mead

[IceQueen]

Hi,

I recently had the urge to make a really strong mead. but I cant work out how much honey and water I need for a final brew of 9 liters and an abv of 24.5%. I know honey is 80% sugar and 20% water. The yest has 80% Flocculation.

Anyone can help?

LG Maddy

 

[jof]

Hi,

I recently had the urge to make a really strong mead. but I cant work out how much honey and water I need for a final brew of 9 liters and an abv of 24.5%. I know honey is 80% sugar and 20% water. The yest has 80% Flocculation.

Anyone can help?

LG Maddy

Not sure how that will work.
Most wine yeast stop at 13-14%
You can get high tolerance yeasts that claim to get to 18%
Reading elsewhere on here about high strength wine, it seems best to brew to 12%, then feed it up to higher levels, so the yeast isn't overwhelmed by the sugar content at the start of fermentation.

My knowledge comes from.wine making, I am sure one of our mead specialists will have more to add later

 

[IceQueen]

WLP099 white Labs yeast
the answer to every problem :)

Yes, I want to ferment it in steps. Hence why I need to know how much water and honey I need. Basically 1 kg yeast with 75% of the water to start and than adding more honey (and water to rinse out the jar) later.
If somebody is good in spirt making, they could answer me too, because honey and sugar are not that different in the fermention and they have experiance in how much space the sugar takes up. after all honey is just a fency sugar syrup.

 

[crescent city Mike]

Most honey will provide about 35 ppg (US gallons). You can do your calculations from that. Start with something in a typical Sack strength and add honey incrementally to feed the fermenter. At some point, you can repitch with a ninja type yeast to finish the batch. Using an incremental feed, you'll probably use a total of 13# of honey in 9 litres (2.38 US gallons).
I suspect that you'll find it nearly impossible to get up to the 24.5% abv that you want. Most yeast, even with incremental feeding, will stall out with a higher than desired gravity leaving your mead rather cloying.
You might consider making a Sack strength mead and fortifying it with vodka if the high abv is the real goal.

 

[IceQueen]

Hi,

I hate gallones, there so many different one over the world but yeah incremental feed was assumed. Ninja yest in the post and whitelabs garanties the 25%. Otherwise I want my £15 back.
TBH I only want the high abv one because I want the ultra dense honey flavour and because I can. Testing the limits a bit. Never said I will drink it Xmas present for a friend which will be matured properly be easter 2025.