A pétillant naturel (pét-nat) style mead built on raw wildflower honey. Bottled before fermentation is complete to capture natural carbonation in the bottle. Produces a lively, slightly hazy, naturally sparkling mead. Targets 8% ABV with a semi-dry finish. 5-gallon batch.
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Batch size
5 gallons
Target ABV
8%
Fermentation
2–4 weeks (bottle conditioning)
Conditioning
2–4 weeks in bottle
Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.
Raw honey preferred for natural yeast and enzyme content.
Yeast
Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets
Produces a clean, fruity pét-nat.
| Timing | Nutrient | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (pitch) | Fermaid-O | 2 g | |
| 24 hours | Fermaid-O | 2 g | |
| 48 hours | Fermaid-O | 2 g | |
| 1/3 sugar break | Fermaid-O | 2 g |
Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.
Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.
Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.060.
Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–70°F.
Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.
Check gravity daily as fermentation approaches target. Target bottling gravity: approximately 1.010–1.015 (still actively fermenting).
Pét-nat requires precise timing. Bottle too early and you risk over-carbonation; too late and you lose carbonation.
When gravity reaches 1.010–1.015, bottle immediately into crown-cap bottles rated for carbonation pressure. Cap tightly.
CRITICAL: Use only bottles rated for carbonation pressure. Standard wine bottles are NOT safe for pét-nat.
Store bottles upright at 65–70°F for 2–4 weeks to allow fermentation to complete in bottle. Then refrigerate.
CRITICAL: Use only bottles rated for carbonation pressure. Bottle at gravity 1.010–1.015. Store upright at room temperature for 2–4 weeks, then refrigerate.
Honey and water scale linearly. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly. Bottling gravity target remains the same regardless of batch size.
Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.
Target ABV
8%
Original gravity
1.060
Final gravity
1.004
Sweetness
semi sweet
Finished volume
5 gallons
Gross starting volume
5.5 gallons
Expected loss
0.5 gallons(9%)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit | Scaling notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw wildflower honey | 8 | lbs | |
| Filtered water | 4.5 | gallons | |
| Fermaid-O | 8 | g | ⚠ review |
⚠ Ingredients requiring review
Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 10.
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