Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
Anyone tried this Sweet Mead Activator Wyeast ACT4184?
Sweet Mead Activator Wyeast ACT4184
- Thread starter Wyrmwood
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This is a yeast that has quite a reputation for causing problems. While it can make very good meads, it often causes stuck fermentations if it is not well managed. It tends to be sensitive to pH, nutrients, aeration and temp, and while you can say this about all yeast, this strain seems more so.
If I had a nickle for every time I saw some new meadcrafter with a stuck fermentation because they used this strain thinking "this must be best for a mead - it says mead right on the label," I'd be able to afford the premium membership.
Medsen
If I had a nickle for every time I saw some new meadcrafter with a stuck fermentation because they used this strain thinking "this must be best for a mead - it says mead right on the label," I'd be able to afford the premium membership.
Medsen
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
Glad I asked. Is there a recommended liquid yeast? This seemed like a no brainer after all the joy I've had with wyeast 1056.
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
According to this research, perhaps I should use While Labs Merlot, stabilize and back sweeten with more honey? Sound like a good idea?
I am currently brewing with the wyeast dry mead yeast. It had a slow start, but it is at a healthy bubble two and a half weeks later, about a bubble a second. I have added a tsp of nutrients to some warm water in a shot glass and poured into the primary every three days for the first two weeks of primary fermitation.
Narbonne 71-B yeast.
Staggered Nutrient additions per Schramm.
Degas 2-3 times a day the first week of primary.
Do this, and you'll be done fermenting in about 2 weeks, and drinking good mead in as little as 6 weeks.
Staggered Nutrient additions per Schramm.
Degas 2-3 times a day the first week of primary.
Do this, and you'll be done fermenting in about 2 weeks, and drinking good mead in as little as 6 weeks.
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Wyrmwood
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I do not know what this means (understand staggered, but not "per Schramm")
Where is Schramm's Staggered Nutrient Addition info? I have his book, and don't remember reading his SNA.
Wyrmwood, by "per Schramm" he means per the author Ken Schramm, in the book "The Compleat MeadMaker", I would assume.
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
What is SCA1, SCA2, H2, prod and lanl? (From the link above over at mead made complicated)
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
FrayAdjacent
Active Member
Dang, I bought a packet of that yeast and originally intended to make a large batch melomel, but seeing that the fruit would cost a ton, I figured I'll just make a 5gal batch of traditional sweet mead with it. I'll wait until I receive Schramm's book (should be in my mailbox any day now!) and read up on the staggered nutrient deal. It'll be a couple weeks before I can shell out the coin for the additional supplies and honey to start on that batch anyway.
I still have a couple packets of Flieschmann's bread yeast at home, since I started with the 'store bought' recipe. (I believe what is referred to as JOAM here). I think I might try making a smaller batch of a raspberry melomel with some of the bread yeast I have... maybe a blueberry or strawberry melomel as well...
I still have a couple packets of Flieschmann's bread yeast at home, since I started with the 'store bought' recipe. (I believe what is referred to as JOAM here). I think I might try making a smaller batch of a raspberry melomel with some of the bread yeast I have... maybe a blueberry or strawberry melomel as well...
If you are ordering "the Compeat Meadmaker" by Schramm, his SNA (staggered nutrient addition) isn't in it. I looked last night. I have Schramm's and Hightest's SNA's as mutually supplemental in my hand made 'Mead Bible', I can Email you Schramm's SNA if you'd like. after reading Schramm's SNA I prefer a mash up of Schramm's and Hightest's SNA's together.
Jonas
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
google's amazingWell Wyrmwood, Nice work!
That is the SNA info I was looking for.
If you follow that link to the brew forums, it's from an article he wrote, reprinted there.
Yeah, I think I will use Hightest's, since it's complete and coherent. And I just thought it was water, honey and yeast
fatbloke
Well-Known Member
Well I'd back up Medsens comments about the sweet mead yeast. I tried it and it did just that, stuck!
I'm thinking that if you made a must that would go to the suggested tolerance of 11% ABV, or just a little more, you'd be unlikely to get any osmotic shock, which is what I suspect causes problems with it.
Though at the same time, because it's proved itself to be a finicky little sucker to use, attention to the pH levels, staggered nutrient etc, would be more likely to pay dividends when fermenting with it.
I'll probably try it another time, but it's pretty low down on the "todo" list....
regards
fatbloke
I'm thinking that if you made a must that would go to the suggested tolerance of 11% ABV, or just a little more, you'd be unlikely to get any osmotic shock, which is what I suspect causes problems with it.
Though at the same time, because it's proved itself to be a finicky little sucker to use, attention to the pH levels, staggered nutrient etc, would be more likely to pay dividends when fermenting with it.
I'll probably try it another time, but it's pretty low down on the "todo" list....
regards
fatbloke
manicmethod
Well-Known Member
I used this yeast on my first/only batch of mead. I actually split the batch in 2, used the sweet mead in half and wyeast dry mead in the other.
I experienced no problems with either. The dry mead had a very alcohol taste and the sweet mead stopped at 1.024 which was too sweet for my taste so in the end I bottled some sweet mead, then mixed the remaining sweet and dry for the rest (after killing off all the yeast, of course).
I started the batch on 11/07/10 and bottled on 2/5/11 so it is going to be a bit before it is ready for mass consumption but the tastings at bottle time went well.
EDIT: I'll add that the sweet mead started at 1.114 SG so ending up at 1.024 is still 11%ish.
The dry mead started at 1.100 and ended up at 1.002 so it was a bit higher ABV.
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Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
This is what I used and worked like a charm. I went ahead and gave it 3 weeks before racking and the SG was right at 1.000. I also washed the yeast, so I have 4 more starters now.
