Don "Ho"s First Mead.

[Don "Ho"]

Ok, Malkore suggested a time line on the mead so here it is. beware these are my actual notes!!

Mead Batch 01142008
Recipe:
6 pounds of Honey
3 tbs Acid Blend
3 tsp yeast Nutrient
1 tbs Citric Acid
2 Campden Tablets
Cuvee Wine Yeast
Enough water to make 3 gallons.
Half hearted attempt to stir. (Didnt understand what was needed LOL)

No Bubbling in air lock.
01/16/08: Pull top and stirred for 5 minutes. Replaced the air lock with different kind. Tried to seal with water both the air lock and the furmenter lid.

01/17/08: Still no movement from from the air-lock. Bought an hydrometer. Pulled top and took measurements.
SG: 1.0822 (1.0824 after temp adjustment). Mixture temp was 77 deg.

01/18/08: BUBBLES.. I GOT BUBBLES.. I guess patience..haha..
02/04/08: Haven’t seen bubbles for a long time.

First Racking 02/12/08:
SG: 1.0040 (I am still trying to correctly read the meter)
Still slightly cloudy
Pretty dry so I put in 5# of honey and a little water. ( may have screwed up this one)


Nothing was said in the instructions about Campden tablets at that time I made the must. They had a table with the ingredients that I was suppose to mix together. Campden tablets was a part of the list. I assumed that the tablets were to be placed into the must. After looking at it now, and with what I know NOW, that explains why the fermentation stopped so soon.

I have stirred up the honey and then tasted it. It does have a nice sweet taste but the dryness can still be tasted. As this is my first mead, I am not real sure what I am looking for.

Want to thank everyone for their suggestion and help. Even tho I am screwing this up, I am still enjoying the process. Just hope I am not bothering you all..

Don "Ho"

 

[malkore]

ok, things make more sense. Let me clear up a couple of things first though.

1. you can indeed use campden tablets prior to pitching the yeast. this is done to kill wild sources of potential infection. 24 hours later, you can pitch the yeast.

2. an SG of 1.040 is not dry. its hellaciously sweet. something won't taste dry until its at or below 1.000 I think you may be confusing 'dry' with 'alcohol taste'. young mead can be very hot. my first cyser (apple mead) tasted like zippo fluid at first, and still didn't last long enough to age/mellow.

3. the yeast you used, by my reckoning, is a Prise de Mousee, which should hit 18% ABV I suggest picking up a sachet of Lalvin EC-1118. its the same strain as Red Star's Cuvee, but from a yeast manf. I trust more. The reason you need more is because you racked at 1.040, which removed most of your healthy yeast...and then you added more honey.

I would suggest you may even want 2 sachets, and make a starter with some water and honey or even extra light dry malt extract. you need healthy yeast, now.

Oh hell, I just looked over your post again...was that gravity reading really 1.004? Almost 1.000 (which is what water should register at)?

if it was 1.004 and not 1.040...then that would explain the dryness. it wouldn't be super dry until you got into the .999 or below area, but it wouldn't be grossly sweet like 1.040.

i'd still pitch more yeast, because you added more honey, just 1 sachet, and rehydrate it. with a total of 11lbs for a 3 gallon batch, and that strain of yeast, it should end up dry. it'll need a long aging though.

 

[Don "Ho"]

Thanks, I will go see if the LHBS has any Lalvin EC-1118. Do I have a time frame that this needs to be done by?

You keep talking about dry, but what if I wanted to make this a semi sweet mead? Would I do the same thing, just watch the SG close?

Thanks again.

Don "Ho"

 

[BigKahuna]

If you want THIS mead to be sweet, just wait till everything is finished fermenting, add more campdon tabs, the back sweeten with honey. MAKE SURE you kill all the yeast. You'll blow corks, explode Bottles and just have a bad day if you don't.

 

[Don "Ho"]

I added more yeast a couple of days ago and it is fermenting viciously.. :rockin: I now know what I did wrong, thanks to you guys.

My JAOM is clearing nicely and in fact has dropped a couple of orange slices to the bottom.

Waiting to start the leap year mead. Looks like I just might be getting the hang of this.

Again, thanks everyone.

Don "Ho"