Equipment to make better mead

List of equipment and ingredients to make better mead:

1. Oxygen tank and diffuser

Used during fermentation to make sure yeast is in a healthy environment.

2. Temperature controller, to turn on/off cooling system during fermention.

I am going to use a old dehumidifier for my cooling system and this controller:

RANCO ETC-111000 Digital Cold Temperature Control NEW

Cost is less then 60 new.

3. PH test strips and/or testing.  

PH drops significantly during first few days of fermentation.   This can lower the PH to levels that stress the yeast.    Then you must add either.

4. Potassium Carbonate ((KCO3) - safest.

This can leave CO3 in must. Not as good.

or 

5. Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) - careful!  Use in small quantities.

5A.  You can also use Potassium Bicarbonate as well to raise PH.

5B.  Potassium Metabisulfate is used to kill yeast. 

5C. Potassium Sorbate?
Will leave OH in must, OK

6. Hydrometer or better way to measure specific gravity (Refractometer?)

What the the detriments/benifits to each of these?

7. Oxygen tank and diffuser for aeration of must during fermentation.

Need a "breathable" oxygen tank and stainless diffuser.

Sources for local honey

Trying to get some information on Massachusetts honey.

Local in ipswich is Marshfield Apiaries.  I called them and left a message.  Not sure what quanities and prices they may have.

Also in contact with Merrimack Valley Apiaries.  They indicate local honey on there website in 5 gallon pails for 162 per 5 gallons (qty one).  This is indicated as "local" honey.
http://mvabeepunchers.com/bulk-honey-beeswax.html
I gave them a call and left a message at 978-667-5380 to get specifics.

Also should contact Essex County Bee Keepers Association to see if anyone can supply some honey.

Sent an email to Boston Honey Company to see if they have bulk honey.

http://www.bostonhoneycompany.com/contact/contact.php

Another big decision is what type of bottles to use.

Optimally, I would like to have ceramic bottles to give it a traditional, old-school type feel.

But would this cost too much to do this?

I am doing some searching online for manufacturers of "ceramic bottles".

http://www.phoenixpackaging.com/

Here is a good place to start:

http://www.unitedbottles.com/catalogue/beer.php

Fruits and pricing!

Of course I need to add some fruit to my mead!

So where, and how do I get fruit?

I am thinking of a blueberry mead.  Here is a link to using blueberries in wine:

http://www.newenglandvfc.org/2003_conference/proceedings_03/blueberry2/blueberry_wine_production.pdf

Since I am going to be getting a farmers winery license I must source my fruit from local sources, which is in Massachusetts.  Here is a good link to farms supplies in Massachusetts.

 http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farms.php?zip=01938

Trying to find estimates of prices for wholesale products for MA, I came across this report:

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/grower/nybga/research%20reports/2009berry%20pricingsurvey.pdf

It is for New York state, and dates back to 2009, so I will use these prices but tend towards the upper end.

I bought 10 lbs of blueberries for 45.00 bucks for my sample mead.  I should be able to get the price down to maybe < 3.00 per lb.  But lets say 3.00USD/lb.

I used 10 lbs/5 gallons.

For my 100 gallons of mead then, I need 20 * 10, or 200 lbs of blueberries.  At 3.00USD/lb = 600.00 bucks!  Maybe I should go with 8 lbs/5 gallons.  This may work if I crush the blueberries to start...


How about Strawberries?

Some quick looking online, I got some prices of 1.90/lb for u pick.  Can I get this down to 1.00 for bulk price?  At Costco, strawberries cost 10 bucks for 7 lbs.  I will go with the NY 2009 estimate of 2.50/lb wholesale.

For raspberries, they are MUCH more expensive - double the price of strawberries.  Going with the NY pricing for estimate, say 5.00/lb.

For strawberries, you need LOTS of fruit.  I am going to make a raspberry/strawberry combo, with 10 Lbs of strawberries and 7 lbs rasberries per 5 gallons.

Then I need 200 lbs of strawberries and 140 lbs of raspberries.  That makes

200*2.50 + 140 * 5.00 = 500 + 700 = 1200.00 USB  Wow.  Reality is setting in!

I have been thinking of how much mead I would need to start out with.  I would like to have 3-4 favorite recipes that all my friend like, that I initially sell.  They need to be tried and true.

Just for calculations purposes, lets say  want to have my mead for sell in 4 places, and each can do an average of 6 cases of mead/month.  24 cases a month or say 300 cases/year.

This means that if my brewing cycle is 6 mo, I need to produce 150 cases.  With 2.38 gallons/case we have 150*2.38 = 400 gallons brewing capacity.

This is a good estimate to get started.

So I need 100 gallons of each type, or 133, of I only have three samples.

Lets keep it easy, and use the 100 gallon estimate.

Then I can use two 55 gallon barrels to ferment for each of my three types of mead.

Add to my equipment list then, six 55 gallon barrels for primary fermentation! Or three 100 gallon containers.

So how much honey do I need?

14 lbs/5 gallons, so 400/5 * 14 = 1120 lbs of honey, or 93 gallons.  Lets round up to 100 gallons.

Local massachusetts honey is say 30.00 USD/gallon in bulk so 3000.00 bucks in honey!

Found a good link for anyone thinking of starting a winery:

Starting a winery document

Also a good general site for wine making and equipment:

http://www.americanwinegrape.com/blog/index.php/2012/06/20/massachusetts/

I am starting this blog to keep track to what it takes to start a commercial meadery.

Many questions are going through my mind.

What size equipment should I start with?

How many gallons of each batch should I make?

Do I splurge on a lease for a place, or try and do it in my garage or basement?

How much money will it take?

What is the licensing procedure like, and how long will it take?


I need to take these one question at a time:

Stainless steal containers are very expensive (for a startup).

Would these work?

Contact Information:

Tanks For Wine, Inc.
Ron Althouse
PH: 916.730.5485

These look what I have seen used by other places, and are reasonable in cost.