So, I finally put together my first batch of mead. Here is the recipe I used:
1 gallon orange blossom honey
5 lbs of wildflower honey
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
1 lb raisins soaked in water to rehydrate
fresh orange peel from 1/2 a medium naval orange
5.5 tbsp bee pollen
2 packets (10g) Lalvin 71B yeast (will be fermenting around 76-78 degrees F.)
I put everything together, except the yeast, and added the potassium Metabisulfite (more to sanitize the the orange peel and raisins and bee pollen -i'm sadly a bit nuts about cleanliness and sanitation). I filled the fermenter up to 5.5 gal, put the lid and airlock on and left it sit overnight. This evening I boiled 1.25 cup water, let it cool to room temp, and let the yeast soak for about 20 minutes. I stirred the heck out of the must, took and OG reading by plunking the sanitized hydrometer in the must, spun it, took note of the reading, and pulled it out. Then added the yeast.
Then I thought about the hydrometer - the reading was at 1.2. I'm hoping as much as I can that I just suck at reading the thing because 1.2, in a 77 degree kitchen gives me an OG of 1.202. Can that strain of yeast even start if the OG is that high? I can't seem to find anything on the spec sheet.
I really need to man up and buy a refractometer.
Any thoughts or feedback?
1 gallon orange blossom honey
5 lbs of wildflower honey
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
1 lb raisins soaked in water to rehydrate
fresh orange peel from 1/2 a medium naval orange
5.5 tbsp bee pollen
2 packets (10g) Lalvin 71B yeast (will be fermenting around 76-78 degrees F.)
I put everything together, except the yeast, and added the potassium Metabisulfite (more to sanitize the the orange peel and raisins and bee pollen -i'm sadly a bit nuts about cleanliness and sanitation). I filled the fermenter up to 5.5 gal, put the lid and airlock on and left it sit overnight. This evening I boiled 1.25 cup water, let it cool to room temp, and let the yeast soak for about 20 minutes. I stirred the heck out of the must, took and OG reading by plunking the sanitized hydrometer in the must, spun it, took note of the reading, and pulled it out. Then added the yeast.
Then I thought about the hydrometer - the reading was at 1.2. I'm hoping as much as I can that I just suck at reading the thing because 1.2, in a 77 degree kitchen gives me an OG of 1.202. Can that strain of yeast even start if the OG is that high? I can't seem to find anything on the spec sheet.
I really need to man up and buy a refractometer.
Any thoughts or feedback?