A very quick turnaround mead based on an open source Groennfell recipe - Tart Cherry Mead

[bernardsmith]

Started this mead on 10/16 and bottled this evening (10/25) so a nine day mead from pitch to bottle...Don't know that this is competition ready but the taste of the still version is delightful with lots of sweet notes although this is nominally quite dry. I say "still" because I have primed the bottles to create (hopefully) a sparkling mead.

For 1 gallon (about 6.5% ABV - so the equivalent of a beer or cider rather than a wine)

24 oz of honey. I used Neem (a honey from India) but you could use wildflower, clover, OB or any varietal you have to hand;
1 pint tart cherry juice (I used R.W. Knudsen) - 12% of the total volume - If you wanted your mead with more sour cherry flavor you could use more juice, but I was looking for more balance between the honey and the fruit
Water to make 1 scant gallon
Nutrients
71B yeast (rehydrated in only water). Ambient temperature was around 60 F

My guess is that it will likely take about 2-3 weeks to carbonate

 

[AkTom]

I’ll give it a shot. Sounds good to me.
Thanks.

 

[SKBugs]

It sounds similar to the Psychopomp. I am just about to bottle my first attempt. It is very tasty. I have had a heck of a time getting rid of the sulfur smell tho. Not sure why it is doing it when none of my other meads have. Keep us updated. Cheers

 

[bernardsmith]

It is based on that recipe, SKBugs, but I never had a whiff of H2S. My active fermentation is always in an open bucket (loosely covered with a cloth) to allow me to stir to degas a couple of times a day... Got 7 Grolsch-type bottles and another half bottle and I have about 1/2 pint of the lees in a mason jar in my fridge that overnight allowed the sediment, yeast and mead to clearly form three distinct layers. My plan is to drink the mead part and collect the yeast to use in a papaya or mango t'ej I intend to start this evening as soon as I get home from work, if I have time, or Saturday night.

For this batch (another gallon) my idea is to recycle the inchet (gesho) I have used in another batch to see if I can extract more flavor (second runnings?) and if it works well - that will be great. If I cannot get much flavor from the inchet that will still be OK as mango (or the papaya - I have not yet decided) will then be more dominant and that will be quite fine..

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

This looks like an awesome recipe! And short turn-around to experiment with different batches!

I'll have to grab some honey and 71B after work, Bernard did you source your tart cherry juice locally? I assume the idea is as with all juices added to fermentations, the fewer preservatives the better? It looks like the brand you mention is at the Price Chopper in town so I can have this one chugging away in no time.

Have you thought about any other additions?

 

[AkTom]

What temperature do you ferment at?

 

[bernardsmith]

What temperature do you ferment at?

My basement is around 60 F sometimes gets as high as 65...

 

[SKBugs]

Wow. That's a step beyond me at the moment. I put mine in a carboy for some reason thinking that would be ok. Back to the bucket then.
I like the idea of recycling the yeast. Groennfel say they they pour more must over the used yeast and continue on with a new batch. Makes sense I guess.
And we are coming into mango season in these parts so more inspiration. Thanks mate.

 

[bernardsmith]

Turns out that I have papaya in my freezer. It's now thawing to be used in my next batch of t'ej (pitching Sunday).

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Just pitched the 71B. We will see how quickly it takes off.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

I have been degassing/adding yeast nutrient as necessary this week. Still a large amount of bubbles going, keep in mind I used more honey and riffed off the recipe a bit so I will look to turn it around in about 3 weeks not 10 days like OP.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Fermentation slowing. Will continue to degas and take a hydro reading this weekend and go from there.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Bottled my heavier version this weekend, ABV about 14%. Now I took my leftover honey and tart cherry juice and pitched right onto the cake of 71B. This will be closer to the OP short mead recipe, we will see how fast it goes.

 

[bernardsmith]

I think that next time I make this I might double the amount of tart cherry I use. A month after making this the fruit flavor is more muted than I want.

 

[gunhaus]

Hey B- Glad to see your keeping up with the experiments on the quick meads! I've been out of the loop for a bit, and only just got back to playing around with things again a few weeks back. Looking forward to more updates.

 

[stevieb_81]

I am starting my first batch of Blackberry Meade tonight. I've been reading on open fermentation vs carboy. The supplies I purchased are carboys - does this drastically alter the process/ flavor? I like your idea of Knudsen's Tart Cherry - great flavor and good for you as well. May give the Cherry a try this evening. Starting off two batches just till I can find my groove and understand all the lingo and processes. Many thanks for sharing!

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi stevieb_81 and welcome. Not sure that fermenting in a bucket drastically affects flavor. Others may have a different take but fermenting in a bucket provides you with access that fermenting in a carboy does not. With a loosely covered bucket
1. You can easily stir to remove CO2 and if you are fermenting with fruit, the stirring can ensure that the fruit does not form into a cap that prevents CO2 from escaping (it can do)
2. You can easily add powdered nutrients and not create volcanoes of wine (or mead)
3. You can easily increase the starting total volume to enable you to rack into a carboy when active fermentation ends so that there is no headroom that you need to fill.
4. With some active fermentations the yeast can produce so much froth and foam that your airlock is filled and you have to then clean out the airlock unless you use a blow off tube. Fermentation in a bucket avoids this problem.
So four good reasons to use a bucket as your primary... and no one reason to avoid buckets... Carboys are great as secondaries. No argument about that , but buckets are better as primaries.

 

[stevieb_81]

This is amazing! thank you so much for the tips and tricks. I'm going to go carboy route tonight since that's what I bought - next batch I'll go the open method. You make perfect sense and thanks for breaking down so I can understand lol.

 

[NeverDie]

It sounds similar to the Psychopomp. I am just about to bottle my first attempt. It is very tasty. I have had a heck of a time getting rid of the sulfur smell tho. Not sure why it is doing it when none of my other meads have. Keep us updated. Cheers

Which cherry juice did you use? In my non-tart cherry juice experiments I found that L&A cherry juice (https://www.heb.com/product-detail/l-amp-a-all-cherry-juice/1660789) always produced H2S, whereas Knudsen did not. Nothing on the L&A label hints at why that would be. All else was equal. Go figure. Too bad too because the L&A cherry juice is less expensive and yet still tastes delicious if drinking it plain. After two failures with it for fermentation though I gave up on it.

I suppose I could try it again with Fresco yeast, which is a yeast strain that's physically incapable of producing H2S....

 

[SKBugs]

NeverDie I suspect it was due to having the brew in a carboy with little headspace for the CO2 to escape. I will try again in a bucket and try and degas a bit more firmly.

 

[CKuhns]

Thanks Bernard - You inspired me to do a 5 Gallon batch - Here is my attempt.

Yeast Pitch to Glass 21 days.
OG 1.056 - FG 1.006 = 0.050 X 131.25 = 6.5 ABV.

Ingredients:
6 lbs (½ Gallon) Dark Honey: Baker's Special
3.0 Gallons Water
1.5 Gallon Tart Cherry Juice
6.6 gr Fermaid-O
1 pack Omega Hothead liquid yeast
(Yeast is specific to this recipe as other yeasts will not do well at the fermentation temp I used)
Optional - I did all of them
2 tsp Potassium Carbonate
Pectic Enzyme
KC Super Kleer or clarifying agent of your choice.
1oz Med toast Oak
1oz pure vanilla extract.
Acid blend to taste.

Combined the Juice honey & Water at 100°F to a 6 Gal Big Mouth Bubbler (BMB)
- Added 2tsp Potassium Carbonate (Optional)
- Stirred 5 minutes vigorously to aerate with a lees stirrer and drill.
- SG (OG) = 1.056
- Added the yeast. (Rinsed the yeast packet with must)
- Weighed out 6.6 grams Fermaid-O (divided in two)

Fermented at 88°F (31°C). Used a heat blanket and temp controller affixed with blue painters tape and wrapped in a beach towel. LOTS of Krausen = 3-5” - Glad I used the large BMB! No H2S or Rino farts and no fusels or sulfur flavors throughout.

18 & 36 HRS after Yeast Pitch added 3.3gr Fermaid-O to a small amount of must then add to the carboy & Lightly degas / released CO2 by hand using a lees stirrer.

8 Days after yeast pitch - SG 1.010. Racked off lees to a 5 Gal Carboy and removed the heat blanket and towel.

12 Days after Yeast Pitch - Added Pectic Enzyme, Clarified by cold crashing and using KC Super Kleer. Added 1oz of Med toast Oak and 1oz pure vanilla extract. Acid to taste 1/2 tsp.

20 days after yeast pitch - Racked from lees

21 days after yeast pitch – Filtered using a gravity feed 5 micron and 1 micron filter and force carbonated using a keg.

Tastes amazingly good for being this young, IMO filtering cleared it up pretty well along with chilling and carbonating improved the taste dramatically.

 

[bernardsmith]

Another nail in the coffin that claims that mead takes years before it is drinkable. With good protocol and good knowledge of your processes mead can be enjoyed in the same time it takes to brew a beer. And certainly, a really good mead, like grape wine, can improve as it ages, but a well made mead can be enjoyed weeks after pitching the yeast.

 

[NeverDie]

Started this mead on 10/16 and bottled this evening (10/25) so a nine day mead from pitch to bottle...Don't know that this is competition ready but the taste of the still version is delightful with lots of sweet notes although this is nominally quite dry. I say "still" because I have primed the bottles to create (hopefully) a sparkling mead.

For 1 gallon (about 6.5% ABV - so the equivalent of a beer or cider rather than a wine)

24 oz of honey. I used Neem (a honey from India) but you could use wildflower, clover, OB or any varietal you have to hand;
1 pint tart cherry juice (I used R.W. Knudsen) - 12% of the total volume - If you wanted your mead with more sour cherry flavor you could use more juice, but I was looking for more balance between the honey and the fruit
Water to make 1 scant gallon
Nutrients
71B yeast (rehydrated in only water). Ambient temperature was around 60 F

My guess is that it will likely take about 2-3 weeks to carbonate

Thank for posting! Looks like an interesting recipe.

 

[NeverDie]

Thanks Bernard - You inspired me to do a 5 Gallon batch - Here is my attempt.

Yeast Pitch to Glass 21 days.
OG 1.056 - FG 1.006 = 0.050 X 131.25 = 6.5 ABV.

Ingredients:
6 lbs (½ Gallon) Dark Honey: Baker's Special
3.0 Gallons Water
1.5 Gallon Tart Cherry Juice
6.6 gr Fermaid-O
1 pack Omega Hothead liquid yeast
(Yeast is specific to this recipe as other yeasts will not do well at the fermentation temp I used)
Optional - I did all of them
2 tsp Potassium Carbonate
Pectic Enzyme
KC Super Kleer or clarifying agent of your choice.
1oz Med toast Oak
1oz pure vanilla extract.
Acid blend to taste.

Combined the Juice honey & Water at 100°F to a 6 Gal Big Mouth Bubbler (BMB)
- Added 2tsp Potassium Carbonate (Optional)
- Stirred 5 minutes vigorously to aerate with a lees stirrer and drill.
- SG (OG) = 1.056
- Added the yeast. (Rinsed the yeast packet with must)
- Weighed out 6.6 grams Fermaid-O (divided in two)

Fermented at 88°F (31°C). Used a heat blanket and temp controller affixed with blue painters tape and wrapped in a beach towel. LOTS of Krausen = 3-5” - Glad I used the large BMB! No H2S or Rino farts and no fusels or sulfur flavors throughout.

18 & 36 HRS after Yeast Pitch added 3.3gr Fermaid-O to a small amount of must then add to the carboy & Lightly degas / released CO2 by hand using a lees stirrer.

8 Days after yeast pitch - SG 1.010. Racked off lees to a 5 Gal Carboy and removed the heat blanket and towel.

12 Days after Yeast Pitch - Added Pectic Enzyme, Clarified by cold crashing and using KC Super Kleer. Added 1oz of Med toast Oak and 1oz pure vanilla extract. Acid to taste 1/2 tsp.

20 days after yeast pitch - Racked from lees

21 days after yeast pitch – Filtered using a gravity feed 5 micron and 1 micron filter and force carbonated using a keg.

Tastes amazingly good for being this young, IMO filtering cleared it up pretty well along with chilling and carbonating improved the taste dramatically.

At what pressure are you force carbonating it to? I'm wondering if the pressure is ultimately what stops your fermentation.

 

[Lefou]

Another nail in the coffin that claims that mead takes years before it is drinkable. With good protocol and good knowledge of your processes mead can be enjoyed in the same time it takes to brew a beer. And certainly, a really good mead, like grape wine, can improve as it ages, but a well made mead can be enjoyed weeks after pitching the yeast.

Session meads are quite doable.
The ABV should be what you'd expect in a table wine and if you really want, you can also carb the mead exactly as you would a beer. Once you're satisfied with the end product simply transfer the mead to a keg, cool, and pressurize it. Flavorings can also be added as well.

 

[CKuhns]

It's sitting at 13 PSI - I am estimating (perhaps incorrectly) something near 2.5 to 3.0 Volumes of CO2.

Nope, fermentation was complete 1.006 (Temp Adjusted) seven days apart. Cold Crashed at MN garage temps roughly 40 deg F, KC Super Kleer and rackied to clarify. Then filtered using a 5 micron and 1 micron filter. Although not perfect will remove most if not all of the yeast. (Any bud could be less than 1 micron) The keg will protect it from over carbing even if it does chew through the last little bit at refrigerator temps. (IMO Very unlikely there is not enough yeast left to do anything.)

 

[CKuhns]

Hmmm - "Another Nail in the coffin" I think this particular low ABV Mead and the BOMM protocol and of course as some of your and others experience has proven can indeed produce a very good low ABV Mead in a very short period of time.

Even with fine-tuning my high ABV recipe and what I would consider very good practices and protocols while adding fruit, spices or hops etc. These more traditional Sack Meads will take a considerable amount of time to age 12 + months.

With that said there is a place for a 6.5 ABV Mead. (Something I a year ago I would fave argued) Most production Meads fall into this category. What we must understand like beer brewing is that a German Lager from New Glarus in Wisconsin and a Micro brewed Barrel aged Double Imperial Stout from Dangerous Man in Minneapolis both have their place and both in their own right are good to great.

The same must be said for a Session Mead and a Sack / Melomel fruit "bomb" Mead. They just take different routes to get there.

Neither are wrong, just different and both enjoyable...

 

[bernardsmith]

Absolutely. But the thing unless you are pitching an exotic yeast, selected for the purpose, a high ABV mead (above, say, 14 or 15%) will have stressed the yeast and as I say all the time, if you stress yeast they will return that favor to you by the bucket load. And a mead made with stressed yeast will not be drinkable in months, perhaps not even in years.

 

[Blacksmith1]

my step son turns out drinkable meads in about a month using honey water and bread yeast. Some are plain, some are melomels, some acerglyns. and some are herb and spice mixes (can't remember what that's called), without any of the fancy protocols, yeasts, nutrients, etc. so it's just plain do-able. Granted they get much better with a month or 2 of aging but still

 

[MeadEater]

I think that next time I make this I might double the amount of tart cherry I use. A month after making this the fruit flavor is more muted than I want.

How did it turn out with the doubled cherry? I'm thinking of trying this recipe out. Also, how long did it take to carbonate? Did you just add priming sugar to carbonate it, or did you use honey/cherry juice?

 

[noah0189]

I'm about to make my first batch of mead ever. I'm going to double OP's recipe to make a 2 gallon batch. I will ferment in a 5 gallon bucket.
My ingredients:
48oz of Aldi Raw Honey..unsure of type, but it's raw and unfiltered
2 pints Lakewood Pure Black Cherry juice (pure black cherry juice not from concentrate and no other ingredients)
Yeast nutrient
71B yeast- 1 packet

A few questions:
1. Does anyone see any issue with my supplies?
2. Do I actually need two packets of 71B if I double the recipe?
3. Do I only top off with water to reach the 2 gallon mark or is it add 2 gallons of water?
4. I plan to ferment in my house. We keep it around 68-73 degrees year round. Do I need a heat blanket?

Thanks in advance

 

[Seamonkey84]

Even half a pack will do it. Half a pack for up to 3 gallons, a whole one for up to 6. But better idea to use more with mead.
I’d recommend against heating it, that is a good temp to keep the room at during primary for healthy yeast. The activity actually warms up the must a little by itself. Bringing the temp up will cause the yeast to produce esters, which can be good or bad depending on what your looking for, so chose yeast wisely if doing so.

 

[noah0189]

.

 

[noah0189]

Even half a pack will do it. Half a pack for up to 3 gallons, a whole one for up to 6. But better idea to use more with mead.
I’d recommend against heating it, that is a good temp to keep the room at during primary for healthy yeast. The activity actually warms up the must a little by itself. Bringing the temp up will cause the yeast to produce esters, which can be good or bad depending on what your looking for, so chose yeast wisely if doing so.

I see that 71B operates in the 59-89 degree range. Theoretically, I'm good, right? Can I still expect a quick turn mead? Thanks.

 

[Seamonkey84]

The original post was done at 60, you’ll be fine. That said, I do remember now that Groennfell uses higher temps to get those esters, as they use less honey so there isn’t as much of a flavor profile otherwise. Your good to go either way!

 

[Blacksmith1]

I'd go with a bit over 2 gals so that you rack to 2 one gallon containers with little to no headspace. say about 2 gals 8 oz. (guessing at the amount needed to cover the lees)

 

[Seamonkey84]

I'd go with a bit over 2 gals so that you rack to 2 one gallon containers with little to no headspace. say about 2 gals 8 oz. (guessing at the amount needed to cover the lees)

Yes! Absolute favorite reason I start all my batches in a bucket, and I always have bottles and growlers of different sizes, with bungs to fit each one. Always good to have extra for topping off with after racking... or just extra to “sample”

 

[noah0189]

Thanks all for weighing in.

Just to double check... my bucket currently has a little over 2.5 gallons of fluid in it.

48 oz honey
64 oz cherry juice
2 gallons of water
Nutrients
And tomorrow I’ll add one packet of 71B

Am I doing this right?

 

[Seamonkey84]

Why waiting till tomorrow? Did you add sulfites for some reason? If not, pitch yeast right away, you prob don’t want anything random to start to grow, with that much sugar and nutrients available.

 

[noah0189]

I read on several Groennfell recipes to wait 24 hours before pitching yeast. Is that not the case? If I throw the yeast on the must now, do I stir it in or just let it sit on top? Thanks.