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My first attempt at Mead (Melomel) need nutrient info.

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Meandvls

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Jan 2, 2006
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Great forum!

Anyway, here is the Peach Melomel recipe I've come up with:

15lbs (6.8kg) Honey
6-7lbs Fresh or frozen sliced Peaches
1Tbsp. (8g) Gypsum
2Tsp. (20g) Acid blend (optional) or citric acid
1/4oz. (7g) Yeast Extract (optional) or 3tsp. yeast nutrient (optional)
1/4Tsp. (1g) Irish Moss powder
2pkg (10g) Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast rehydrated
in preboiled 105 degree water for 10 min. before pitching.

(5 gal batch)

I plan on adding everything to the primary except the fruit. I have frozen fresh sliced peaches I plan on mashing and placing in the secondary and racking on top of them. I also plan on aerating before pitching the yeast and then once or twice a day for the first 3 days of fermentation. The biggest question I have is about adding the yeast nutient such as Fermaid K. Should I add say 2tsp prior to aeration and pitching of the yeast and then 1/4tsp per gallon each day for 3 days or 1/4tsp per gallon at 1/3 sugar break (3-4 days) and the same again at 2/3 sugar break?

any suggestions on the recipe and nutrient use are welcomed.

Kelly
 
F

flatlandfiddler

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Jul 19, 2005
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What's the gypsum for? How about the Irish moss? These ingredients strike me a beer brewing ingredients.

Either one of those nutrient plans is going to work just fine. I'd add some DAP though.

Peaches are more acidic than you might think. I'd hold off on that acid blend. Generally, you want to add acid blend after secondary anyway.

This recipe may end up on the sweet side, but should be tasty.
 
M

Meandvls

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Jan 2, 2006
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Since I haven't had my water tested I should go without the gypsum. Mainly gypsum is a sourse of calcium sulfate which can help in fermentation if your water is soft. Irish moss helps in clarification. Coagulated proteins are positively charged and the Irish moss powder is negatively charged. They attract each other and will cause the coagulated proteins to settle out. I believe this is only relevant if you heat your must. I'm still torn as to whether I want to heat my must to say 170 for 15 min or go with the no heat method.

I will hold off on the acid as well :) How much DAP do you recommend? Do I add it first to the must, then say 5 min later add the Fermaid, then aerate and finally pitch the yeast?

Thanks for the help.

Oh, and I was hoping for a semi sweet finished product.
 
W

WRATHWILDE

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Mar 19, 2005
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Sounds good, you should be in the ballpark for a semi sweet mead, I'd suggest the no boil method. I'm still experimenting with Nutrient additions, I've added them staged and the result was awesome. This time around I added the Fermaid K up front and staged the DAP, it's up to you, Do keep a brewlog... and don't be afraid to experiment. As long as the nutrients are available your mead should do fine whichever route you choose. I'd skip the Irish moss, Gypsum and acid blend you don't need them as long as your must is well oxygenated and your yeast is rehydrated properly (if you can get ahold of some GoFerm I highly recommend it for rehydrating your yeast). Good luck with your mead, but the way you have it planned... as long as everything is sterilized, you will be drinking some fine mead when your done. Just remember Sanitize EVERYTHING and patience, Patience, PATIENCE.

Fermaid K supplements the thiamine & pantothenate levels in the must, which if too low will cause excess H2S and volitile acid production. 1 gram (1/4 tsp) per gallon of Fermaid K at 1/3 sugar depletion is generally accepted as the amount to use.

With DAP 1/2 tsp a day for the first three days while aerating is generally good practice. Two teaspoons per five gallon batch is plenty if you're making a single dose before pitching the yeast.

Wrathwilde
 
M

Meandvls

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Jan 2, 2006
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Thanks for the replies :) I've brewed beer and am pretty fanatical about sanitizing so that shouldn't be a problem. I did read on one of the posts about sanitizing the lip and bung of the carboy when aerating and I will definately follow that advice. I already have a brew log for my beer and planned on purchasing another book for my mead log. I will check with my LHBS and see what they stock for nutrients/goferm etc.

Wrath...you mentioned the Fermaid K at 1/3 sugar depletion...should I also supplement at 2/3?

I'm looking forward to getting this started! We have a local Meadery here that just opened in June '05 and I sampled some of their meads and now I'm hooked :eek:

Again, thanks for the help. I've been lurking around here for a couple of weeks and have gleaned a wealth of information. I will definately record my progress in the brewlog section.
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

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Dec 26, 2004
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You don't need to supplement at 2/3 with 71B-1122. It has lower nitrogen needs relative to other yeast strains in Lallemand's inventory.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
M

Meandvls

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2006
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Yes it does, thx Oskaar. I've bookmarked many of your posts and found them to be quite informative. As far as the supplementing goes I've searched the forums and read many posts on the subject and it seems there are many methods. It appears that everyone sticks to the method that they have been successful with, whether it be staged supplementing or upfront supplementing or both. I figured I would do both. So, just to finalize my procedure; rehydrate my yeast with GoFerm, aerate my must prior to pitching with Fermaid and follow a few min later with DAP, pitch the yeast, at 1/3 break (2-4days) supplement with Fermaid.

That look like a sound plan? Also, I choose the 71B based on a concensus of the posts I've read. I orginally was planning on a champagne yeast but figured that would end up with a dry finished mead.
 
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