"Dragon Horn Melomel" - Fermentation Stuck

Hey guys,

In another thread, I posted some info on this new melomel I made, but I'm having issues with it. There was never a vigorous fermentation period within 72 hours, or much fermentation at all for that matter. The most intense it ever got was 1 bubble per 12 seconds. At this time, it's at about 1 bubble per 25 seconds.

I used a WYeast Accelerator Pack, which swelled within an hour of smacking, so I'm assuming the yeast was healthy.

The fruit was still partially frozen when I added it to the carboy, which might be a problem. It would have dropped the temperature of the must until it thawed, but I'm not sure if this would kill the yeast.

Haven't had a chance to check the pH since I don't have strips or anything right now.

Here's the recipe:

"Dragon Horn Melomel"

-Dragonfruit
-Horn Melon
-15 lbs. clover honey
-4 gallons distilled water
-Frozen Raspberries
-Blueberry Fruit Juice

OG = 1.105 (unadjusted, @72 degrees)

This fruit is sort of exotic and I've never used either Dragonfruit or Horn Melon before. I'm worried that they may have dropped the pH too low for the yeast to work at its full potential.

Any other ideas or suggestions as to what I should check, or what may have caused this?

My advice...if you are able to move this to a food grade bucket with lid just covering, or a clean/sanitized towel, do so. This will allow yeast access to the oxygen they need and allow you access for better cap management, stir twice daily until you are back to carboy, under airlock. If no bucket, remove airlock and replace when OG drops by at least 50%, though I use primary bucket and wait until 66% SG decrease, same advice on stirring.
You may have been better off using double the amount of yeast since higher gravity and a cold start. Consider adding some nutrient--check out staggered nutrient addition. I would not rely upon counting bubbles in your airlock, not every yeast is a big bubbler...and bubbles do not indicate what is going on, but your hydrometer will. Definitely check pH if you can. In the future use spring water, distilled is stripped bare. Overall, sounds like a tasty mead. Which yeast did you use specifically?

Yeah dose it with nutrient and energizer then shake the crap out of it.

saramc said:

My advice...if you are able to move this to a food grade bucket with lid just covering, or a clean/sanitized towel, do so. This will allow yeast access to the oxygen they need and allow you access for better cap management, stir twice daily until you are back to carboy, under airlock. If no bucket, remove airlock and replace when OG drops by at least 50%, though I use primary bucket and wait until 66% SG decrease, same advice on stirring.
You may have been better off using double the amount of yeast since higher gravity and a cold start. Consider adding some nutrient--check out staggered nutrient addition. I would not rely upon counting bubbles in your airlock, not every yeast is a big bubbler...and bubbles do not indicate what is going on, but your hydrometer will. Definitely check pH if you can. In the future use spring water, distilled is stripped bare. Overall, sounds like a tasty mead. Which yeast did you use specifically?

Click to expand...

'

I used WYeast "Sweet Mead" (4184). Prior to making this mead, I made a blackberry mead with the same yeast, and had really vigorous ferm within 24 hours that lasted about 2 days. I'm going to siphon a sample into my graduated cyl tonight and take a hydrometer reading. I'll post that reading tonight to see what other advice you guys may have. I won't be able to pick up pH strips, nutrients, or more yeast until the end of the week. I'm bogged down with accounting exams this week.

In the event that the pH has dropped too low, or the must was too cold when I added the yeast, would this harm the yeast enough that it would ruin this brew? Would it hurt to just add more yeast right away, or should I wait and try nutrients first? And what specific nutrients might I look into?

Thanks again for your help.

You should try putting a picture of the khaleesi by the carboy. Her dragon fruit are at their most powerful when they are close to her. LMAO!

JustinCider said:

You should try putting a picture of the khaleesi by the carboy. Her dragon fruit are at their most powerful when they are close to her. LMAO!

Click to expand...

HAHAHA!! Not a bad suggestion.

Maybe yelling "Dracarys" at the carboy will fire things up a bit.

My guess would be ... Maybe some kind of natural sulfites in the fruits you used? I haven't done any research on Dragon or horn fruits... But Lingonberries (That tasty juice you may have seen at IKEA) have natural sulfites or some kind of ites, that if you use them in primary, you're asking for a stuck batch. I'd look into that, as well as shaking the beans out of it daily!

I've also seen lots of issues with the "Mead" yeasts from that brand.

Edit: I hate auto correct

If must was too cold and/or pH out of whack, along with TA, then the yeast could have stressed. Plus, the high gravity alone stresses them.

I would check the SG first. Then I would purchase yeast energizer along with yeast nutrient, it is called just that, the labels will tell you what to do (but seriously read up on SNA- staggered nutrient additions). You will use the nutrient & energizer in the future. And be prepared to pitch that 2nd yeast.

If the 4184 ferments to toxicity it should die off around 11% ACV, and with your OG of 1.105@72F you actually have potential for 14%. Do you have any issues fermenting this dry if you get into a stall?

Dragonfruit and horned melons do not have the fermenting issue that befalls lingonberry, which can happen to all fruits from the genus Vaccinium, or so I have read.

Just took a hydro reading.

SG reads 1.074 (@ 72 degrees).

I started at 1.105 (@ 72 degrees) on March 16th, so we're 9 days in.

I was aiming for a FG of 1.012-1.020.

So, some fermentation has obviously taken place, I just didn't see that vigorous bubbling that would indicate a healthy start. Is there a reason for concern, or will I need to take another hydro reading to really tell?

I would get nutrients on board and let it ride

Just to keep you guys posted, yesterday I added yeast energizer and I pitched Lalvin D47 Wine Yeast. There's very steady airlock activity now.

Thanks again to all of you for your help.

Im putting a dragon mead on next week. Really curious how this turns out. Might do two 1 gallon batches so I can have a dragon fruit only one. Im worried its to subtle with other berries etc added. This was my first time even tasting a dragon fruit
Im sticking away from GOT for this label and was after something that will be as vibrant as the mead will likely be. My gimp skills are not the greatest but I managed to convert a dragon head into a dragon fruit lol.
Wish there was more information/recipes on dragon fruit.

Nothing wrong with that at all! In fact the choice to make the spines also like those tail looking things on the dragon fruit is a really smart choice, even if you didn't know you were doing it.

The dragon is a pic I found off the net and the dragon fruit is a real photo of a dragon fruit which I threw in a vector program then changed the colour of in gimp as well as dragon to match each other. Then drew eyes on. The mouth looking part was an actual shadow on the real fruit so I figured it worked out pretty well.

Sollozzo said:

Hey guys,

In another thread, I posted some info on this new melomel I made, but I'm having issues with it. There was never a vigorous fermentation period within 72 hours, or much fermentation at all for that matter. The most intense it ever got was 1 bubble per 12 seconds. At this time, it's at about 1 bubble per 25 seconds.

I used a WYeast Accelerator Pack, which swelled within an hour of smacking, so I'm assuming the yeast was healthy.

The fruit was still partially frozen when I added it to the carboy, which might be a problem. It would have dropped the temperature of the must until it thawed, but I'm not sure if this would kill the yeast.

Haven't had a chance to check the pH since I don't have strips or anything right now.

Here's the recipe:

"Dragon Horn Melomel"

-Dragonfruit
-Horn Melon
-15 lbs. clover honey
-4 gallons distilled water
-Frozen Raspberries
-Blueberry Fruit Juice

OG = 1.105 (unadjusted, @72 degrees)

This fruit is sort of exotic and I've never used either Dragonfruit or Horn Melon before. I'm worried that they may have dropped the pH too low for the yeast to work at its full potential.

Any other ideas or suggestions as to what I should check, or what may have caused this?

Click to expand...

This may just be a dumb comment, but is that a little too much headspace? I'm sure it doesn't matter right now since the CO2 is bubbling away, but will it affect something in the future? I like to top mine off with water after the first week or so, when fermentation dies down a bit.

Meadiator said:

This may just be a dumb comment, but is that a little too much headspace? I'm sure it doesn't matter right now since the CO2 is bubbling away, but will it affect something in the future? I like to top mine off with water after the first week or so, when fermentation dies down a bit.

Click to expand...

With 15# honey + 4 gal water it should be at 5 gallons, then you need to figure the volume of blueberry juice(undisclosed) plus dragonfruit/horned melon extraction.