Beebe

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Here is my first post! I have a little issue with my mead at this time and looking for some input. After some research I think I was given some bad advise and just wondering what my next step should be.
Here is what I have at this point. Prickly pear mead, 18 lbs honey and six lbs of cactus pears. Five gallons total and I used Wyeast dry mead slap pack. Also used five tsp. of nutriant at the start. Gravity at start was 1.131 and all went well for almost a month.
Racked from a plastic bucket to a glass carboy and at that point gravity was 1.070 All was well, kept going but went out of town and it was hot, like upper 80s to 90 hot in the house! Couple days later, no more bubbles in the mead. Im sure the heat killed everything.
Here is what I have done to try to get it back up and running. Added about four cups of water to top off the carboy and possibly change the acid levels. I never have actually checked the ph levels. I also added one tablespoon of nutrient. Nothing after a day! Next day I added one packet of lalvin k1-v1116 yeast. One day later I have some small bubbles around the neck and I can smell mead comming out the air lock. No bubbling of the air lock that I can see at this time.
Ok, now what? Maybe some energizer? Leave it?
This is my second batch of mead so still learning the ropes and learning lots!

Yooper

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What's the current SG? Is it still at 1.070? It should be much lower, maybe even finished.

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Beebe

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Wow, just checked the gravity and its at 1.003 at 73 degrees.
I think its done! That seems like it dropped fast for having no bubbles. I guess I should have checked the gravity before I added the yeast and nutrient.

Ok, so does anyone now think I will have off flavers from the added yeast or nutrient? I hope not!
Do I need to do anything to keep it from going any further in fermentation?

Nurmey

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It is not done yet. It will probably go down to .995 give or take a few points. Leave it alone for a while longer and let it finish its thing.

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Beebe

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Sounds good!

biochemedic

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I don't think you will have any problems from the added nutrient/yeast...I'd be more concerned about the higher temps your second half of fermentation happened under...you'll likely have some fuesel alcohols and it may initially be kind of "hot," alcoholic, or even slightly solvent like. It probably won't "ruin" your batch, but you may need to age it quite a while to mellow it out if it does have those characteristics.

Beebe

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When I tasted the mead after I racked it, it did taste kind of solvent like! I figured that I would be waiting a year or two for this batch to be ready when I decided to make it. Only time will tell.

Beebe

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Update...... Had a little nip this evening. Still bulk aging in the carboys and its starting to really mellow out! I think in six months to a year this stuff is going to be great!

MedsenFey

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K1V is one of the few yeast that can do well in the heat, but such batches may go through a Band-Aid phase that starts at 3-6 months and then clears out at about 1 year so don't be discouraged if it is "funny smelling" at 6 months. Just give it time.