Due to shipping constraints, I am stuck with dry yeast for a mead. I have used M27 Mangrove Jack's Belgian Ale Yeast and it worked. I am curious as to any who have tried others with great success. I have never tried a Mead before I made some with the M27 and I was happy with the outcome. I am looking at fermenting temperature of 67-71F.
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Best dry yeast for a Mead??
- Thread starter HB_in_Subic
- Start date
For dry yeast, I've only used stuff from Lalvin/Lallemand
Lalvin K1-V1116, EC-1118, and 71B are all good in that temperature range, and will all make a good mead.
K1-V1116 is a great all-around yeast, with a huge temperature range and high alcohol tolerance (~18%). I think this one is also listed as "ICV K1" in some regions
EC-1118 is a neutral yeast with a similar range and tolerance to K1V.
71B is a good mead yeast with a good temperature range and a moderate ABV tolerance (~14%), but is little finicky is left on the lees for too long. As long as you keep up with rackings, it's perfectly fine.
Lalvin D47 is also one of the more popular yeasts for meads, but it's temperature range tops out at 68F, so unless you can keep it safely below that, I'd avoid it.
I've read that Lalvin DV10 is a great yeast for mead that is similar to K1V (possibly derived from it?), but I've never been able to get ahold of it to try it out.
A lot of people also use stuff from Red Star, but I don't personally have any experience with them. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me chimes in.
Lalvin K1-V1116, EC-1118, and 71B are all good in that temperature range, and will all make a good mead.
K1-V1116 is a great all-around yeast, with a huge temperature range and high alcohol tolerance (~18%). I think this one is also listed as "ICV K1" in some regions
EC-1118 is a neutral yeast with a similar range and tolerance to K1V.
71B is a good mead yeast with a good temperature range and a moderate ABV tolerance (~14%), but is little finicky is left on the lees for too long. As long as you keep up with rackings, it's perfectly fine.
Lalvin D47 is also one of the more popular yeasts for meads, but it's temperature range tops out at 68F, so unless you can keep it safely below that, I'd avoid it.
I've read that Lalvin DV10 is a great yeast for mead that is similar to K1V (possibly derived from it?), but I've never been able to get ahold of it to try it out.
A lot of people also use stuff from Red Star, but I don't personally have any experience with them. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me chimes in.
Now that I'm looking at it, that might have been Lalvin D21 that was similar to/possibly derived from K1V. Still haven't been able to get it, though. You'll still find both D21 and DV10 in alot of recipes around here.
EC-1118 will work fine. There are some here (me included) who aren't great believers in it likely many.
It will do the job, it is very neutral, but it does seem to blow a lot of aromatics and volatile organic compounds straight out the airlock.
Next time you send for some K1-V1116 is likely to be a bit better as it can cope with ferment temperature up to 35C (according to the makers guides). It's seems better for both traditionals and many fruit batches..........
I also have some K1-V1116 as I have been using both for my Mango wine with similar results. I am going to have to make a comparison batch of M27 vs the Lalvin to see what the difference is. The M27 tops out at 14% vs the 18% of K1-V1116 and EC-1118 (a variant of K1-V1116). The ABV for me is not a concern, just producing a true traditional mead with dry yeast.
For traditionals, D21 or K1 will likely deliver the best end result, esp if ferment temps are in low to mid 70s F. I admit, Fatbloke, to not being a big fan of EC
Yes you are correct the temps are in the 80-90F range. I am however at present in the Middle East (96-109F) and will be using a bedroom as a "cool room" using an air conditioner to keep it at 19F which has been maintainable so far. At this time, I am not willing to invest in a freezer and temperature control unit for a fermentation chamber.
Neither, I am retired USAF, been doing overseas contract work for the last 8 years. I took a 1 year hiatus last year where my focus was home brewing and decompressing. My retirement home in Subic is paid for, but I have to work a few more years before I can permanently retire. I landed a job on a new contract, in a ME country where you can legally drink. I have already got most of my supplies in.
I changed my mind on the EC1118 and will save that for Mango wine (his wife is Thai). After doing some reading, I ordered some D-47 for the mead instead as I have been able to maintain my fermenting room at 64-65F with ease. I have decided to make a Raspberry Melomel (have a 49oz can of puree on the way), since I had to order some yeast nutrients anyway. I plan on using 15lbs of clover honey for a 5 gallon batch. This should get me a SG of around 1.109 and if it finishes at 14% would leave me a partially dry Melomel around 1.004. This way if I need to back sweeten, I do not have to worry about stabilizing, as the yeast will have already pooped out. The less chemicals the better.
I am also researching the use of dates (relatively cheap where I am) for either a wine or melomel. Not sure which way to go on that one. I got my boss rejuvenated on brewing and I will be teaching him how to make Mango wine. Between the two of us we should have 5 batches of something going or almost done by the end of next month. So by this time next month, we should have a Holiday Ale (not sure what he ordered), Cream Ale, Raspberry Melomel, Mango Wine, a Robust Porter in the buckets and a batch of Apple Cider already bottled. A friend who is a manager at a local club is saving their 500ml Cider bottles for all of our beer/cider/mango wine bottling needs. I have a couple of other friends, saving their whiskey bottles for my Melomels. We planning ahead for the holidays, hence the variety.
It is really cool to be around people who appreciate home made brews. One of the fellows here has even had mead before back in the US and I am interested in his viewpoints on how my batch tastes in comparison.
I had a high school buddy that went into air force avionics....since retired, who also married a Thai girl.
I have made a tropical fruit mead that included mangos using 71B yeast, and the mangos pretty much disintegrated, but the pineapples turned to mush. Might have been the Rohament P which is a kind of pectin enzyme/enhancer that we have here in Europe. Turns out a tasty batch every time.
If you do a search here, there are formulations that use dates, but (if I recall), most concluded that it added sugar, but not much for flavor. Do your own search though....
If you want a quick mead, search for BOMM, which uses Wyeast 1388 (a liquid yeast) which finishes quickly.
Good luck, and welcome to the forums.
I have made a tropical fruit mead that included mangos using 71B yeast, and the mangos pretty much disintegrated, but the pineapples turned to mush. Might have been the Rohament P which is a kind of pectin enzyme/enhancer that we have here in Europe. Turns out a tasty batch every time.
If you do a search here, there are formulations that use dates, but (if I recall), most concluded that it added sugar, but not much for flavor. Do your own search though....
If you want a quick mead, search for BOMM, which uses Wyeast 1388 (a liquid yeast) which finishes quickly.
Good luck, and welcome to the forums.
So I went forth with the D47. At day 26 I added the Raspberry puree' (soaking in a bag). I will give it a full week before transferring to secondary for clearing. SG was 1.110, FG 1.002 = 14.15% So the Raspberry puree' will not be fermented and should retain the flavor, notes and color.
I have 15lbs of Texas Wildflower honey that I will be making a Saison Mead with (using M27) in the same primary that the Raspberry Melomel fermented in.. I am also going to make a Blackberry Melomel using Tropical Honey (not sure which yeast I will use for that batch).
The tap water here is in the mid 90s and not conducive to a wort chiller. I am leaning towards starting meads in the summer (until October) and beer the other half of the year. I will still try to make a batch of beer using four 1.5L frozen bottles of water for cooling.
When the weather cools, I will stock up on some 1388 for future BOMMs. Others have told me that they were able to get viable liquid yeast during the cooler months.
I have 15lbs of Texas Wildflower honey that I will be making a Saison Mead with (using M27) in the same primary that the Raspberry Melomel fermented in.. I am also going to make a Blackberry Melomel using Tropical Honey (not sure which yeast I will use for that batch).
The tap water here is in the mid 90s and not conducive to a wort chiller. I am leaning towards starting meads in the summer (until October) and beer the other half of the year. I will still try to make a batch of beer using four 1.5L frozen bottles of water for cooling.
When the weather cools, I will stock up on some 1388 for future BOMMs. Others have told me that they were able to get viable liquid yeast during the cooler months.
These are my only to bits to toss into the arena:
Do not expect the yeast to just stop at 14%, yeast tend to not read or follow directions very well. I've had them stop (I thought) at their tolerance, but I have gotten D47 over the 16% mark, could have gone further but that was enough! Or there is the one that instead of stopping at the tolerance, they pooped out early and left me with something a bit too sweet, so needed a different yeast to finish it off (not easy to pull off at times!). The tolerance of the yeast is a best guess as to where it will stop, so do not depend on them to follow the directions, or ANY directions for that matter!
About the only sweet mead that does not need stabilizing to prevent re-fermentation is the JAOM & it's variants, others can kick back up fermenting & make bottle bombs. Almost any yeast can start back up again, or just never stop in the first place, which is where the stabilizing comes into play. The K-Meta (Potassium Metabisulfite) is used to "stun" the yeast, they are at their most vulnerable when they get near their tolerance. Then the K-Sorb (Potassium Sorbate) is added to stop the yeast from reproducing, thereby continuing the fermentation that way either. This is usually combined with "cold crashing", AKA sticking it in the fridge for a week or two to put the yeast to sleep, then you hit them with the K-Meta & K-Sorb to prevent them from "waking back up" in the bottle.
simply trusting them to be done then adding a bunch of sugar is only going to raise the ABV & increase the time that it takes to age...
Let us know how you like the fruit addition (raspberry) puree. I have a 5 gallon batch about 10 months old now. I taste pretty good. I'm thinking you will not even have enough raspberry in that 5 gallon batch to recognize it as such. I'm not saying you won't taste a difference. You will, but, I doubt it will be pronounced enough for anyone to pick it out 
I understand EJM3 about the stabilization, as I have done it with my Mango wine. I would just rather not if at all possible. I want the melomel to be as chemical free as possible. I plan on monitoring the Raspberry Melomel in secondary to see if it continues to ferment (airlock activity) in the carboy. I agree on the yeast doing what they will, this batch is already lower than I projected 1.002 vs 1.004.
Any idea of how many gravity points that 49oz of Raspberry Puree might add to 5 gallons?
Squatchy I will let you know. So far it smells very raspberry and is pink. I am sure that the aroma will lessen after I remove the bag. I plan on tasting it when I transfer to secondary along with another gravity measurement.
Any idea of how many gravity points that 49oz of Raspberry Puree might add to 5 gallons?
Squatchy I will let you know. So far it smells very raspberry and is pink. I am sure that the aroma will lessen after I remove the bag. I plan on tasting it when I transfer to secondary along with another gravity measurement.
You can buy it here, that is where I got mine. Experimenting with it now, great for OB hydromels:
http://www.morebeer.com/products/dv10-dry-wine-yeast.html
Here is their description of the DV10 yeast:
Let us know how you like the fruit addition (raspberry) puree. I have a 5 gallon batch about 10 months old now. I taste pretty good. I'm thinking you will not even have enough raspberry in that 5 gallon batch to recognize it as such. I'm not saying you won't taste a difference. You will, but, I doubt it will be pronounced enough for anyone to pick it out
I am still letting it sit in Primary (waiting on some tubing for transfer to carboy) and it still smells wonderfully of Raspberries.
