# Semi-sweet recipe....



## Fabiola (Jan 4, 2013)

Does anyone have a recipe for a mead that is not too sweet or too dry?


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## Arne (Jan 4, 2013)

Check your s.g. at the start of ferment, startat maybe 1.090 or so. Ferment to dry, stabalize and sweeten back with honey to the sweetness you want. Now it is not too sweet, not to dry. Arne.


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## saramc (Jan 4, 2013)

Definition of not too sweet, nor too dry is so very open to interpretation.

For mead, I would also recommend a starting SG no higher than 1.095, as this usually yields a final ACV when ferments dry that will age out within a year to 18 months. That is early for mead. Make a melomel and you can have something ready to consume even sooner...usually. Most of my fruit mead is ready to consume at 12 months, my raspberry is perfected to seven short months start to serving from the bottle. Fermenting dry allows YOU to decide what point to backsweeten to, not too sweet-not too dry, just what YOU wanted.
If you would like my raspberry melomel recipe please message me and I will post it.

...Sara


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## Fabiola (Jan 4, 2013)

Thank you...


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## Fabiola (Jan 6, 2013)

Arne said:


> Check your s.g. at the start of ferment, startat maybe 1.090 or so. Ferment to dry, stabalize and sweeten back with honey to the sweetness you want. Now it is not too sweet, not to dry. Arne.



Question for you Arne: If I start the fermentation at 1.090 SG, does it mean that I would get a dry mead? If so I would like that, because then I can control the amount of sweeteness I can add later.


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## Pumpkinman (Jan 6, 2013)

Here is how Sweetness levels are judged:

*Sweetness Levels*

Identify and define the three sweetness levels for traditional mead styles as defined by the BJCP.(Beer Judge Certification Program) 
How are the differences perceived? 
How does this perception change with strength, carbonation, and honey variety?
*Scoring:* identify levels (3 points), define levels (3 points), discuss how balance varies in each category (9 points)

*Sweetness Levels*

*Dry*

FG 0.990 - 1.010

*Semi-Sweet*

FG 1.010 - 1.025

*Sweet*

FG 1.025 - 1.050

How are the differences perceived?
Sweetness simply refers to the amount of residual sugar in the mead.
Sweetness is often confused with fruitiness in a dry mead.
Body is related to sweetness, but dry meads can still have some body.
Dry meads do not have to be bone dry.
Sweet meads should not be cloyingly sweet, and should not have a raw, unfermented honey character.
Sweetness is independent of strength


That said, i agree 100%, ferment to dry than back sweeten with honey to your taste.
I've found that the Berry Bliss Melomel aka Red Dragon, we can back sweeten to 1.020 and it is fine for our taste, only one person has declared it to be too sweet for them.

Tom


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## Fabiola (Jan 6, 2013)

Very good infomation thanks a lot....


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## Arne (Jan 7, 2013)

Fabiola said:


> Question for you Arne: If I start the fermentation at 1.090 SG, does it mean that I would get a dry mead? If so I would like that, because then I can control the amount of sweeteness I can add later.


 
Starting at 1.090 your ferment should finish dry. Then of course, stabalize it and sweeten back where you want it. If you start with a higher s.g. the ferment can sometimes be hard to start, I am guessing the sugar content is more than the yeast likes to start. Don't forget your nutrients as the honey usually needs some help witht the ferment. Good luck with it, Arne.


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## CB750 (Jan 10, 2013)

Pumpkinman said:


> Here is how Sweetness levels are judged:
> 
> *Sweetness Levels*
> 
> ...


 
Thanks so much for the guide lines. 

I aree that is is best to ferment dry and then back sweeteen to taste. However one of the best sweet meads I have made was a result of stuck fermentation. I started with a SG=1.110 and it got stuck at SG=1.030. I liked the sweetness and did nothing to start it again and added 
¼ tsp PotassiumMetabisulphite and 2 ½ tsp PotassiumSorbate. 

This mead was so popular last Christmas that I decided to duplicate it with an idential batch this year. However I did not experience any stuck fermentation and it finished at SG 1.010. I back sweetented part of the batch to SG 1.030 but the mead was different more tart and less smooth than the original batch. It was not a bad sweet mead just different. 

I now have a Cyser in secondary it had a starting SG=1.122 and fermented quickly (13 days) to .999. I plan on back sweeten but am not sure as to which SG. I don't want to take away from the apple cider and hit of cinnamon with too much added honey. Has anyone used other things or combination of things to sweeten. I am thinking of a combination of honey and something else or should I just stick with honey. 

I have made quite a few meads when I brewed beer but I usually took whatever God gave you as far as final SG. It wasn't until I got involved with wine making did I learn about back sweetening and how I could control the final product.


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