparently needs to stay under 68 degrees, where I plan on storing the mead stays right at 66-70 degrees, and should be a little bit cooler now that winter is coming, but is staying that close to the top end of the temp range going to give my mead less a chance of being the best it could be?
The second question: the nutrient the included contains "Super Ferment," Bentonite, Tannin, and Pectin Enzyme. I did some reasearch and it seems the pectin enzyme and bentonite are used for clarification, but from what I have read on tannin is that is could impart a bad flavor on the mead.
Should I trudge forwards with what I have or make a drive back and resupply? I plan on the final product being a semi-sweet to sweet mead, I am making 5 gallons, with 16lbs or local raw honey. My wife is begging to add fruit in the secondary, so I may end up breaking the the batch up into a few smaller glass containers. I will also backsweeten as necessary.
Thank y'all very much for the help.
My recipe currently is:
16 lbs of honey
1pkg of D-47 yeast
Water