More Cyser Questions

Ok first here is what I have:

6 Gallons Sam's CLub Apple Juice
5 1/2 lbs - Honey
Activator pack of Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

I used a blender to disolve the honey into the apple juice and then added to my primary.

Fermentation took off almost instantly and is still happily bubbling away.

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Now that you have an idea of what I have on to the questions.

I had my hydrometer and thief all sanitized and ready to but ultimately forgot to get an initial reading....so sorry I cannot give you an original

The yeast I used has a abv tolerance of 10%, when primary is done will my yeast be all dead?

When I rack to secondary I would like to pull one gallon off and leave it be. For the other 5 gallons I would like to add some fruit, most likely raspberries. Is adding fruit when there is no yeast present ok(if that is indeed how it will be)? Would I be better off just addding a can of apple raspberry concetrate juice?

Is there something else I am not considering/forgetten?

I just started this last friday (sept 19, 2008) so I still have several weeks to make up my mind what to do for secondary/aging.

MMMM I'll bet that the blender was a great way to aerate the must! I'll bet I try that soon.

Yeah it came out as pretty much foam when filling the blender to 1/4 or so of honey and the rest with juice.

I have to do this 4 or 5 times to get all the honey mixed.

All that foam probably would have made it tough to get a hydrometer meter reading (if I had remembered to try).

If you did reach the alcohol tolerance of the yeast the fermentation may stop but the yeast won't be dead. Adding fruit to the mead at this point is likely to cause a small renewed fermentation as the fruit will actually dilute the mead somewhat.

However given your recipe I expect the yeast will take the mead to dry so i think it is a non-issue for you.

Craig

Browsing the cider and mead forums I keep reading about nutrients.

Do i need to worry about adding nutrients? Being new to the hobby I have never used them, is this something you get from a brewshop?

russb123 said:

Browsing the cider and mead forums I keep reading about nutrients.

Do i need to worry about adding nutrients? Being new to the hobby I have never used them, is this something you get from a brewshop?

Click to expand...

Honey unlike malt does not have the nurtients that yeast need for optimum health. That is why it is recommended that you add nutrients to you must when making mead. It is too late for this batch but next time you make mead consider adding some yeast nutrient when starting out.

The yeast manufacturer Lalvin makes a yeast nutrient called Fermaid-K that is highly recommended. DAP (diammonia-phosphate) is often recommended to be added in addition to the nutrient. DAP provides nitrogen the yeast needs and the nutrient provides a number of other nutrients. Both are usually available from most well stocked wine making stores. If you see yeast nutrient and yeast energizer available from LD carson get the energizer. The LD carson nutrient is a nitrogen source like DAP but contains urea which is not recommended for meads.

Craig