Jmattioli said:
I found a recipe for Mead in a book callled 'Mad about Mead' that I just started and it called for 16lbs of Wildflower honey and 6 t of yeast nutrients and 4 t of acid blend for 5 gal. Yeast recommended was Epernay 2. After reading posts by chuck and others I am wondering if it is really needed or is way too much. Its a darker honey that according to posts on this site should not need much if any acids or nutrients. Yet this recipe comes from Pamela Spencer, the author of the book and one who has been making mead for a long time. I had hoped this site would increase my confidence as I am new to this and this is only my 4 th batch of mead this year. I have tasted the first 3 and they were good but not great but they have not been aged over 3 months yet. I used clover honey and acids and nutrients in all of them.
Hello Joe -- yes, that's a little too much nutrient. Two
nutrient products, Yeastex-61 and Fermaid both recommend
1 to 3 grams per gallon, which is about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per
gallon. It's also not a good idea to add acid at the start
of the fermentation.
I'm assuming you're referring to the recipe on p. 91 of the
book. Pamela does say "If the thought of chemicals makes
you cringe, feel free to boil the must, substitute bee pollen
for nutrient (5 tablespoons per gal), strong brewed black tea
for tannin (1 tablespoon/gallon), citrus peels (from 2 - 3
lemons or other fruit) for the acid blend.
You'll find that many of the older recipes for mead will
recommend 4 tsp of acid blend at the start of the blend.
The problem is that adding acid at the start of the
fermentation can caused a stalled or stuck fermentation
due to excessive dropping of the pH. The yeasts secrete
organic acids as they work, dropping the pH naturally.
Extra acid drops it even lower. Also, honeys vary widely
in acid content, flavor profile, etc. It's not a good idea
to recommend the same amount of acid blend regardless
of what honey you're using. Best to start the mead
without acid, finish it out, taste it, and then add acid
according to taste. You may want to consider leaving
the acid blend out altogether. As many meadmakers
have found, mead does quite well on its own, remaining
well balanced. The acid properties of honey are quite
different from the acids found in wine grapes, and need
separate consideration.
Hope this is helpful!