This article focuses on the currently used nutrient schedules in meadmaking. See our article on staggered nutrient additions for context and background information on the practice.
These schedules are presented as of October 2021 and may not represent the latest changes. This is fluid information based on the latest published research from yeast manufacturers and experimental evidence from mead makers. See the linked source material for the most up-to-date information.
Simply involves adding all the nutrients needed at or around yeast pitch. The bare minimum at accomplishing nutrition. Can be useful and recommended in low gravity/hydromels where the fermentation will complete before the schedule would. Fairly common for beginners and pairs just fine with boiled yeast.
Short for Tailored Organic Staggered Nutrient Additions. It features Fermaid O broken into 4 additions over about the first week of fermentation. See the TOSNA Calculator for data/planning. First three doses are added at 24h, 48h, and 72h after pitch. Final dose is added at the 1/3 sugar break (1/3 of fermentables have been consumed) or 7 days, whichever comes first.
Ingredients:
Fermaid O
GoFerm (optional, recommended)
This is the nutrient schedule created by /u/balathustrius for mead. His documentation is found here on his Google Drive.
Balathustrius created a spreadsheet to calculate the required amounts of Fermaid O, Fermaid K, and DAP. The original copy can be found here - to use it you must make a copy to your own Google Drive. StormBeforeDawn maintains an editable-in-place copy, which can be found here.
Ingredients:
Fermaid O
Fermaid K
DAP (Diammonium Phosphate)
GoFerm (optional, recommended)
Process:
Rehydrate dry yeast with Go-Ferm PE as directed, just prior to pitch.
After the lag phase, about 24 hours after pitch, at first signs of active fermentation, add Fermaid O. This can be added in 1 or 2 additions. If two, wait 24 hours between additions.
Blend the required amounts of DAP and Fermaid K and split into 2-3 additions. Add at 24 hour intervals after final Fermaid O addition. The number of additions will depend on fermentation progress; the goal is to add the last DAP well-before the mead reaches 9% ABV.
Bray Denard, PhD is a microbiologist and talented meadmaker who created his own schedule. Denard is also notable for the BOMM (Bray's One Month Mead) recipe. Yeast source (dry/liquid) will change one component of the schedule. The schedule boasts excellent fermentation kinetics and no off-flavor products by Bray with any yeast he has used with it. Caveat is that nutrition represents one segment of the entire process, follow all other appropriate measures (sanitation, yeast handling, temperature, etc).
According to Denard, the purpose of either the GoFerm or Fermaid K is provide vitamins and minerals not found in Fermaid O. The potassium carbonate is to provide potassium to the yeast, the carbonate buffer has a marginal effect and not intended for major pH work.
Ingredients:
Fermaid O
Potassium Carbonate
Fermaid K (for LIQUID yeasts)
GoFerm (for DRY yeasts)
2 - Add potassium carbonate at 1.5g/US gal or 0.4g/L
3 - Fermaid O additions at pitch and again at days 2 and 4, use look-up table to determine dose
1 - Prepare liquid yeast (warm to room temperature, make a starter if old, 'smack' Wyeast pack, etc)
2 - Add potassium carbonate at 1.5g/US gal or 0.4g/L
3 - Add Fermaid K at 1.43g/US gal or 0.378g/L
4 - Fermaid O additions at pitch and again at days 2 and 4, use look-up table to determine dose
The only factor is starting gravity in this protocol.
NOTE: Gravities below 1.090 have all Fermaid O dosed UPFRONT.
| Starting Gravity | g/US gal | g/L |
|---|---|---|
| 1.090 OR BELOW* | 2.72g** | 0.72g** |
| 1.100 | 1.20g | 0.32g |
| 1.110 | 1.51g | 0.40g |
| 1.120 | 1.97g | 0.52g |
| 1.130 | 2.12g | 0.56g |
| 1.140 | 2.42g | 0.64g |
| 1.150 | 2.72g | 0.72g |
Sourced from an article written by Bray Denard on YouToBrew's Mead Academy section. r/mead and wiki is not affiliated with YouToBrew's product and the link exists solely for reference purposes.