Are my calculations right?

thorson138 · 09-08-2009, 09:08 PM

This 5 gallon batch of mead I'm working on I started on 8-27-09. I didn't take a hydrometer reading when I first started the must. I did however find online a way of calculating my OG considering the ingredients I have used.

Here is what I put together:

20lbs raw wildflower local honey(delicious!!)
4 gallons drinking water
1 pack lavlin D47 yeast
1 tsp yeast energizer (day 1)
1 tsp yeast energizer (day 4)
1 tsp yaest nergizer (day 8)

When I mixed the must I aerated vigorously by hand for 10-15 minutes.
I then pitched the yeast.
The next morning the mead was well into fermentation bubbling at a steady pace. I assume all is well.

On the 4th day I opened the fermentation bucket, added another tsp energizer, stirred the mead and re-covered.

On the 8th day I again opened the mead and added another tsp of energizer to the mead. I assume all is well... Still bubbling along.

I have been smelling around the airlock to see if the sweetness is dryin up at all. I don't know if this is an indication of progress, but it's what I do. hmhmhm

I noticed yesterday (9-7-09) the smell from the airlock was not quite as sweet as it has previously been.

The temperature where this mead is fermenting is at a fairly constant temp of 70*-72*f.

Any comments, suggestions, experiences with similar recipes??? This is a question for you... My calculations tell me my OG would have been around 1.170!! I want this mead to finish off sweet, but I don't want it to taste like syrup or straight honey out of the jar. I want it to be pretty sweet but not so sweet a couple bottles betwwen 5-6 people would make everyone sick.hmhmhm. Let me know what your experinces have been with this much honey and D47 yeast and sna. Thanks all!

malkore · 09-08-2009, 10:48 PM

yeah...that's way too much honey IMO. you never really need to exceed maybe 3.5lbs per gallon, and you used 5lbs per gallon.

1.170 seems a little high, but still very high. even with champaign yeast, I suspect it'll finish sweet.

i've never gone over 3lbs of honey per gallon of finished mead...so I can't give any experience on 5lbs/gallon

thorson138 · 09-09-2009, 02:42 AM

It's actually closer to 6 gallons I guess... 4 gal water along with basically 2 gal honey. Thanks for the reply!

pdilley · 09-09-2009, 07:25 AM

I put 20# Honey to 4 gallons water to be OG 1.126 which is pretty much JAO levels upscaled to 5.7 gallons. I put that weight to 1.7 gallons, not 2 so thats where the divergence happens most likely. To get 1.170 you should have added only 2.5 gallons of water to the honey so I don't think you really are as high as you think you were to start with. You would have to finish near 1.019 to get your 14% ABV D-47 is said to be able to reach. Sounds better than having to hit 1.063 with your 1.170 starting gravity.

thorson138 · 09-09-2009, 12:46 PM

Thanks pdilley! That sounds much better than what I was thinkin. We'll see I guess. I do want and love good sweet mead but I don't want it to taste like syrup, ya know? Anyway, I'll keep updating on the status of this batch along the way. Thanks for your reply!