Mystic Creatures

How Mead is Made – Fermentation & beyond

Yeast does the work
The whole feat is accomplished using a microorganism known as yeast. These microscopic life forms are classified as a higher order of fungus with the ability to consume sugar and expel drinkable alcohol and carbon dioxide as waste. If yeast is introduced to a liquid with a high sugar content and held at the optimum temperature (about 70-75 degrees F) it will quickly consume the majority of sugar in the mixture and replace it with its natural byproducts, alcohol and CO2. The more sugar present in a mixture the more alcohol generally produced in the end product. As the percentage of alcohol in the mixture (known as “must” in the wine industry) raises the process of fermentation slowly halts. Alcohol is toxic to yeast in high volumes. Some residual sugars may remain in the mixture after fermentation is almost complete but if more is added the process of fermentation will continue to further raise the alcohol content to somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-25% (50 proof). At this point, the alcohol content of the mixture is usually too high and the yeast begin to stop fermentation and die.

Quick step-by-step guide:

1. If using a yeast culture (recommended especially for fresh fruit batches), buy a bottle of bottled apple juice and pour out about ½ of the juice. Mix in the dry yeast and cap with an air lock and rubber bung. Do this at least a week before you plan on starting the wine batch. Let sit in a cool dark place.

2. Mix all ingredients in recipe except for yeast nutrient/energizer & yeast into the primary fermenter.

3. If fresh fruit or un-pasteurized honey is used crush and mix 2 campden tablets per gallon into the wine, cover with a towel and wait at least 24 hours.

4. Whisk wine (optional) and add yeast nutrient and dry or cultured yeast.

5. Stir thoroughly daily for at least the first week. (remember to sterilize your spoon before stirring )

6. When air lock bubbling slows to 1 every 2-3 minutes test with hydrometer. If SG is below 1.34 then rack switch to secondary fermenter.

7. Freeze and thaw (see instructions below) if desired.

8. Clear with Bentonite or Sparkloid 3-4 times

9. Stabilize with Potassium Sorbate & Campden tablets

10. Sweeten to taste

11. Bottle in corked bottles, 2 liter or gallon containers.

12. Age as desired (aging can also be done in larger secondary fermentation containers.

13. Sample liberally sample

The basics
The honey is mixed with all the necessary ingredients in a container, usually a food-grade plastic bucket. The mixture is sanitized and additional nutrients beneficial to the rapid growth of yeast are added to the basic wine mixture, known as “must”. A yeast culture is added to the must and fermentation begins. An air-lock is usually attached to the container so that the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation can escape the container but air from the outside cannot contaminate the fermenting mixture. An air-lock, or fermentation lock, is usually an S-shaped tube with a water trap in the bottom. As pressure from the fermentation container builds it bubbles through the water trap and escapes into the open air on the outside of the container. As long as the pressure in the container remains greater than the outside atmospheric pressure then no air is allowed to enter through the fermentation lock. Maintaining a higher pressure inside the fermentation tank is not difficult as the natural bi product of fermentation is CO2. A sterile cotton plug in the top of the container can also be used for this purpose but this doesn’t allow for the brewer to see when the mixture stops bubbling which is used as an indicator for fermentation levels.

Primary & Secondary Fermentation:
Traditionally, there are two stages to fermentation, primary and secondary fermentation. The first stage is usually done in a bucket or a barrel with at least a few inches of air space above the fermenting mixture. This air is essential as this is the “aerobic” stage of fermentation. If the gap were filled completely with wine the container would likely explode or at the very least spew out the vent hole or air lock at the top of the primary fermenter. 90% of the alcohol is made in the first stage of fermentation. In most batches primary fermentation is complete within the first 30-40 days. The official end of fermentation occurs when the specific gravity of the wine reaches 1.34 on a hydrometer given that the beginning reading was at least 1.70 before fermentation began. The air lock should bubble no more than 1 time every 2-3 minutes at the end of primary fermentation. At the height of the primary fermentation the air lock may bubble as many as 50-60 times per minute.

The 2nd stage of fermentation usually involves siphoning the wine into a glass container and leaving a very small gap between the wine and the top of the container. This stage of fermentation is known as “anaerobic” since exposing the wine to air at this stage will be detrimental to the fermentation process and may significantly alter the taste of the wine. Once secondary fermentation has begun great care should be taken to minimize the exposure of the wine to air. This stage of fermentation is complete when there is absolutely no pressure change (no bubbles in the air lock) and the specific gravity is 0. Adding additional sugar to the wine at this point may trigger a growth in yeast cells again and eventually raise the alcohol content if fermentation is allowed to continue. Secondary fermentation may take as long as a year with air lock activity reducing to less than 1 bubble per week in some cases. Specific gravity checks with a hydrometer is the only sure way to guarantee fermentation has completely stopped.

Warning: attempting to bottle wine or mead before you are absolutely sure fermentation is 100% complete may result in bottle explosions or ruined / undrinkable wine.

Tags: Home, honey, Mead, Part, Wine