Homebrewer's first mead -- is it stuck?

[TripleC223]

Hey everyone, first time I've ventured to the mead forum. I have been homebrewing for more than a year and made my first mead recently along with a friend (his request). I am pretty familiar with the process of making beer but am out of my element with mead, so I'd appreciate any advice you can give with this first batch.

We made a simple, 5-gallon traditional mead recipe using 15 pounds of Walmart honey (Pure n Simple) and Lalvin 71b. It took almost 48 hours to start but it did eventually get going. However, it's been fermenting for nearly a month and is still at 1.040. At last check about two weeks ago, it was around 1.060. It tastes super sweet.

Here's where my mead inexperience comes in.

Should I let it keep going in the primary?

How long is too long in the primary?

If I rack to a secondary before primary fermentation is done, what are the risks?

Is 1.040 a suitable FG for 71b, given the recipe? By my calculations, OG would have been around 1.100. We had to top off the batch to reach 5 gallons, so the measurement I took wasn't accurate.

I have way more questions, but I'll shut up and let the experts weigh in. Thank you all for the help.

 

[CKuhns]

15 pounds of honey and 71b should go to 1.000 plus or minus a bit.

Stuck at 1.040 could be stalled. At this point i would shake the dickens out of it OR rack off the lees and warm it up a few degrees. See if that jump starts it.

 

[JimRausch]

I just racked over my 1st mead that went from 1.102 to 0.998 in 2 weeks, so yes I'd say you're stuck.
So, the usual questions: 1. How much yeast did you pitch?
2. Did you add nutrients? How much and how often?
3. Did you degas? How often?
4. What temp has she been fermenting at?
I did a lot of research on this forum and a few other places before starting my 1st batch.

 

[Ryue]

How long is too long in the primary?

I am kinda curious as to what the experts have to say on this too.. I have left all my batches in primary for pretty much the entire fermentation and once it was done, racked every few days until I was happy with the clarity. I never had any flavor problems, but would racking off the lees more often speed or provide a healthier fermentation?

 

[TripleC223]

Thank you for the responses. Since this was my first mead, I did little more than rehydrate/pitch the yeast and set it in a closet. I had an Inkbird/FermWrap on it for the first two weeks but had to take it off for another beer. The temperature probably fluctuated quite a bit but stayed in the 58-66 range.

Two nights ago I shook up the carboy a bit and put the FermWrap back on. I have the temp set to 72 degrees. Airlock activity has returned, and there is a small uptick in bubbles rising to the top of the mead. I assume this means fermentation has restarted, but I will wait a few days before taking another gravity reading.

Will the mead still ferment appropriately if I rack it off the lees? Or is it like homebrew where if you rack it off the original yeast cake too soon that the yeast will not have time to "clean up" after themselves and leave off flavors?

 

[bronzdragon]

At 1.040 it definitely has some more to come down. It really depends on how you like your mead. The yeast you used (for dry wines) should get the mead to at least 1.010. I would be happy if it got there.
As far as the racking goes, I would leave it in the primary until the airlock activity stops. Honey is a complex sugar and takes a lot longer to ferment out then a beer. You didn't mention if you put any yeast nutrient in, this helps for future reference.
If your primary is a plastic bucket, I wouldn't leave it in there for longer than a month though. Go to glass or stainless and let it secondary for a long while. I don't bottle mine with less than a year in fermenters (combined.)

 

[TripleC223]

Just wanted to provide an update. I picked up some yeast nutrient (LD Carlson) at my LHBS and added ~2 teaspoons directly to the fermenter. The next morning, the airlock activity had picked up again, and there was a layer of bubbles along the edge of the top of the wort about 3-6 bubbles thick. I know there's no krausen with this yeast, and I'm not sure if the comparison is appropriate, but I would consider that a sign that fermentation restarted, or at least intensified.

Five days after adding the nutrient, I took another reading and it had dropped from 1.040 to ~1.030.

Should I continue to add yeast nutrient every couple days? Or does the yeast have what it needs now? I added about a teaspoon the first time.

 

[bronzdragon]

I would let it sit and not add more nutrient. The more you open it up, the higher chance of infection. Mead is a tough ferment sometimes, if the proper steps are not taken at the very beginning (i.e. adding nutrient, oxygenating well and pitching a large yeast starter.) That first part of the ferment depends on those factors as well as others to get a good rapid ferment going that brings the yeast population up to a point that gets the job done quickly without stressing the yeast out, causing off flavors.
I think at this point you should let it sit until no further activity is noticed in the airlock, then transfer to a secondary and let it sit for at least 3 months, more is better, before bottling. Then just take notes for next time.

 

[Shine0n]

I've used that honey in my first raspberry melomel and it took forever to finish, 3 months primary and 3 months in secondary to clear. Turned out Fantastic and was worth the wait!

Just let it sit until it stops, rack it and let it sit for another good spell. Keep the head space to a minimum and use a nice slow syphon to eliminate any oxygen introduction in the racking process.

Good luck