Beer Forum

So I have decided to take the plunge and make my first batch of mead I'm going to start with a 1 gallon batch and i have 2 questions.
1. Is 1 tube of white labs wlp7200 to much yeast for a 1 gallon batch?
2. I'm planing on using orange blossom honey. can i use just orange blossom honey or should i mix it with another kind of honey?

2. Orange blossom by itself is fine, especially with a first batch. The option is always there to do a blend or even a 100% of a different kind of honey. For a first batch, keep it simple. The orange blossom will work fantanstic, not overcomplicate things & if there's some issues, they'll be much easier to solve. Get the basics down & then go honey-wild.

1. Technically, yes. A half tube is still likely overpitching, depending on the OG of your must (must is to mead, as wort is to beer), the added nutrients, how you introduce those nutrients & of course the viability of your vial. Those variables make each batch & situation unique. You can either do the math & figure out a correct pitching rate, but my guess is that if you split a vial between 2, 1 gallon batches, you'll be close enough. You can always dial it in with future batches, or more preferably, do the math. It's not too difficult.

I use two packs of the 1122B Norbonne yeast. I also suggest you use staggered nutrient additions with de-gassing for the first days of fermentation. Makes a world of difference. You can Google mead and staggered nutrient additions (SNA) to find an article by Steve Piatz called "Making Mead the Easy Way."

Guido wrote:I use two packs of the 1122B Norbonne yeast. I also suggest you use staggered nutrient additions with de-gassing for the first days of fermentation. Makes a world of difference. You can Google mead and staggered nutrient additions (SNA) to find an article by Steve Piatz called "Making Mead the Easy Way."

I saw that yeast online but had never heard of the company i mite try that instead, also that article was informative.

Thank you as well ozwald.

theirishboxer wrote:

Guido wrote:I use two packs of the 1122B Norbonne yeast. I also suggest you use staggered nutrient additions with de-gassing for the first days of fermentation. Makes a world of difference. You can Google mead and staggered nutrient additions (SNA) to find an article by Steve Piatz called "Making Mead the Easy Way."

I saw that yeast online but had never heard of the company i mite try that instead, also that article was informative.

Thank you as well ozwald.

Of course, I use the two packs of the Lalvin Narbonne 71B-1122 (I was a little off with the name) for 5 gallons. One pack would be more than sufficient for a gallon. It has a very nice flavor profile.

theirishboxer wrote:So I have decided to take the plunge and make my first batch of mead I'm going to start with a 1 gallon batch and i have 2 questions.
1. Is 1 tube of white labs wlp7200 to much yeast for a 1 gallon batch?
2. I'm planing on using orange blossom honey. can i use just orange blossom honey or should i mix it with another kind of honey?

Straight Orange blossom has a nice flavor. For a first mead, I'd go with it straight to get a feel for the honey. It's a good choice for a first mead. If you're making a Melomel, wildflower works well, BTW.

Guido wrote: If you're making a Melomel, wildflower works well, BTW.

If planning to use wildflower honey, get a small sample of the honey before buying the full amount. The "wildflower" designation simply refers to the fact that the nectar was collected from a wide variety of flowering plants in the area. The flavor can vary widely depending on where the hives were located. I've had honey from hives that were located in between apple orchards and sweet clover fields that were incredible. I've had others that came from areas far removed from these types of "flowers" that tasted like crap. Taste the honey first. If you like the flavor, use it. If not, look for honey from another aviary. Wildflower honey can be either the best or worst honey (or somewhere in between) depending on where it came from. This distance between good and bad can be as little as a few miles.

Bugeater wrote:

Guido wrote: If you're making a Melomel, wildflower works well, BTW.

If planning to use wildflower honey, get a small sample of the honey before buying the full amount. The "wildflower" designation simply refers to the fact that the nectar was collected from a wide variety of flowering plants in the area. The flavor can vary widely depending on where the hives were located. I've had honey from hives that were located in between apple orchards and sweet clover fields that were incredible. I've had others that came from areas far removed from these types of "flowers" that tasted like crap. Taste the honey first. If you like the flavor, use it. If not, look for honey from another aviary. Wildflower honey can be either the best or worst honey (or somewhere in between) depending on where it came from. This distance between good and bad can be as little as a few miles.

I've always used the same aviary with excellent results, but very good advice nonetheless.