d47 yeast at 78 degrees

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msarro

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Hey everyone. SWMBO and I have disagreements about the temperature to keep our house at. In summer I prefer cool temperatures, whereas shell put on a sweater at 80 degrees. Pair that with high power bills lately, and our house has been positively roasting. I can turn the ac up while I'm home, but when I leave she'll shut it off.

I'd like to kick off a mead I've been putting together a recipe for, but my concern is that the coolest part of our house is the basement. It has an average temperature of 78 degrees f. Is it pointless to even try at that temp? I have an ale going ATM which seems to be happily bubbling, but I'm still new to meads. I'm concerned that if I don't start soon I won't have it by the time I'd like (our wedding, oct 2013).
 
Lots of yeasts will ferment fine at 78, but you don't want to run a batch with D47 above 70F/21C because above that, its known to produce fusels.

And I presume you don't want a batch that tastes "chemically".....

Just go with a more temp tolerant yeast. Tailor the recipe for 12-14% ABV, for ease of fermentation, then back sweeten it.
 
I can personally vouch for the D47 and fusels when the temp is too high. You could try the swamp cooler approach. Get a tub filled with water and put frozen water bottles in it once or twice a day, or an apparatus like this:

https://www.cool-brewing.com/

There are lots of threads on this forum of people using this method (mostly in the beer brewing threads).
 
I can personally vouch for the D47 and fusels when the temp is too high. You could try the swamp cooler approach. Get a tub filled with water and put frozen water bottles in it once or twice a day, or an apparatus like this:

https://www.cool-brewing.com/

There are lots of threads on this forum of people using this method (mostly in the beer brewing threads).

Or say bollocks to D47 and make.the batch with K1V-1116. A superior yeast, especially for traditionals......
 
I have the same issue in the summer time also; its a bit too hot for D47 in my house too (although I think I got lucky with the batch I made in April before this knowledge was imparted to me - it tastes awesome).

A member on the forums suggested I use Lalvin KV-1116 if you can't keep your temp below 68* F. The batch I made two days ago was a show mead with KV-1116 and its bubbling away like a champ.

Just for ghits & shiggles, what I made;

4 Gal Distilled water
10 G Lalvin KV-1116
12 G Fermaid-K
15 LBS. Orange Blossom honey
1 TSP - Yeast Nutrient
2/3 TSP - Yeast energizer

No-heat method used - near OCD sanitation practices employed.
 
Yep, D-47 @ 78* F. will throw some massive fusels & make mead that tastes like solvent/fuel/rubber stopper. D-47 needs to ferment on the cool side, like 62* F.
Those fusels may eventually age out, but it'll take a while. It took 3 years for the fusels to age out of a melomel I made in summer with D-47.
I'd wait till I had better temp control to start that fermentation. A different strain might give you acceptable results at those higher temps, it's your choice.
Regards, GF.
 
I recomend 71B. It does have a temp tolerance of up to like 82. So your 78 degree should be just fine. It runs clean like D47. The one note of caution that I have found is that you don't let it stand on the lees for months at a time. Rack it off of the primary promptly when the fermentation slows down or when the lees are about 1/2 to 1/4 inch and is seems to have slowed down. Then rack when ever it is at 1/4 inch of lees.

I have had no ill effects at the temps mentioned.

Matrix
 
I recomend 71B. It does have a temp tolerance of up to like 82. So your 78 degree should be just fine. It runs clean like D47. The one note of caution that I have found is that you don't let it stand on the lees for months at a time. Rack it off of the primary promptly when the fermentation slows down or when the lees are about 1/2 to 1/4 inch and is seems to have slowed down. Then rack when ever it is at 1/4 inch of lees.

I have had no ill effects at the temps mentioned.

Matrix

This yeast looks perfect! I'll try to pick it up at lunch. The issue I see with the KV-1116 is the tolerance to 18% and higher, which would most likely leave me with a very dry mead (not really what I'm going for - I want to end up with something sweet without having to backsweeten).
 
This yeast looks perfect! I'll try to pick it up at lunch. The issue I see with the KV-1116 is the tolerance to 18% and higher, which would most likely leave me with a very dry mead (not really what I'm going for - I want to end up with something sweet without having to backsweeten).
I fully understand where you're coming from, but unless you want to have to mess around with a batch, and potentially have to use extra stages during the make (the more meddling, the greater the risk of infection), then its really the easiest way to achieve what you're aiming at.......

Besides, if you took a batch to the logical extreme with K1V, then sweetened it, bingo..... sack mead.

Oh, and don't forget, the published tolerance for yeast strains, alludes to grape musts. You can exceed that with honey musts if you step feed etc.......
 
] The batch I made two days ago was a show mead with KV-1116 and its bubbling away like a champ.

Just for ghits & shiggles, what I made;

4 Gal Distilled water
10 G Lalvin KV-1116
12 G Fermaid-K
15 LBS. Orange Blossom honey
1 TSP - Yeast Nutrient
2/3 TSP - Yeast energizer


No-heat method used - near OCD sanitation practices employed.

Sounda like you will end up wit a great end product, it'll be a "traditional" not a "show" mead though, the difference is the nutrients, in a "show" you don't use them, in a "traditional" you do...otherwise they are the same
 
Sounda like you will end up wit a great end product, it'll be a "traditional" not a "show" mead though, the difference is the nutrients, in a "show" you don't use them, in a "traditional" you do...otherwise they are the same


Ah, thank you for imparting that - still learning :)

This is my third batch (just started in April) - I am loving it - The honey I am using is amazing, I can't wait until I can enjoy my hard work!
 
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