First batch of melomel 25% ABV?

[Fockewulf]

Just curious if I made a mistake with my hydrometer reading, or if I had some foreign yeasts in my brew…

4 weeks out and fermentation with D47 has begun to slow. My starting reading was 1.19 in the dessert wine category of my hydrometer.

I started with 1 gallon of water and 3 lbs of raw honey straight from my beehive. I added about a pound of strawberries at the beginning, by heating and straining the juice.

My reading tonight was .998 on the hydrometer. An online calculator was showing this to be around 24 or 25% abv. Is this correct?

It’s rather dry, I smell the alcohol and the taste is mild, subtle honey. Not bad. Not delicious. I think with aging in secondary it may improve.

What’s going on with it? Did I make a mistake or are there foreign yeasts? I read that D47 only lasts to 14%.

Cheers!

 

[bushpilot]

Your first hydrometer reading was almost certainly in error.

Could it have been 1.109? That would result in 15% abv. D47 has an "Alcohol tolerance of up to 15% v/v (depending on fermentation conditions)," according to Lallemand.

Or maybe 1.09? That would hit about 12%. Based on your description of flavor, I suspect this one is more likely.

Edit: I just reread your post. Your recipe (3 lbs of honey in a gallon) would result in an OG of about 1.109, so now I think that is the actual scenario.

 

[Fockewulf]

I think I misread it the first time, yes.

Would it be perhaps around 1.119 or 1.12? Am I reading it correctly now? Here’s a photo…

 

[bushpilot]

Yes, that is just about 1.119, which would give you about 16%.

It will improve with aging.