Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Mead Lovers Digest #1207
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1207, 17 August 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1207 17 August 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
rehydration of dry yeast sachets ("wintermead")
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1206, 13 August 2005 (Michael Faul)
How to compute O.G. (Mike Peremsky)
Mango mead (Linda Short)
Rehydration of yeast ("lameuse@netzero.net")
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com.
Use mead-request@talisman.com for [un]subscribe/admin requests.
Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead
A searchable archive is available at www.gotmead.com/mead-research/mld
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: rehydration of dry yeast sachets
From: "wintermead" <wintermead@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 17:04:33 -0500
I use only Lalemand yeasts because they work very well with high
gravity mead musts. The instructions for rehydration are on the
sachet. Why would you not follow them, exactly? (BTW, exactly
means EXACTLY the right amount of water and EXACTLY the right
water tempeture.) If you do you, you will see that the yeast is
viable and you can be assurred that you will have a good
fermentation. If you do not, well then you take your chances of
losing 12-odd pounds of honey and special ingredients. Happy
meading.
Chuck Wettergreen
Geneva, Il
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1206, 13 August 2005
From: Michael Faul <mfaul@rabbitsfootmeadery.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 08:05:57 -0700
> Subject: Re: to rehydrate or not to rehydrate?
> From: rdadams@smart.net (Dick Adams)
> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 13:26:35 -0400 (EDT)
>
> There is a school of thought that rehydration is not necessary.
> I have tried both ways and have not noted a difference. Please
> note that when I want to feel safe or when I show my son how to
> make mead, I rehydrate.
>
> There are two methods of aeration: using an air stone and
> stirring. I use one or the other depending on how I feel
> at the moment and will leave the merits of each to those
> who know more more than I do. But I fail to see how either
> will kill the yeast
>
> Yeast manufacturers do not send me their bulletins so I am
> clueless as to yeast manufacturer policies regarding aeration.
> But I have very positive experiences following Ken Schramm's
> advice. So I pitch first and then aerate.
>
> Dick
As a commercial mead producer I follow the information provided by the
manufacturer for each yeast used.
In the case of ALL dry yeast I use the procedure is to add the yeast to
104F water (volume varies by amount of yeast used) for AT LEAST 30 minutes.
The Lallamand directions on 500gr packages tell you to do this.
I have made batches of mead using the rehydrate and the sprinkle method
and with batches of 1200-2000 gallons I can tell you that the time to
ferment is longer with the sprinkle method.
I also use O2 to aerate but only with certain versions of my meads.
I get all the bulletins from the yeast manufacturers and I have not yet
to see where it says to sprinkle the yeast.
Just as a datapoint, I have fermented over 65,000 gallons last year and
every gallon was done with the re-hydrate method.
MIke
http://www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com
------------------------------
Subject: How to compute O.G.
From: Mike Peremsky <mperemsky@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 22:23:18 -0700 (PDT)
Hello all I am looking to make my first mead in 7
years and am a bit out of touch with everything. The
recipe I have is given below. I have seen posts that a
yeast may not start if the Specific Gravity is too
high at the start. The recipe I have for Sweet Mead
calls for 15-18 gals of honey. My questions are the
following:
1) How can I compute the S.G. of the wort?
2) What S.G. is too high for a yeast to start
3) How would substituting Wyeast 3184 Sweet Mead or
Wyeast 3623 Dry Mead affect the mead? Would the amount
of honey for the Dry Mead still result in a sweet
mead?
Sweet Mead
- -15-18 lbs of high quality varietal honey
- -4 gal water, approx enough to make 5 gal
- -2 tsp yeast energizer
- -2 tsp yeast nutrient
- -1 ltr starter of Lalvin D-47 yeast (Cotes-du-Rhone)
OG 1.120-1.135
FG 1.025
Sanitize must, then pitch the yeast starter at 60-70?F. Stir vigorously to
oxygenate. Ferment completely, watching for signs of slowing fermentation, and
use calcium carbonate to keep the pH above 3.7 or so to keep the yeast happy.
Rack to secondary and age until clear. Bottle when you are ready.
------------------------------
Subject: Mango mead
From: Linda Short <lc_otter@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 06:39:13 -0700 (PDT)
I started a 5 gal batch of mango mead about three months ago. I don't
remember how much mango I used, but before it was peeled, it was about
a case and a half (about 20 mangos). I used 10 lbs of honey and added
yeast energizer.
I've taken off the lid and smelled the airlock, the mead smells alcoholic.
It used to smell sweet, but there's less of that now. I'm kind of worried
that it's not clearing and I think the fermentation is stuck. I'm not in
a hurry with this one because I started it for my 30th birthday party and
I'll be turning 29 next week. This may be a dumb question, but should I
feed the mead, add bentonite and a stronger yeast or would it be better
just to wait and see what it does?
- -Linda-
------------------------------
Subject: Rehydration of yeast
From: "lameuse@netzero.net" <lameuse@netzero.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:11:57 GMT
This seems to be a touchy subject, but here's my experience. When I first
started making the mead, lo those many moons ago, I rehydrated with a pinch
o sugar and pitched with lots of aeration. Then I did overnight starters
with lots of aeration and also tried sprinkling on 2 packs with lots of
aeration.... results.... SAME.
The biggest and only difference I've ever had on a fermentation has been
regardless of yeast handling, aeration is the critical part. My only
stuck batches, yup you guessed it, no aeration. I did 3 batches to test
the theory and 2 stuck (I aerated and repitched to save them, but drank
those batches fast). If you think about it the little rehydration step its
pretty similar conditions to the must, just more yeasties and less sugar. But
all yeasties need is air/O2 and a leetle bit of nutrient early so they can
expand logarithmically like the plague and make a nice vigorous fermentation.
Len Meuse
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1207
*******************************
