Batch 20: Star Thistle Mead with sweet mead yeast

Batch Timeline

Batch #	Batch Type	Date in Primary	Date in Secondary	Date Racked	Date Racked	Date Filled
20	Mead	2/19/13	3/19/13	7/8/13	1/3/14, 12/31/15, 1/29/18	11/19/18

Yeast Type:  White Laboratories Sweet Mead Yeast WLP720

Ingredients:
12 lbs Star Thistle Honey from Sleeping Bear Farms
2 lbs Jim's spring honey
a touch of maple sugar, maybe 2 Tbsp
5 campden tabs (I hope.  I was using a pre-mixed jar of powdered additives that I had intended for fresh pressed cider, but did not press enough to use it.  I really hope there were crushed campden tabs in there... since I did not boil the water or pasteurize the honey)
2.5 tsp pectic enzyme
5 tsp yeast nutrient
Approximately 3.5 gallons of cold well water

Comments:
I started this batch at home due to buying a sweet mead yeast that is supposed to only ferment out to 12-13%ABV (I heard that before with Cotes de Blanc Wine Yeast, batch 12).   I had a jug of Star Thistle hanging around and noticed the "best by" on this yeast was passed (12/31/12).  Since I spent $10 on the yeast I figured why not throw $50 worth of honey on top of it and see what happens.  This is an attempt to not have to stabilize in order to end up with a semi-sweet mead that is not sack mead (high ABV, 18 or so). 

The final volume was about 4.5 gallons.  I did not take it up to 5 gallons because I would rather dilute the batch later than add more honey.  Prior 5 gallon batches have fermented to 14-15% and very dry with approx 14 lbs of honey (reference batches 8, 9, and 12).  Hoders got to 15% with 12 lbs. in 4.5 total gallons with batch 13.

I did not have a hydrometer, so I have no starting SG!  The DDB QC lab was 45 minutes away and the lab tech was not home.  With no stir plate I mixed everything by serial dilution in jars and jugs using cold water heated on a woodstove.

The yeast bottle stated "keep batch at or above 70 degrees F to ensure a good start to fermentation", and aerate.  I'm keeping this near the woodstove, probably 75-80. I beat the CO2 out once a day for the first 4 days with a sanitized paddle.  It is in a brew bucket with an airlock on it to prevent any contamination in a heavily trafficked area of an old old house.  When weather warmed, I moved it to a corner of the room, further from the stove, so that it would not get too warm and promote fusel alcohol formation.

Update 3/19/13:
Racked to secondary. High amount of foam evident inside primary pail, very compact lees which led to a good yield, very little loss.  Saved some yeast in the fridge (later used for batch 21), some in a crown cap bottle.  Had residual sweetness, alcohol taste very plain.  Lots of potential.  The foam was stiff, almost plastic-like.  Here are some pics of the primary before racking:

Update 4/10/13:  Still pretty murky, not much sediment so I did not rack it.

7/8/13:
Racked, very little sediment so very little loss due to transfer.  Tastes young, sharp/harsh but still has some residual sweetness (semi-sweet).  I can't tell what it will need when it mellows, probably some honey, but not a lot.

Update 1/3/14:

Very astringent, starting to clear but still has flocculent, protein visible in the top 1” during racking.  Not very sweet, surprisingly.  Not pleasant drinking.  This was stored downstairs in a cold corner of the room with the woodstove, so there is a bit of temperature fluctuation there, but that did not hurt batch 15 which was right next to it.  Maybe the yeast has struggled to ferment the last sugars which should be beyond the reach of this sweet mead yeast, leading to off flavors?

12/31/15:  Semi-dry, straw color, good mouthfeel.  Taste is smooth, full-bodied, actually pretty good.  Slightly astringent and will be well-balanced if that mellows a bit.

1/29/18 Update:  A little over 2 years since I updated, but I still have this. If it was racked in this time I don't have a record of it, though I know the airlock was topped off in this time. Some dark brown flocculant observed on the bottom, but overall appearance was quite clear.  Taste was light, bright, slightly sweet and slightly astringent.  Will benefit from a bit more aging, mellowness.  Might be nice with vanilla or ginger.

11/19/18:  I needed to empty a carboy for a beer I'm brewing with Dan K., so I bottled this mead still in clear bottles with screw caps.  Tastes slightly sweet and slightly astringent, very clear.  I did not risk messing up the clarity by way of adding adjuncts such as vanilla or ginger extract.  Yield was 24 375ml bottles and 9 750ml bottles, including 2 bottles that are cloudy from being at the bottom of the carboy.