![]() Since I didn't want to throw it out, I decided to make a small batch braggot out of it. of 10L crystal malt that I pulled incorrectly for a customer. This started life as three pounds of dark Munich malt and 10 oz. Here's the recipe for an accidental barleywine that could as easily be tagged a braggot. Next up: For the next Mead Yeast Sampler, I’m going to do the same experiment using different three beer yeasts. They all finished beautifully, each with a nice golden honey-like appearance. In other words, I would not hesitate to use QA23 again, even though it was my least favorite of the three in this example. I’m not sure I’ve personally reached any final conclusions. As the meads warmed a bit, I found that I preferred the 71B as it gave the most complex and interesting flavors. The QA23 was wonderfully fragrant but a bit harsh or astringent. ![]() I was very surprised by this, and still wonder if that particular bottle got a bIt more of the wine conditioner due to an error on my part. The EC-118 was the sweetest and seemed to retain the most honey notes of the three. the bottom line): James and I agreed that we preferred the EC-118 mead, followed by the 71B and the QA23. I chose to do this to make the meads a bit more “real world.” I did not add any acid or finning agent to the meads at any time.Īfter racking into a secondary fermenter. The next day, I back sweetened each mead with 1 oz. On July 10, 2018, I stabilized them using a solution of potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate. So maybe 10%).Īfter about two weeks active fermentation ceased, and they had cleared substantially, I racked them into secondary fermenters and allowed them to bulk age. (They actually finished a tiny bit lower. All three finished right at 1.000 for an ABV of 9.56%. All three were treated exactly the same at all times. The meads fermented at room temperature, about 71º F. It took a couple more days to clear than the other two. I was surprised that the 71B was the least flocculant of the three. Each of the meads was happily fermenting along within a few hours, and all of them finished as expected in about two weeks. I pitched 5 grams - or a packet - of each yeast per gallon, and let nature take its course. I added 2 teaspoons of yeast nutrient (DAP) and 1 teaspoon yeast energizer to the must and broke this into three one-gallon fermenters. It’s local, raw, of high quality, and makes a great mead. I put together a three-gallon must using 2.5 gallons of store-bought spring water and six pounds of Richard’s Honey, which is the honey I keep in stock, and that we use in our mead kits. It offers qualities of fermentive security bound to a weak demand in assimilable nitrogen and O2. Lalvin QA23 is an excellent choice for wine styles like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonel and Gewürstraminer. Lalvin QA23, selected on soil types from the area of the appelation of Vinhos Verdes in Portugal. Official descriptions from the Lalvin website: I chose QA23 since it is a Portuguese white wine yeast highly regarded in Sauvignon Blanc and other white wine production, and I thought it would make a nice mead. I chose these three because, at least in my experience, 71B and EC-118 are very commonly used in mead making and, in fact, make great meads. I thought it might be helpful to do a test comparing different yeasts. So, inspired by James Spencer's Hop Sampler format on Basic Brewing Radio™ I put together three one-gallon batches of mead from the same must but using Lalvin 71B, EC-118 and QA23 for my yeast selections. In an effort to do more than just repeat that 71B or EC-118 are the go to yeasts, etc. One of the most common questions I get from folks is what is the best yeast to use for mead. Here's a glass of the 71B example a few days after bottling. MEAD, Glorious MEAD Mead Yeast Sampler ExperimentĬheck out the Basic Brewing Radio Podcast episode.Ĭlick here to listen: 09-06-2018 Mead Yeast Experiment
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