#1: Picking a random yeast with no knowledge of their impact on the mead.

Short version:

Yeast are creatures that rely on certain nutrients and temperature ranges to survive. They also
feature varying alcohol tolerances, meaning some yeasts can only function up to a certain alcohol point.
Each yeast has an ideal nutrient or set of nutrients that it does best with when going through
fermentation. They also have an temperature range to stay in. They will continue through their process
outside of the temperature range, they just might struggle or move slower. Some yeasts do better with
melomels (fruit meads) while others do best when working with a traditional mead. To summarize
quickly, the Lavlin D47 and Lavlin EC-1118 are good for traditional meads, the Lavlin K1-V1116 and
Lavlin 71B-1122 are great for melomels. Those two meads can be broken down further in that the K1-
V1116 is good for lighter fruit melomels while the 71B-1122 is good for darker fruit melomels.

D47 – AT: 14% TEMP: 59 to 68 degrees FH

EC-1118 – AT 18% TEMP: 45 to 95 degrees FH

K1-V1116 – AT 18% TEMP: 59 to 86 degrees FH

71B-1122 – AT 14% TEMP: 59 to 86 degrees FH

http://meadist.com/making-mead/mead-tips-tricks/best-yeast-for-mead-making/

Long version:

Choosing your yeast for your mead is probably one of the most important steps when beginning
the process. Of course you need your honey, water and whatever other ingredients you are including in
your mead. However, the yeast are the powerhouse behind the mead and they take all of those
ingredients and make them into the smooth drink we so love. You should also choose your yeast based
off the ingredients of the mead, your ideal ABV and the temperature range you can successfully
maintain the mead at. Each yeast responds to these variables in different ways and you have to
remember that when choosing your yeast choice.

The yeasts I will be talking about are all from the company Lavlin. I know there are tons of
other yeasts out there and I think it could take me a century to explain and go through them all. Today
I'm just focusing on the Lavlin D47, Lavlin EC-1118, Lavlin K1-V1116 and Lavlin 71B-1122 yeasts. I
have and use all of these yeasts. They are wonderful for hitting every varietal need that my meads have
required. I am getting all of my information from the website meadist.com and I will gladly link you
guys to the exact page where I am getting this information.

We will break down these 4 yeasts into 2 beginning categories: Yeasts best suited for melomels
and the Yeasts best suited for traditional meads. The D47 and EC-1118 are best suited for traditional
meads because they ferment moderately fast to fast and best give way to a moderate to dry mead.
Lavlin D47:

Ferments at a moderate to fast pace with little foaming, gives way for the honey flavor to pop out but
requires more nutrients so it is suggested to add yeast nutrients to it. I would use this mead when doing
a traditional mead.

D47 – AT: 14% TEMP: 59 to 68 degrees FH

Lavlin EC-1118:

This yeast ferments at a moderate to fast pace as well but allows for a higher alcohol tolerance. It also
has a wider temperature range. This one is great for traditional meads as well, the only difference is that
this mead might require a longer aging period.

EC-1118 – AT 18% TEMP: 45 to 95 degrees FH

Lavlin K1-V1116:

This yeast is another one that ferments at a fast pace and does not impact the honey taste heavily. It is
best suited for melomels because it keeps the fruits flavors within the mead. This yeast also requires a
higher nitrogen environment which is often fostered natural as a melomel ferments. It has a high
alcohol tolerance and boasts a wide temperature range.

K1-V1116 – AT 18% TEMP: 59 to 86 degrees FH

Lavlin 71B-1122:

This yeast is a moderate pace fermenter that is best suited for melomels that use dark fruits. The yeast
can metabolize the maltic acid that these darker fruits create and smooth them out allowing for the
mead to have a smoother and more aromatic taste. It boasts a fairly high alcohol tolerance and a large
temperature range.

71B-1122 – AT 14% TEMP: 59 to 86 degrees FH

The most important thing about choosing your yeast is knowing what kind of mead you want. If
you are a beginning mead maker you should go with a yeast that will generally cover all your needs. If
you are doing your first traditional mead stick with a Lavlin EC-1118 because it has a good alcohol
tolerance and great temperature range. If you are doing a melomel for the first time choose which side
you are making, dark fruit or light fruit, and go with the corresponding yeast (K1-V1116 Yeast for light
and 71B-1122 for dark.) Ultimately just plan ahead and be willing to try things that might fail!

The journey to making mead is not always a smooth one. You might hit a few bumps on the way
through it all but in the end, if you keep trying things, you'll come out with a product that is great. If
you want more information see the website in the description for more info. Also, feel free to try other
yeasts that I have not mentioned. There are plenty out there and some might work even better for the
project you are working on.