In which Ricky the Meadmaker answers questions about secondary fermentation, back-sweetening with caramelized honey, the best way to make a good-tasting 19% mead at home, temperature control after fermentation is finished, and more.
Plus, we hear back from David who had a mead that tasted like cough syrup!
Today, I am resting from my labors.
Welcome to Ask the Meadmaker, where I, Ricky the Meadmaker, answer your questions about mead making, mead drinking, mead brewing, and really any question you're willing to send to me.
Our first question this week comes from Brian, who wants to know when we make 1000 gallons of mead, what do we do with it before putting it in the cans? Do we move it to smaller vessels for aging? The answer is no. We use what are known as unitanks. Uni, meaning one. Tank meaning tank, which means everything is done in one tank. First, primary fermentation. Then we chill it. The yeast settles into the cone at the bottom, then we can right out of the racking arm.
John wants to know whether I like bochets, and caramelized mead, and what I think of back-sweetening with caramelized honey. The answer is I love bochets and I think it's a great idea.
Scott is trying to recreate Viking’s Blood, which is a mead from Dansk Mjod in Denmark, which is over 19% alcohol if I remember correctly. He wants to know if he should ferment right up to 19% or if he should make a good mead at whatever percentage and add Everclear to make it 19% alcohol. I'm going to go for the radical position that the latter is a much better option for the home meadmaker. Make a good mead, add Everclear, and enjoy.
You may have noticed the reframing between the last two shots. We have a teeny tiny cinematographer back with us and her arms are longer than we thought.
Peter is making Nordic Farmhouse, which is super cool because I make Nordic farmhouse too. Last time I made it, I made 926 gallons. He made one gallon. His fermentation completed in 72 hours! But the recipe online says leave it for 8-10 days. He wants to know, should he leave it at primary fermentation temperatures, 86˚F, for the full 8-10 days or can he take it out of his brew cabinet and just set it somewhere? I'd say either way is fine. The question is, do you need the space in your brew cabinet?
It's our last question. David wrote back! Last episode, he had asked about this mead he made that tasted like cough syrup, and I asked him what type. It turns out, it tastes like honey-flavored cough syrup, and it's a little bit bitter. Well, it's much better now. And it was a mead he made with gunpowder tea. So, if you are one of those people that gets the all-natural cough syrup, which is about as effective as drinking some tea and taking some honey, you could go visit David. He says it is really good right now. It tastes like honey and tea. There you have it. Excellent cough syrup mead.
That was our last question. Keep sending them and I'll get to them as soon as possible. Cheers
