GNBrews
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- Mar 24, 2007
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I started a traditional mead, using 15lb of honey with Lalvin 71B-1122, on 11/20. I pitched 15g of the 71B, re-hydrating at 104F for the recommended 20mins before pitching, but did not use Go-Ferm as my LHBS was out. The must was oxygenated right after pitch; 2mins @ 1.5L/min flow rate.
The original gravity was 1.117. I used Hightest's honey calculator (http://home.comcast.net/~mzapx1/) for the staggered nutrient additions of 4.1g DAP/4.1g Fermaid-K initially, 2.5g DAP/2.5g Fermaid-K @ 1.108, and 1.6g DAP/1.6g Fermaid-K @ 1.059.
However, in my research about proper mead making, I didn't read much about how important pH control is to proper yeast health. I noticed that the fermentation was going quite strongly for the first 5 days, but has now petered-out to just over a point per day or so. At this rate, it's not going to finish like a mead managed with SNA should. So, I checked the pH, and it's around 2.8, which I've read is quite low (should be 3.7-4.6) and is probably causing my slow fermentation.
Now, the question is whether I add a bit of potassium carbonate/bicarbonate to adjust the pH and just let it go with the yeast already in suspension, or should I also add another 5g of yeast and a bit of nutrient? My guess is that the yeast already in suspension are quite stressed, and could maybe use some backup?
The original gravity was 1.117. I used Hightest's honey calculator (http://home.comcast.net/~mzapx1/) for the staggered nutrient additions of 4.1g DAP/4.1g Fermaid-K initially, 2.5g DAP/2.5g Fermaid-K @ 1.108, and 1.6g DAP/1.6g Fermaid-K @ 1.059.
However, in my research about proper mead making, I didn't read much about how important pH control is to proper yeast health. I noticed that the fermentation was going quite strongly for the first 5 days, but has now petered-out to just over a point per day or so. At this rate, it's not going to finish like a mead managed with SNA should. So, I checked the pH, and it's around 2.8, which I've read is quite low (should be 3.7-4.6) and is probably causing my slow fermentation.
Now, the question is whether I add a bit of potassium carbonate/bicarbonate to adjust the pH and just let it go with the yeast already in suspension, or should I also add another 5g of yeast and a bit of nutrient? My guess is that the yeast already in suspension are quite stressed, and could maybe use some backup?