Thread: Got Mead?

Originally Posted by fdben

Nosewarmer, what yeast did you use for these batches? How warm was the area they fermented in?

The quick recipe calls for Fleishmann’s Yeast... There is the other brewers yeast they said that can be used, I didn't have access to that...

Just room temprature 68-72F...

My last gallon that is fermenting is Honey, Water, small package of Raisins & yeast. It seems to be doing the most bubbling out of all the the batches...

The aroma is like a sweet raisin bread...

Mmmm raisin bread.... I can just imagine.

I have a batch of apple cider fermenting right now that just smells spectacular too.

Originally Posted by fdben

Mmmm raisin bread.... I can just imagine.

I have a batch of apple cider fermenting right now that just smells spectacular too.

I love hard cider...

I don't have any mead going on or left over but here's the Pinot Noir I was to bottle last weekend! It surrounded by all the bottles I didn't clean last weekend either.

Originally Posted by NoseWarmer

The quick recipe calls for Fleishmann’s Yeast... There is the other brewers yeast they said that can be used, I didn't have access to that...

In a pinch you can use any yeast and it will produce alcohol; specific yeast strains will impart their unique flavors to the brew. Fleishmann's is not the most offensive, but it's not the greatest in my experience.

Take this with a pinch of salt, as I once convinced my father in law that the yeast on the skins of unwashed grapes was enough to make wine. The whole 200 gallons. It worked, but it wasn't the greatest tasting wine. It was almost a chore to finish in time to make the next year's batch.

Originally Posted by NoseWarmer

My last gallon that is fermenting is Honey, Water, small package of Raisins & yeast. It seems to be doing the most bubbling out of all the the batches...

The aroma is like a sweet raisin bread...

Raisins make yeast go bananas. Be it in wine, beer or melomel, it's vigorous, to put it mildly. I've made wine out of raisins and sultanas and it's by far the most active primary fermentation of anything I've made. When you start at 1.040 or below it turns out like a dry vermouth; over that it's sweeter, and by 1.052 it's like Lacrima di Cristi, a southern Italian wine that if you haven't had you should. Them people know their wine and they don't call this stuff Tears of Christ for nothing.

Well here is my first yeild of Mead.

I ended up with 10 pint jars only because I stopped filling once I got to the sediment.

I figure this will last a few days... It still isn't ready to drink, it still needs time to mellow...

I did however try the Orange Cranberry, kind of tastes like a White Zinfindel...

I have a feeling that this "brew" may knock a few people on their A**'s...

I'm impressed !

Originally Posted by Nightblade

I'm impressed !

Me too... Thanks Nightblade...

Thanks for the pics! I've finally got mine racked and sitting in jugs with airlocks on, but there isn't much in the way of bubbling going on.

I have to agree with the alcohol assessment, though. I took a taste of each while siphoning; while it isn't particularly tasty yet, it's STRONG.

Originally Posted by Vulcan500rider

Thanks for the pics! I've finally got mine racked and sitting in jugs with airlocks on, but there isn't much in the way of bubbling going on.

I have to agree with the alcohol assessment, though. I took a taste of each while siphoning; while it isn't particularly tasty yet, it's STRONG.

I was amazed at how well it cleared over the process... Considering what it looked like when I started...

I only racked once and let it set for about another 45 days... When I filled the jars and screwed the lids down, it didn't take long for the pressure to rebuild.

I still have one more batch to jar...