As already mentioned, honey contains bacteria and yeasts. These, like the yeasts and bacteria on the skins of fruit, are the main causes of spoilage. The method we shall use, ensures that they are destroyed; I mention them because too many people are still trying to make mead without sterilizing the honey-water mixture before they begin. If not sterilized, these yeasts and bacteria will almost certainly start spoiling ferments to produce souring, bitterness or vinegar flavours. In its undiluted state, the concentration of sugar prevents their action, but as soon as this is reduced by diluting with water, they are ready to spring into action and spoil the mead. Where small amounts of mead are being made – say one or two gallons at a time – boiling the mixture is the easiest means of sterilizing. But where larger amounts are being made, a large enough vessel for boiling might be hard to come by; in this case, the mixture may be sterilized by adding two Campden tablets per gallon. These are crushed and dissolved in a little warm water and stirred into the mixture. This is left for a few hours and then given a brisk stirring before the yeast is added. But as most beginners will be making one or two gallon lots to start with they will do the heat sterilization method as given in the recipes.
When fermentation stops before the maximum alcohol the yeast can make is actually made, we say that fermentation has stuck. The main cause of this is too high or too Iowa temperature. Also, lack of acid or tannin or both. Now, provided the recipes are followed, and the fermenting mead kept warm, fermentation should not ’stick’, but sometimes it does. Where it sticks when only about 2% below the maximum alcohol, nothing much is lost. In fact, you might waste a lot of time in trying to get fermentation on the go again. 2% is not important, so if you obviously have a good mead with near enough the alcohol content you aimed at, be satisfied rather than try to make it better. But where a dry mead was aimed at, a dry mead should result. This is because not enough sugar was in the original must to slow up fermentation. And since dry mead is preferred in this case, fermentation must be induced to recommence.
To define the reason for a ferment having ’stuck’ is difficult for beginners – especially when they have added tannin and acid and kept their musts warm. But here is the usual cause, over-warmth or not warm enough. Where it is clear that a must has become too warm, allow it to become quite cold and then warm it again gradually, but be careful this time not to let it become over-heated. Where it has become cold, gradual warming by keeping in a warm place will usually get fermentation on the go again. On no account, attempt to heat the must quickly. If these two remedies fail after a few days of trial, the need for a tiny additional amount of tannin or acid may be indicated, and this should be tried. Just a few drops of strong, freshly-made tea or a few – three or four – crystals of citric acid should be added. Where crystals are not available, a few drops of lemon juice should be tried. If all this fails, then it could be that all nutrient matter has been used up and a further half to whole nutrient tablet should be crushed and added. After each of the recommended additions, give the must three or four days before adding anything else. It often needs this period of time to get a sticking ferment on the go again. For example, if you try extra acid, wait three or four days to see if fermentation gets going again, if it does not, then try something else I have recommended.
Use of Fermentation Lock
The use of the fermentation lock has already been described in the brewing and cider-making chapters. Here it is necessary only to say that we use it in mead making to ensure maximum alcohol is made and to prevent airborne diseases reaching the must. Follow directions already given in the chapters mentioned above and fit the lock at the time given in the recipes.
Anybody can use baker’s yeast and get a mead of sorts with possibly a yeast haze in it and a bake-house mustiness into the bargain. It is well worth while getting a good yeast either dried or in liquid form. Dried all-purpose wine yeast does an excellent job here, but those with a good deal of experience in making a variety of top-class meads insist on a certain variety of yeast. Madeira yeast is fancied by some while others swear by Tokay yeast. Sherry and Maurey yeasts are also popular. So do not use baker’s yeast, unless you want an inferior product, which, of course, amounts to a waste of honey – and money.
Aids to Good Fermentation
As with all alcoholic products a good fermentation from the outset to the end is important for good results. Now, in itself, and because honey is mostly sugar and water, it is not the best medium for good fermentation. This is because unlike fruit juices it contains no acid or tannin – both of which are essentials to good fermentation. As will be seen in the recipes we add acid either as citric acid easily obtained quite cheaply from any chemist or the same stuff in the form of lemon juice. Tannin is added in the form of tea; tea being a useful and cheap source of tannin. These two constituents are also important to the flavour of the finished product. Without them the mead would appear lifeless; in other words it would lack character, bite – or even ‘guts’ if you like to put it that way. Also lacking in honey are essential elements found in most fruit juices. This deficiency is easily made up by adding nutrient salts in tablet form. These are known as yeast nutrients and are obtainable from dealers in home wine and home brewing equipment. When to add the tablet is given in the recipes. Temperature is also an important consideration.
Yeast, as we have seen in other parts of this book, must have warmth if it is to reproduce itself. And as already explained, it is this reproduction going on that uses up the sugar and produces alcohol. The ideal temperature is between 6So-70°f. It is not always possible to maintain this, but where it is possible, it certainly should be maintained. Failing this, a warm place where the temperature remains fairly constant will do. But on no account allow the mead-in-making to become too warm, otherwise fermentation might stop prematurely or ’stick’.