PGW Show mead starter kit

Posted on March 31, 2017

I bought a mead start kit from PGW which included everything to start to create mead, all the equipments and the sanitizer, yeast and nutrient. This start kit is for creating 4 litres (1 gallon) show mead which is mead in its purest form, honey, water and yeast. The kit also includes a brewing instruction which I will describe below. This post will also be updated with a brew log as a reference for future brewing.

The yeast included in this kit is 5g Lavlin D47 which is a white wine yeast that has an alcohol tolerance of 14%. The fermantation temperature of this yeast is rated between 15-20° celcius. The include yeast nutrients with the kit is 6g Fermaid K.

Receipe

  1. Sanitize all of the equipments using the included “Star San” santizer which is very important.

  2. Heat up 2 litre water to 50-55° celcius and solve 1.25 Kg of choosen honey into the water.

  3. Pour the mead into the carboy and add 2 litre cold water to level out temperature to 18-20° celcius. If not reaced use a hot or cold bath to reach the temperature level.

  4. Boil 50-80ml water and add 3g Fermaid K nutrition, let it cool to 25° degrees.

  5. Then add 2.5g yeast, half of the yeast package, into the water for rehydration. Wait 15 minutes and then stir. Then wait for addition 10 minutes.

  6. Pour 1dl of the mead into the container for measuring the OG (Orginal Gravity) using the hydrometer.

  7. Aretate the carboy by shaking it heavily and then pour the rehydrated yeast into the mead.

  8. Fill and engage the airlock into the carboy and place it on a dark place with a temperature around 20° celcius.

After 24 hours from the time when the yeast was added to the mead, add 1.5g Fermaid-K nutrients, half of the content left in the package, to the mead and carefully stir to release oxygen from the mead.

After 48 hours from the time when the yeast was added to the mead, stir once again to release oxygen from the mead.

After 78 hours from the time when the yeast was added to the mead, add 1.5g Fermaid-K nutrients, the lasting content of the package to the mead. You should not stir the mead.

Let the fermentation end of the mead, this can take up to 3-4 weeks. When the fermentation is done you should:

  • Measure the FG (Final Gravity) with your hydrometer, same procedure as with the OG. Now with the following formula you can calculate the % ABV:

    (OG - FG) x 131.24 = % ABV

  • Rack the mead into bottles and leave 2 cm of empty space and cork it

  • Let it age in room temperature for 1-3 months

Brew logs