P129: Fermentation of Honey Wine (Mead and Melomel) by Korean Alcoholic Beverage Producing Method

Mead (Honey wine) was fermented by Korean traditional method with honey (from Yangpyeong), rice (from Gyeonggi), nuruk (fungi for saccharification), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and spring water. Mead from blending honey showed much higher yellowness value than acacia honey. There was difference of alcohol concentration according to the source of honey (such as acacia flower, chestnut flower and blending honey), insignificantly. Also, alcohol concentration of mead was influenced by initial concentration of sugar. Initial concentration of sugar for honey wine was optimized at lower than 30%. During fermentation period, sugar concentration decreased rapidly until the 10 days of fermentation, while alcohol concentration increased slowly during the same fermentation period. When honey wine was made with only honey, sensorial properties were not acceptable as alcoholic beverage. In order to improve the lack of palatability, we investigated with dilution honey under 32 brix, and then added herb, ginger and citrus during fermentation period. We improved mead with acacia flower honey. Alcohol made from honey wine with herb was 13.8±0.2% under condition of 33% of honey and 0.08% of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at 25°C for 12 days.