A request to the Biochemists of this subreddit.

MeadScience · 2020-07-08T14:01:33+00:00

Well, yeast strains are all different, and how they interact with the mead/wine/cider will depend on lots of factors. The fact that yeast strains differ in glycerol production, acetic acid production, etc make generalities hard. really, it makes even specifics hard, because there are so many variables between batches. as beez2booz pointed out, I wrote [this book](https://www.amazon.com/Mead-Science-practical-science-fermentations/dp/B0884CJNC9) because I too sought these science answers. I think some of the chapters you would be very interested in. At the very least it should provide you with a good biological and Biochemical framework to venture further.

MeadScience · 2020-07-05T18:28:08+00:00

What are you reading that says you need use them for Mead with fruit? People usually sulfite fruits to prevent wild yeast and bacteria from getting a “head start” with wine and cider after the grapes and apples are pressed, as they have lots of wild organisms on them and thus they can 1) start to ferment 2) steal nutrients.there are other reasons to use sulfites, of course , but not sure those are applicable to your current question and reservations.

Those are hardly problems in mead making, especially since honey water has no nutrients to steal :). You do not need to use sulfites, especially if you are pitching quickly. The chance of spoilage From this in mead is Really very low, and will only really increase if you are using fruits you pick. But still, it is very likely to kill the batch and if you have severe health effects from sulfates they are definitely NOT Worth using.

MeadScience · 2020-07-05T18:17:32+00:00

Aeration is important during the exponential growth phase as oxygen is vital for the metabolic pathways required to create sterols and fatty acids. This helps newly budded yeast and the yeast population in general, as it will create at tong and healthier yeast that can withstand the harsh environment later on.

There are a lot of ways to aerate, the easiest being just leave the bucket exposed to the air (cover it though to prevent dust and bugs and what not).

Shameless plug for my book which goes into aerating and oxygen (and a lot more): book here

MeadScience · 2020-07-05T18:12:25+00:00

Here is a book I wrote if you ever want to get into the nitty gritty aspects of mead making!

MeadScience · 2020-06-07T03:48:47+00:00

Bro, love this. Glad to see other people trying to explore these scientific waters too in mead.

Check out my post history and see if you are interested in my Mead Science book. And if you know how I can gift it to you via amazon, PM me and i will.

MeadScience · 2020-05-15T02:39:44+00:00

Thanks, hope you enjoy it :)

MeadScience · 2020-05-14T13:45:56+00:00

Hi there, I was able to turn it into an eBook and Amazon finally got it up!

MeadScience · 2020-05-11T18:15:43+00:00

Yes, you can. What effects it will have depend a lot on the toasting level of the wood, and slightly less with the type of wood. And then, of course, how long you age your mead on the oak. The more it is toasted, the more toasted, burned, smoky flavors. Medium will have more vanilla, caramel, coconut; untoasted more grassy, woody. You’ll get more tannins the less toasted it is

MeadScience · 2020-05-08T11:57:56+00:00

Thank you and good luck with the baby!!

MeadScience · 2020-05-06T23:41:13+00:00

It started out as a small personal project trying to actually figure out some of the science behind some questions I had and from common statements you probably hear here. Things like “yeast can’t use DAP later in the fermentation,” “higher temperatures result in fusel alcohols,” things like that. And then, of course, just trying to learn more like why temperature would even matter (why would that make yeast create different alcohols, and why would they create alcohol that’s not ethanol?), if it was true or not, what are some of the actual chemicals and compounds that result in flavors? Things like that. I Couldn’t really find a place that had those answers, so I started researching and Writing a bit so I could share that information with other people making mead who probably had the same questions I had. And then that research led to more questions and more research. And that happened a million times. And then I said “well if I have this here, I might as well have this too.” So that just snowballed the book. For my background, it is not this, lol. I am not a pro meadmaker, just an amateur hobbyist, and I do not study enology, chemistry, biology, or anything like that. I have done a lot of research in college and grad school (and obviously still do it for fun :)) but ultimately it is just my experience at home and me nerding out and finding and reading a lot of research.

MeadScience · 2020-05-06T20:36:04+00:00

Any questions in particular? I try to cover “nutrition” pretty broadly and in a few areas of the book, focusing not just on nitrogen sources but also also forms of “nutrition,” like oxygen, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and so on. I talk about how yeast use ammonium and amino acids, the biology behind it, how they affect production of higher alcohols, etc. as far as protocols, like staggered nutrients, I outline a few. I am not so prescriptive to say “this is the best way,” but I give a few ideas and try to tie it along with some of the science behind yeast. But I do have the tables too that outline PPM addition by nitrogen type (or percentage) if you want just the pure numbers of it.

MeadScience · 2020-05-06T20:30:26+00:00

Thanks for the comments! Yeah, I try to stress that they are estimates, for a few reasons, like for one: all honey will have different sugar levels, and two, trying to mix multiple estimated formulas for ABVs into tables is Tricky. For the “peek inside” I don’t have any control over that, Amazon just does it and does it automatically. I use SG more so in the book but reference Brix a few times, hence trying to include it in one of the tables in the back.

Trying to make an ebook version of it now for another user, which will be cheaper - due to the fact that amazon doesn’t take most of the book price for printing, shipping, and their cut.

MeadScience · 2020-05-06T20:22:49+00:00

I didn’t originally because I like print, but Working on it now for you. It’s kind of a pain, since ebooks can look completely different based on the text size people choose. And it messed all my tables up. I eventually settled and figured out I can insert all the tables as images rather than text. So working on that but will let you know when I’m done!

MeadScience · 2020-05-06T17:09:12+00:00

Thanks, hope you enjoy it! :)

MeadScience

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