Mead yeast

What type of yeast should be used to make mead is a common question for the beginner mead maker and there is an easy answer to this: Almost any kind of yeast can be used. It sounds a bit funny but it's true! I have used all kinds of yeast for my mead and they all come out great.

Dry Yeast - This is a very common way that yeast is packaged. It is dried and in small packets. You keep these packets refrigerated until they are ready to use. You then re-hydrate them with warm water before pitching them into your mead must. The use of dry packets is the recommended way for beginners.

If you are a real beginner and would like to get going with some mead without too much trouble you can use a common yeast that is found in every grocery store. Its the Fleischmann's yeast shown in the picture above. It usually cost between one and two dollars for three packages.

Liquid Yeast - Yeast also comes in liquid packets that are already hydrated and ready to pitch into your must.

This type of yeast (liquid) come in what is often called a "Smack Pack". This is because it is dormant and there is a nutrient pack inside the package. You smack the package which breaks the inner seal and the activation begins. Complete instructions come with this kind of yeast. Usually takes about three hours for the activation to be ready then you can pitch it into your must.

If you want to get a bit more into the details of yeast here is some information that will help.

Every type of yeast is different and every type will have its own characteristics as far as taste of the mead, flocculation, alcohol content, and speed of ferment.

Here are some general rules of thumb about different kinds of yeast and their characteristics in Mead

• Lalvin D-47 pretty good and best for medium to sweet meads
• Premiere Cuvee - a fine wine yeast and best for dry meads
• Fleischmanns - Good all purpose yeast
• Lalvin DV-10 This is a champagne yeast, it is pretty hardy and produces a high alcohol content.

Looking for a yeast specifically designed for Mead? Wyeast laboratories has designed two strains of yeast for this. Although I haven't yet tried either one I am sure they are quite nice.

• 4184 is for a sweet mead
• 4632 is for dry meads
• Here is a listing of Wyeast yeast products

If you want to learn how to prepare and pitch your yeast I have instructions on this including a video in my mead making tutorial. The yeast pitching part is here

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