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🧪 The Homebrewer’s Mead Yeast Master Table

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December 17, 2025
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A practical guide to widely available wine, cider, ale, and mead yeasts — optimized for honey must, not malt.


Matthew Chrispen

🧪 The Homebrewer’s Mead Yeast Master Table
The Homebrewer’s Mead Yeast Master Table

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!

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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S 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
Hâ‚‚S Risk Low
Flocculation Medium
Honey Behavior Produces NEIPA-like tropical notes in fruit meads.
Best Uses Fruity melomels, tropical hydromels

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?

Which for cysers?

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