mead without nutrients

gmay10 · 07-12-2008, 01:26 AM

I made a mead last October and I did a bunch of things wrong. It was my first mead and I have learned a lot since it happened. I was basically a homebrewer and decided to try something different. I used 12lbs of honey and then hand picked all the seeds out of 6 pomegranates. Unfortunately, I boiled the pomegranates to sanitize them (I now know that that sets the pectin and it will probably be hazy forever). I put all that into a 5 gallon fermenting bucket and threw in Red Star Montrachet yeast. It did ferment and then I put it into secondary. I never took a hydrometer reading because I was a novice and it wasn't on the agenda or do to stupidity. It has been in secondary for over 6 months. How does not adding a yeast nutrient change how it fermented? Like I said, it was bubbling and fermenting at a pretty good pace for a while. Thanks for any thoughts and ideas- happy brewing!

**BigKahuna** · 07-12-2008, 01:35 AM

well...To start with, not enough nutrient causes the yeast to have a hard time doing it's job. It can cause "Off" flavors, and a slow ferment. All of that is splitting hairs at this point. Now the issue is how does it taste, and what is your ending gravity? If the gravity is low and it seems stable, bottle it. If it tastes good....and I'll bet it does, don't stress now about not having added nutrients 6 or 8 months ago.

Post a picture......better yet, send us some to taste test for you

Maine Homebrewer · 07-12-2008, 01:47 AM

If it tastes good it is good.

Relax, don't worry....

**summersolstice** · 07-12-2008, 02:17 PM

It's not too late to try adding pectic enzyme. Draw some of your mead and try adding about 3 teaspoons. Pour it back in and wait a couple of weeks to see if it clears. Alternately, you could just leave it cloudy -it doesn't hurt the flavor.

will_cbe · 07-14-2008, 03:20 PM

I did basically the same thing, a year and a half ago. It turned out fine. I still have a bottle and a half. Need to partake of that half bottle to see what a little age did.