> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://accidentalis.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 🧪 The Homebrewer’s Mead Yeast Master Table - URL: https://accidentalis.com/the-homebrewers-mead-yeast-master-table/ - Published: 2025-11-26T17:52:22.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-05T17:43:35.000Z - Description: A practical guide to widely available wine, cider, ale, and mead yeasts — optimized for honey must, not malt. - Author: Matthew Chrispen Honey is unique: **zero YAN**, low nutrient density, no FAN, and a clean sugar matrix that exposes every flaw a yeast produces. Even with fruit, yeast may struggle with the dilution of available nitrogen. This table focuses on **yeasts that perform well in mead (dried and wet packages, Beer, Wine, and Yeast designated strains)**, are **commonly sold at homebrew shops**, and have well-understood behaviors in honey ferments. I put this together for personal reference and to share with my mead-making friends. *Citation: This list was compiled with web and personal information, but researched and formatted using Google NotebookLM, which uses Gemini AI deep research. Hence, emojis!* --- # 🍯 Mead-Friendly Yeast Strain Master Table (Homebrewer-Focused) > **Note:** “Low YAN yeast” still does **not** mean “no nutrients needed.” > Even low-demand strains require a modern staggered nutrient schedule (TOSNA/TONSA) because honey has \~0 ppm YAN. --- ## 🍷 **Wine & Mead Yeasts (Lalvin / Lallemand)** ### **Lalvin D47** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~15% | | **Temp Range** | 59–68°F (15–20°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Low (but still run full TOSNA) | | **Esters** | Medium-high fruit (citrus, stone fruit), fuller body | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium if run hot or underfed | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Rounds out the mouthfeel; can create buttery notes if >68°F. Keep temps controlled. | | **Best Uses** | Traditional mead, melomel, metheglin, semisweet/sweet meads | --- ### **Lalvin 71B-1122** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~14% | | **Temp Range** | 59–72°F (15–22°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Low | | **Esters** | High fruit esters; softens acidity (malic reduction) | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium-low | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Very “juicy,” creates soft round fruitiness; extremely popular for melomels and modern-style sweet meads. | | **Best Uses** | Melomel, session fruit meads, hydromels, semisweet meads | --- ### **Lalvin EC-1118** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | Up to 18% | | **Temp Range** | 50–86°F (10–30°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Low | | **Esters** | Low/neutral | | **Phenolics** | Very low | | **H₂S Risk** | Very low; very forgiving | | **Flocculation** | High | | **Honey Behavior** | Extremely clean; great for very dry or high-ABV meads. Strong fermenter. | | **Best Uses** | Dry mead, sack mead, sparkling mead, stuck fermentation rescue | --- ### **Lalvin K1-V1116** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 16–18% | | **Temp Range** | 50–95°F (10–35°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | High aromatics; emphasizes floral/terpenic honey | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | Low | | **Honey Behavior** | Extremely robust; maintains aromatics even with high ABV. | | **Best Uses** | High-gravity traditionals, aromatic honeys, cysers, tropical melomels | --- ### **Lalvin QA23** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~16% | | **Temp Range** | 54–77°F (12–25°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Medium-high; citrus & floral | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Preserves floral honey notes extremely well; bright acidity. | | **Best Uses** | Show meads, orange blossom honey, mead/wine hybrids | --- ## 🍯 **Mead-Specific Yeasts (Mangrove Jack’s)** ### **Mangrove Jack’s M05 Mead Yeast** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | High (15%+) | | **Temp Range** | 64–77°F (18–25°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | High floral esters (especially cool-fermented) | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Fast, clean fermenter with pleasant floral notes; tends to finish dry unless stabilized. | | **Best Uses** | Traditional, semisweet mead, hydromels | --- ### **Mangrove Jack’s M02 Cider (for Cyser)** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~14% | | **Temp Range** | 59–72°F (15–22°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Light apple/pear esters | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Creates bright, crisp cysers. Not ideal for heavy traditional meads. | | **Best Uses** | Cyser, session cysers, hydromels | --- ## 🧬 **Wyeast Liquid Mead-Friendly Strains** ### **Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 11–12% | | **Temp Range** | 70–75°F (21–24°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium-high | | **Esters** | Medium fruity | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium-high | | **Flocculation** | Medium-low | | **Honey Behavior** | Leaves residual sweetness; great for dessert-style meads. | | **Best Uses** | Sweet meads, dessert meads, fruity meads | --- ### **Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale (modern mead favorite)** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 12–13% | | **Temp Range** | 64–80°F (18–27°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | High | | **Esters** | High fruit (pear, peach, citrus) | | **Phenolics** | Low-moderate spice | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | Low | | **Honey Behavior** | Loved for “modern” meads: bright esters, silky body. Needs full nutrient management + oxygen. | | **Best Uses** | BOMM meads, session meads, fruit-forward meads | --- ## 🧪 **White Labs Liquid Mead Strains** ### **WLP720 Sweet Mead** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~15% | | **Temp Range** | 70–75°F (21–24°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium-high | | **Esters** | Moderate fruity | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium | | **Flocculation** | Medium-low | | **Honey Behavior** | Leaves residual sweetness; fuller body but can stall if underfed. | | **Best Uses** | Sweet meads, show meads, metheglins | --- ### **WLP715 Champagne Yeast** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 15–17% | | **Temp Range** | 50–72°F (10–22°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Low/neutral | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | High | | **Honey Behavior** | Very clean, excellent for dry traditionals or sparkling meads. | | **Best Uses** | Sparkling mead, sack mead, dry mead | --- ## 🍺 **Fermentis Dry Yeasts (Homebrew Staples)** ### **SafAle US-05** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | \~11% | | **Temp Range** | 60–75°F (15–24°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Low-neutral | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Very clean; excellent for hydromels and braggots. | | **Best Uses** | Session mead, hydromel, hopped meads | --- ### **SafAle S-04** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 10–11% | | **Temp Range** | 59–68°F (15–20°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Medium English fruity | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Medium | | **Flocculation** | High | | **Honey Behavior** | Soft, fruity meads with quick clearing. | | **Best Uses** | Traditional mead, melomel, braggot (English style) | --- ## 🧪 **LalBrew (Lallemand Beer Yeasts Used for Mead)** ### **LalBrew Nottingham** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 14% | | **Temp Range** | 50–72°F (10–22°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | Medium | | **Esters** | Low | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | High | | **Honey Behavior** | Very neutral; excellent for clean, dry meads. | | **Best Uses** | Traditional dry mead, braggot, session mead | --- ### **LalBrew Verdant IPA (for modern fruit meads)** | Attribute | Value | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | **Alcohol Tolerance** | 10–11% | | **Temp Range** | 64–72°F (18–22°C) | | **YAN Requirement** | High | | **Esters** | High (“juicy”) | | **Phenolics** | Low | | **H₂S Risk** | Low | | **Flocculation** | Medium | | **Honey Behavior** | Produces NEIPA-like tropical notes in fruit meads. | | **Best Uses** | Fruity melomels, tropical hydromels | --- # 🔚 Final Notes for Homebrewers ### **Which yeasts are best for mead beginners?** - Lalvin 71B - Lalvin D47 - Mangrove Jack’s M05 - WLP720 (sweet) or EC-1118 (dry) ### **Which for modern “bright fruit” meads?** - Wyeast 1388 - Lalvin 71B - Verdant IPA ### **Which for dry, clean, no-ester meads?** - EC-1118 - Nottingham - WLP715 ### **Which for cysers?** - M02 cider - QA23 - 71B