Virgin Mead Maker

1st time making mead. just moved first batch to 3 gal. carboy, then placing the other two gallons in smaller glass bottles with frozen fruit. hydrometer reading i think is 1.006 check picture. 3gal. carboy is no longer pushing air out. does this mean that the fermenting has stopped? five gallon carboy sat for three months un touched accept for readings.. can anyone tell me how to read the hydrometer in nonscientific mode?

wampodan said:

hydrometer reading i think is 1.006 check picture. 3gal. carboy is no longer pushing air out. does this mean that the fermenting has stopped? five gallon carboy sat for three months un touched

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No airlock activity does not mean it's not fermenting still. I'm 99.9% sure it's done after three months. The only way to be sure is take another reading in two days, and another two days after that. If all three are identical then it's done fermenting.

It looks like you are reading the hydrometer fine. Your glass bottles wih fruit may restart fermentation depending on your original gravity and the yeast you used. The mead still looks a bit cloudy. Give it another couple months and check it out then. Looks like it is getting close to clearing out.

The more sugar suspended in the liquid solution the higher the hydrometer will float. As the sugars are converted into alcohol the hydrometer will float lower and lower in the liquid. What you do is read the number on the scale at the water line. Pure water will read 1.000, pure alcohol will read about 0.800 so as the alcohol content rises in your mead your hydrometer is no longer measuring dissolved sugars precisely but it will still give you an idea of what's going on in your brew.

I wouldn't worry too much about gravity readings now anyway, you'll want to let it sit a few months even after fermentation has stopped to let all the yeast and other particles settle to the bottom. If you really want to know just follow what Halbrust said.

If you want a sweet mead you'll have to stabilize the mead by adding sulfate and sorbate, this kills off the remaining yeast. Then add small amounts of honey to the mix, tasting it after each addition until you find the sweetness you're looking for. 1.000 is dry, 1.010 is semi-sweet and 1.020 is quite sweet, add slowly to find the level you like.