Clean and sanitize all equipment before making mead. Mix 5.1 lb. (2.31 kg) honey, 6 qt. (5.68 L) pear juice, and enough spring water to reach 5 gal. Add pectic enzyme and nutrients. Because kveik yeast works so quickly at high temperatures (this mead finished in less than a week), treat the must as high YAN (yeast-assimilable nitrogen) and add all nutrients (i.e., do not stagger) before pitching yeast. Oxygenate (or stir vigorously) for about a minute prior to pitch. No starter was used, just pitch the pouch. This mead was fermented in a bucket wrapped in a honey warming blanket. The blanket maintains a fairly consistent temperature of around 100°F (38°C). If you don’t have a blanket, we have also made this mead by fermenting in our garage in the July/August Midwest heat. The temperature is not as consistent due to ebbs and flows from day to night, but it was still warm enough to do the job. Stabilize with potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate before back-sweetening. The honey for back-sweetening was about 3 lb. (1.36 kg), adjusted to around 1.025 (6.25 Bx), but this is personal preference. Use tartaric acid to adjust acidity of final mead, again to preference. Clear with SuperKleer KC. This mead is pétillant and was carbonated in a keg. Cheers!
The post Tupearelo Pear Mead appeared first on American Homebrewers Association.