Hey all -

As a beginning caveat, I'm prone to think up strange things that end either excellently or disastrously. For instance, I once did a Black Cherry vinegar which I have not been able to repeat; the first result was heaven in a bottle and the rest were rotten messes.

With that in mind, since I rather enjoy smoky flavors in beer, I've been thinking about creating a smoked mead by smoking the honey water before fermentation and adding a small bit of smoked honey prior to secondary. The idea would be to use both green and dry thyme (thyme burns *fast* when dry) to create smoke, and use an aquarium pump and stone to pump the smoke through the honey water before pitching the yeast. I'd use a very strong honey to complement the flavor - probably sage, russian olive, or locust bean honey.

Therefore, my question to all of you is: what yeast has a) the ability to handle high-alcohol environments, b) the ability to ferment at variable ambient temperatures up to 75 degrees F, and most crucially c) will not eat up all that delicious smoke flavor during fermentation?

Jon and I are currently musing over Scottish Ale yeast and Champagne yeast, and Jon mentioned that the right lager yeast might work, but I wanted to also get any ideas from you folks. Any suggestions?

distillers yeast is prolly the best bet. It shouldn't remove any smoky flavors and it will work in high alcohol and high temps. There are a few varieties, here is one - http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewi...-135-grams.html

That's a very good suggestion; thanks!!

This is waayy over my head.
I would probably ask some of the mead experts over at HBT.
I wonder if you could steep some smoked malt in there to
add more complexity to the smoke.

Those are what I'd consider using.
The Champagne yeast will tolerate high alcohol and ferment clean. Using an ale yeast is supposed to add more flavor to the mead.

I used S-04 for a light mead (6.5ABV) and for my first Braggot (9.0ABV). I think the alcohol level got high enough with the Braggot that the yeast did not finish their job. It had a honey taste to it.

I have some Wyeast 1728 in the fridge for a Burnt Honey Mead.

I guess a Belgian Ale yeast could probably do the job as well.

i still think distillers yeast is best. handles high temps and alcohol with no issues AND won't add any flavors

Yeaaah, but finding an actual distillers yeast, and not a turbo/super yeast is tough.

As of now, we're leaning towards a big healthy pitch of Wyeast 1728, with maybe a late pitch of champagne yeast, IF we feel the 1728 hasn't dried it out enough

2 brands of distillers yeast:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/other-products/liqueurs/yeast/liquor-quik-superyeast-mini.html

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/other-pro...-bulk-pack.html

Ehhh, super yeast is some kind of turbo yeast, which I'm *certain* could give weird off flavors, but the other one might be worth looking into...and it's a CRAPTON of yeast, so we could overpitch to minimize any potential esters that might form.

I'm inclined to play with some combination, yet to be as careful as I can since smoking the honey water is going to be a beast of a project Fun, though!

you could always try making your own liquid smoke and add it to your must and see how that works out, it would be the easiest way to add the flavor of any sort of smoke that you like that i can think of

But how would you make your own liquid smoke?

Alton Brown did it in an episode of Good Eats, I think...

Yep. Transcript on how to make your own is Scene 13 on this page: http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season9/jerky/jerky_trans.htm

nice find. looks like the episode is on youtube in 2 parts...

I only found it because I've watched the episode :-). Yes, I'm a geek. This should not be news ;-)

That looks SO cool! Such a pity we don't have a backyard *or* a basement, so this process would be prohibitive with our indoor space.

Don't worry, we'll be looking soon

do you have a fire escape?
yes good eats is that is exactly where I got the idea from.

yup... the guys on the BN were talking about using vinegar to remove beer stone... a couple tbsps for a five gallon pot would probably work. which is something i need to do after next brew day.

No, we're on the 1st floor.

can't just do it outside? the smoking, i mean. we just rolled a grill out into the parking lot of our apartment in college since we had no balcony or deck or anything. no one said a word. and i'm sure weirder things have happened in brooklyn.

There are grills in the park that we could use, and I even have a grill in one of these boxes somewhere...but, we'd have to build a chimney apparatus, and sit there and wait while the smoke condenses into liquid smoke.

Also, we'd have to pick up a bundt pan. I'm liking the aquarium pump idea myself.