first mead

[avm221]

well i made my first mead a few weeks ago its a mixed berry mead 3lbs honey 3lbs fruit did a small 1.5 gal batch


so i didnt add enough yeast nutrient because when i racked into secondary i did a reading and it was at only 4.5abv so i added some more into the carboys and the airlock started going. can i add to much nutrient? i tried it today and i really can taste the fruit Im vary happy with it so far. so now i just wait for it to clear out. i really like the color of it.

this was started on 1/18

 

[fatbloke]

Bit confused. How do conclude it was only 4.5% before further addition ? Or do you have one of those confusing multi-scale hydrometers ?

Cos if that's the case don't use the alcohol percentage scale as it creates confusion. When you first measure a must, it tells you x.xxx gravity and x% ABV. But after it slows down the gravity scale will have dropped in value as will the alcohol number but its not telling you the strength its telling you the potential strength left in the must as it is and the actual strength is higher.

With honey musts there is usually little point in adding further nutrient after about the 1/3rd sugar break unless it contains organic nitrogen (FermaidK and the like usually contain inorganic nitrogen which won't be taken up by the yeast at this late stage).

So unless you've provided FermaidO (as different from the K type) or yeast hulls, it is possible to over feed. Generally this isn't a problem unless you've used that much extra that it leaves an off flavour, as much of it will drop out into the lees. But it creates the possible environment so any spoilage organism's could benefit from its presence.

additionally, the bubbling seen after the extra nutrient was likely, mostly just off gassing caused by nucleation.

Post your gravity readings and when you took them. Oh and what yeast was used........

 

[avm221]

no i do know how to use a hydrometer, my OG was 1.060 and on 2/1 the gravity was 1.024 which puts it at 4.7%abv, i think the yeast went dormant because i added more yeast nutrient and they were going crazy and i could see the airlock bubbling away

 

[fatbloke]

no i do know how to use a hydrometer, my OG was 1.060 and on 2/1 the gravity was 1.024 which puts it at 4.7%abv, i think the yeast went dormant because i added more yeast nutrient and they were going crazy and i could see the airlock bubbling away

No yeast don't go dormant for that reason.

its more likely a temperature or pH issue......

and if you're unsure about driving a hydrometer how did you get gravity readings ?

 

[avm221]

No Im not insure about using a hyrometer, I have been using them for several years with brewing beer, but this is my first mead. Maybe it was the temp in yhe basement but its not getting below 50F, oh well its working again and thr airlocks are bubbling away.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[fatbloke]

No Im not insure about using a hyrometer, I have been using them for several years with brewing beer, but this is my first mead. Maybe it was the temp in yhe basement but its not getting below 50F, oh well its working again and thr airlocks are bubbling away.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Home Brew mobile app

Well many yeasts don't like it that cool (and you didn't say what you used). The widest range yeast I can think of is K1-V1116 which has a published temp range of 10 to 35 C but a lot of them like the 18 to 20C area.....

When some get too cool, they'll seem to stop, plus the gaseous release can slow......

if its showing signs of life again that's excellent.......

 

[avm221]

took a gravity reading today and came out with 1.010 i started with 1.060 which puts me at 6.6ABV. im thinking this batch wont get that much higher in ABV then 7%, im debating on letting it dry out and then back sweating or adding honey to up the abv? whats your thoughts? any ideas? it gained 2%abv from 2/1 - 2/15 so i know the yeast is still in there alive and working im just thinking it wont go that much further.

 

[Arpolis]

Most any yeast will go to at least 9% ABV in a mead as long as it does not get stuck from PH swings, off temps or spoilage. It seems to be going slow but your mead may go as low as .990 gravity. That is not unheard of with melomels. Heck I have two traditional types, a couple melomels, a pyment and a cyser all at .990 or .992 right now in the same kind of jugs you are using.

If your nutrient additions were off schedule, too little or not stepped then this mead may just take a while longer to ferment but I have seen some meads ferment as much as a couple months before stopping for sure. Give it time and stabilize and back sweeten when you are positive the yeast are done.

 

[avm221]

so adding a Champaign yeast would not be a good idea to speed things up? so i just need to just give it time and let it keep working.

 

[Arpolis]

Yea do not worry. Champagne yeast is only needed if your yeast has actually hit it's ABV limit.

What yeast did you originally use?

 

[avm221]

ok i have used it in beer to help speed things up before.