I Think I Messed Up

[Linkultra13]

Hi my name is link. I just made my first batch of mead today. I made 2 gallons of water, 5lb of honey, 3.5g of red star rogue, 3g of fermaid o(gestimated both yeast) and poured the mead mix into 6 half gallons mason jars and added fruit on 3 and 2 traditional and 1 of vanilla and cinnamon. I measured the original mead before the pour for about 1.06. I didn't after I added fruit. Does it change when I add fruit?. Also I only had 4 airlocks so I just closed 1 traditional and 1 fruit on with plastic wrap cause I Google that it might work since it isn't completely closed with the plastic wrap. Would that work?

 

[lumpher]

Adding fruit will make it stronger, as the sugar in the fruit will ferment out, but that's how it's done. You didn't mess up. As far as using plastic wrap, did you seal the plastic wrap around the top with a rubber band, just lay it on top of the jar, or how did you do it? The 1 with the fruit will ferment more and cause pressure as it ferments out.

 

[Linkultra13]

Adding fruit will make it stronger, as the sugar in the fruit will ferment out, but that's how it's done. You didn't mess up. As far as using plastic wrap, did you seal the plastic wrap around the top with a rubber band, just lay it on top of the jar, or how did you do it? The 1 with the fruit will ferment more and cause pressure as it ferments out.

Ok awesome I'm glad and no I put the plastic wrap on it and screwed the top on without the middle metal on. Ok awesome. I'm really nervous to mess it up lol

 

[DBhomebrew]

Adding fruit will make it stronger,

Adding fruit tends to lower gravity/ABV. Along with the sugar, the fruit adds a good amount of water. Unless you're adding it to a must that's less than ~1050, the fruit will reduce overall gravity.

I don't trust the 1.060 pre-fruit gravity. 2.5lb/gal would likely be up near 1.100. My guess is stratification/incomplete incorporation of the honey.

 

[Linkultra13]

Adding fruit tends to lower gravity/ABV. Along with the sugar, the fruit adds a good amount of water. Unless you're adding it to a must that's less than ~1050, the fruit will reduce overall gravity.

I don't trust the 1.060 pre-fruit gravity. 2.5lb/gal would likely be up near 1.100. My guess is stratification/incomplete incorporation of the honey.

Yeah man I don't really know what I'm doing but I'm guessing a 8-9.5% abv according to the pre gravity reading on the must. Which is fine to me but I'll give it another reading today on all. Or should i? Will that mess up the process?

 

[Linkultra13]

Btw these are the half gallon jars.

 

[amber-ale]

Hi my name is link. I just made my first batch of mead today. I made 2 gallons of water, 5lb of honey, 3.5g of red star rogue, 3g of fermaid o(gestimated both yeast) and poured the mead mix into 6 half gallons mason jars and added fruit on 3 and 2 traditional and 1 of vanilla and cinnamon. I measured the original mead before the pour for about 1.06. I didn't after I added fruit. Does it change when I add fruit?. Also I only had 4 airlocks so I just closed 1 traditional and 1 fruit on with plastic wrap cause I Google that it might work since it isn't completely closed with the plastic wrap. Would that work?

It’s not a mess-up. We call them interesting experiments.
Mead making has been going on for centuries, often by people who couldn’t even read.
Relax, wait and see what happens.

 

[Linkultra13]

It’s not a mess-up. We call them interesting experiments.
Mead making has been going on for centuries, often by people who couldn’t even read.
Relax, wait and see what happens.

Yeah man just check up on it this morning and they are starting to ferment good even the plastic wrap ones. You can see bubbles. I've added about .5g of fermaid o to each half gallon to hopefully rehydrate and have some healthy yeast. Let's just wait and see