sudndeth

Recipes 

Well, my mead has been fermenting since 2 May, and has shown active fermentation since about the 5th. I added nutrients and degassed it a 3 times during that period. I had what maybe a high OG of about 1.180ish. The last gravity taken 7 May was 1.100. The Airlock is humming along and little bubbles are floating up like seltzer water. Should I just let it sit until the fermentation visibly stops then take a gravity reading? Or should I take the reading now?

MedsenFey

Recipes 

Well you sure gave those poor yeast a heavy burden to carry. Which yeast did you use?

You can take a reading now to see where you are. A little late aeration might actually help the yeast go a bit farther in a batch like this. Typically when starting at extreme gravity, the yeast don't make it to their usual alcohol tolerance.

__________________
"Our results are merely the result of carefully managing the transformation of bee spit into yeast excrement."
--- Wayneb

mightynintendo

Recipes 

Consider this an addendum question as I have never made mead before, but is it acceptable to add more yeast if your initial batch putters out before finishing? I know it's OK in beer but I didn't know if mead was different in some way.

__________________
'I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral, but when I trace at my pleasure, the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch earth with my feet. I stand in the presence of Zeus himself, and take my fill of ambrosia.'

—Claudius Ptolemy, AD 150

MedsenFey

Recipes 

You can add more yeast, but unless you use strains good for restarting such as UvaFerm 43, or EC-1118, or DV10, and unless you acclimate those yeast to the must, the results are often disappointing. Unlike beer, you are dealing with a lot more alcohol - in this case it is already close to 11% ABV and that will stun new yeast that are pitched into it.

If you follow a restart protocol such as Hightest outlines in his sticky thread at the top of the mead forum, it can be done. However, sugar is toxic to yeast. Yes, I know they eat sugar. So do people, but if I bury someone in sugar, it will be toxic to them too. If you are trying to restart a fermentation that is near the end, without too much sugar left, it is much easier than trying to restart with a gravity of 1.100 (about 26% residual sugar). That's about 75 Delle units and probably won't restart.

So let's hope they keep plugging along to the finish and don't pull up too short.

__________________
"Our results are merely the result of carefully managing the transformation of bee spit into yeast excrement."
--- Wayneb

TipsyDragon

Recipes 

i would wait till all other signs of fermentation stop then take a gravity reading.