Racked 3 gallons today....questions!

Hey guys/gals.

I racked a 3 gallon batch with 2.5 lbs in about 2.5 gallons of water,{saved room for apples} O.G. 1.092

So it had pretty much cleared, so I went and bought another 3 gallon carboy and racked it onto a bed of 8 diced organic apples, two cinnamon sticks and two cloves.


Here's the question/concern! While i was racking i accidentally bumped the carboy enough towards the end of siphon, to stirr up a good bit of yeast. Not wanting to suck up TOO much, i left the left inch or so behind. Resulting in a fair amount of headspace!

I didn't want it diluted too bad, so I dumped in another 12 oz of straight honey!! Then topped with water about an inch below the airlock.

I am guessing as long as the yeast are still viable, they will wake up and go to work on the additional honey? How will this effect the apples?? Will it go nuts and ferment on the apples as well?

I plan on leaving it on the apples for 2 months {unless thats too long}, then ill rack off everything a last time.


PHEEWW sorry for the novel, any suggestions/tips welcomed!!

Yeast eats sugar. They don't discriminate between honey and apples. Unless they have reached their alcohol tolerance or you add sulfite/sorbate, fermentation should restart on the apples and the honey. Fermentation would've restarted on the apples anyway, regardless of the honey addition.

Much of the apple flavor will disappear with a renewed fermentation. Also, you didn't add a whole lot of sugar, but filling to 1" below the airlock doesn't leave much room for fermentation. I'd expect mead in the airlock and possibly on the floor.

Instead of adding honey and then water, you might want to try dissolving the honey in the water first. This will get the honey in solution and avoid a blob of honey on the bottom of the carboy.

You state "2.5 lbs in about 2.5 gallons of water". OG 1.092 doesn't sound right to me. Is that 2.5 lbs honey per gallon?

2.5 lbs/per galon yes! I realized after the fact that yes most of the apple flavor would be carried away by more fermentation......I am fairly confident however that is is "done" for the most part fermenting! I guess I should get out of bed and go check!!!!

no signs of activity!?!? Now im concerned that with the extra honey and water I added it will just be a overly sweet/diluted wreck?

also, I swirled the carboy gently to get the added pure honey dissolved so it wasn't just sitting in a blob on the bottom.

Your yeast were dormant, so it might take a few days for fermentation to restart. If it doesn't restart, you basically backsweetened your mead. 12 oz of honey in 3 gallons will raise your gravity by about 8 points. I don't know how much the apples weighed and I'm not sure how much of the apple sugar would go into solution, but I'd guess it might contribute another 4-5 points. You don't state the SG, but if you had a dry mead before, you will have a semi-sweet if fermentation doesn't restart.

What was the gravity at racking? Depending on the yeast used, if it hit or got near its alcohol tolerance, there might not be any more fermentation activity.

If it does turn out too sweet, you can always make another gallon of straight mead, let it ferment to dryness, and then blend them. Or you can just enjoy a sweet mead.

forgot to check it when I racked!! oops! I gess I'll just leave it on the apples for 2 months and rack a final time and let it sit! I'm sure it'll come out ok!

Well it still depends on the gravity and what yeast you used doesn't it.

If the finished mead had been stabilised i.e. sorbate/sulphite, then racking onto the apples would have been fine.

The issue is that taking 1.000 as finished and the starting gravity of 1.092, you'll have about 12.5% ABV - given that the vast majority of wine yeasts will go to 14% ABV, then the extra honey and the sugar in the apples are likely to referment (possibly not immediately as that might be dependant on temps and stuff like that).

So again, it's sort of what yeast you used that has potential for it to be a PITA and take a while to sort......

regards

fatbloke

Well............This Damn EC-1118 is still hungry! It took four days, but it's up to it's old shenaneginns! Bubbling away!

I might have to let this finish out, rack again and add more apples!!.....of course i'll taste it too see how it is!

Yeah with an O.G. of 1.o92 I shoulda figured it would take off again!!

I don't want a really dry mead, so If it goes dry with the extra honey and apples, I guess I'll just rack once more and add more honey! The hungry s.o.b's can't eat forever!!

i'm new but my 2 cents worth....

EC-1118 will go to 18%. its also a fairly hardy yeast. (someone commented that it will ferment a rock!)

if you continue to keep adding honey/sugar it will keep fermenting till 18% or so. i noticed a few comments that it tends to be very fusel when pushed that high, so it will taste like crap and take a very long time to age.

if you want a sweet wine you need to let it ferment till it runs out of sugar (make it dry), then sorbate/sulphite and back sweaten to make it sweet.