Using M05 Mead yeast in a beer?

[dotzero]

I'm an extract brewer and was considering giving mead brewing a go but have since had a change of heart...

I have some Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead yeast though and it seems a waste if I don't use it so thought I could use it for beer.

I see no reason it wouldn't work but it has a high alcohol tolerance of 18%...does this mean it would be super dry beer?

Does anyone think there would be any off flavours?...should i just get my usual yeast at the risk of spoiling a batch of beer?

Would it be good for a big Imperial Stout?



Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Slid]

I see time as the major investment in a beer, given that I do AG.
Unless I wanted to do an experiment that I had researched properly, I would not use an experimental yeast on a full length batch.
If you have a 5L glass demi-john, you could try giving it a whirl by splitting a beer batch - 4L with Mead yeast and 19L with beer yeast.

Should the mead yeast be OK, you can easily harvest the trub from the 1st or 2nd racking.

 

[dotzero]

Thanks for your input Slid.

I usually do small 2 Gallon brews so I will do what you suggest and split a batch, ferment out with the different yeasts...and compare the outcome.

Cheers

 

[Northern_Brewer]

You don't really get dedicated mead yeasts so I'd assume that this is really a repackaging of a wine yeast. If that's the case then

a) It probably won't metabolise complex carbohydrates, so will give <70% attenuation when faced with typical beer wort

b) >90% of wine yeasts are POF+, which means they produce phenolic compounds in beer wort - the clove taste in wheat beer is the most famous.

So if that assumption of wine yeast is correct then it's not ideal for making beer - but it will make beer.

 

[dotzero]

Cool, thanks for that Northern_Brewer. Might just leave the yeast then.

With all my thinking of yeast though recently I'm going to split a batch and use 2 different strains to compare the outcome...should be an interesting experiment.

 

[John Miller]

Cool, thanks for that Northern_Brewer. Might just leave the yeast then.

With all my thinking of yeast though recently I'm going to split a batch and use 2 different strains to compare the outcome...should be an interesting experiment.

hey, late message but curious on the outcome. I have the same situation. Thanks.

 

[MashBag]

... but it has a high alcohol tolerance of 18%...does this mean it would be super dry beer?

No. It means if there is fermentables it will keep going to 18%.. At which point it is killed by the alc it has produced.

If you want to use this. Try is in a hoppy IPA @18c. Cascade, somthing like that. Should fit in OK.

"M05 Mead Mangrove Jack's Yeast is a high ester-producing strain conferring fresh, floral esters, especially when fermented cool. M05 Mead yeast has high alcohol tolerance and ferments well over a wide temperature range."

 

[marshbrewer]

I thought mead yeasts were more akin to wine yeasts, and while they might chomp on glucose and fructose they might not necessarily be so happy with maltose and maltotriose?

 

[MashBag]

Still saccharomyces cerevisiae so I don't think that matters.

 

[marshbrewer]

Perhaps I'm getting confused with people who use wine yeasts? It's Sunday and I'm on my 3rd pint of XXXB

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Perhaps I'm getting confused with people who use wine yeasts?

No you're not - wine yeasts, beer yeasts, saison yeasts - they're all S. cerevisiae, but have different enzymes that allow them to do different things.

 

[An Ankoù]

Cool, thanks for that Northern_Brewer. Might just leave the yeast then.

With all my thinking of yeast though recently I'm going to split a batch and use 2 different strains to compare the outcome...should be an interesting experiment.

Or you could just throw the mead yeast in the fridge until you;re ready to make some mead or cider. It'll be fine in 4-5 years time regardless of the best before date on the packet.