honeybrewmead
Active Member
Ive just put 10kg of honey in 21L total batch and my hydrometer is floating about 1cm below the last line which states 1.100. What approximate OG do I have? Its just honey water and yeast at this point.
My hydrometer is limited to 1.100
- Thread starter honeybrewmead
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Using the calculator at gotmead...
I've got you down for 1.143
https://gotmead.com/blog/the-mead-calculator/
I've got you down for 1.143
https://gotmead.com/blog/the-mead-calculator/
Do that big mead a favor and look into following the TOSNA 3.0 protocol.
https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna-calculator
https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna-calculator
You should be able to measure out a couple tablespoons of plain water, mix with a couple tablespoons of your must, and then double the value to arrive at your OG. So for example, IF a 50/50 blend of water and your must measures out to be 1.070, then your must has to be at 1.140, or very close to that.
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
i think ill do it without nutrients and see what happens.
I would go with Plan C and add some nutrient at the beginning and then be done with it, no need to overthink it. Nutrients are probably important... but not THAT important to where you're babying the yeast to death. My general impression of this topic: You can baby the yeast all you want... make yourself feel important if you want to... but in the end, it just doesn't really matter.
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
ok maybe ill run to the store tomorrow and buy some. now they are closed, the mead is slowly fermenting.
OG of 1.143 would be a potential ABV of 21.7%. I don't know of any wine yeast that can go that high.
It would have to ferment down to 0.978 to get to 21.7%. EC-1118 tolerates up to 18%, which would be a FG of 1.006.
I'm not sure how 1min of attention per day for the first three days is "babying". Besides, one can find a middle ground. Such as using a calculator, like the one I mentioned, to find out how much "some" is.
I'm all for quick and dirty and taking shortcuts when you can, but I'd think a 1.143 mead, where you're taking the yeast to their limit, would be a candidate for at least some attention to yeast nutrition.
But hey, we're all our own head brewer/meadmaker. Let us know how it goes!
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
The reason why I've put so much honey is I wanted a sweet mead without having to backsweeten it as I don't like the taste of it then so having the yeast do its thing until it reaches its limit with abv is fine with me. This is an experiment as my 4th batch of mead I've ever made. I've been reading about no nutrient mead recently and apparently it will take much longer time for mead to mature so i think ill add some nutrients tomorrow after all.
Just out of curiosity, what yeast did you use?
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
EC-1118
revpaulucc
Topsail
I haven't read anything about no-nutrient mead (could you post a link?) but I'd be concerned that stressed yeast tends to produce sulfur and other off flavors and smells. Still, I'm interested in what you're reading; I'm always interested in learning new ways of doing things.
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
Mad for Mead, Part 2
Its just saying that mead without nutrients could have off flavors or staggered fermentation. I did watch a video few weeks ago which was an interview with a award winning mead maker. Basically he said he didnt use any nutrients in his award winning mead so i thought ill try the same. But maybe its too risky with my big 1.14 mead.
Its just saying that mead without nutrients could have off flavors or staggered fermentation. I did watch a video few weeks ago which was an interview with a award winning mead maker. Basically he said he didnt use any nutrients in his award winning mead so i thought ill try the same. But maybe its too risky with my big 1.14 mead.
"If everything works and ages well, you will have only minor off-flavors."
DuncB
Well-Known Member
Would diluting the mead by 50% and then measuring the gravity have worked as a way to use the hydrometer?
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
After all i didnt go to the store to get nutrients. Im traveling on a 10 day vacation in a few hours and ill just leave it as it is. Ive stirred it well few hours ago, the airlock is slowly letting co2 out. Hope for the best. Positive thinking
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
Just got back from vacation. The mead fermentation has stalled. The current gravity is the same as og. Do u think i can put in another type of yeast and nutrients or just nutrients and hope the old yeast picks up?
Sounds like it didn't stall, it never took off. At this point, sugary water sitting for two weeks at room temp, I'd be wary. Honey is shelf stable, diluted it is not.
I'd look at your yeast protocol. Pitch rate, rehydration, pitch temp, etc. Even without nutrient, gravity should have dropped some.
Your full recipe and process may help us troubleshoot.
I'd look at your yeast protocol. Pitch rate, rehydration, pitch temp, etc. Even without nutrient, gravity should have dropped some.
Your full recipe and process may help us troubleshoot.
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
well the airlock is active, there is some activity but since my hydrometer doesnt show more than 1.100 i dont see the changes.
the recipe is 10kg honey in 21L batch with EC 1118. It tastes good and no foul smells so far... Should i just drop in some nutrients?
edit: the room temp in norway is 10C
10C is right down at the bottom of the temp range is it not? Warming it up a bit might help it take off. Since fermentation is exothermic, a simple blanket will probably do.
How much yeast did you add?
Did you rehydrate? In what and at what temp?
What temp was the must when you pitched? What temp was the yeast when you pitched?
How much yeast did you add?
Did you rehydrate? In what and at what temp?
What temp was the must when you pitched? What temp was the yeast when you pitched?
That is truly great to hear.
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
i did rehydrate the 5g package in lukewarm water.im unsure what temp the must was but it was lukewarmish too
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
I just took a temp reading and its 18C in the room. i was a bit dramatic
16g of yeast would be appropriate for your batch. Massive gravity, underpitched, no nutrients. I'm not surprised it's barely taken off.
There's no harm in pitching fresh yeast.
Harm in pitching nutrients at this point is you don't know how much. Yeast stop taking it up at ~9%. In your case, that's only down to ~1.090. Get lower than that and the leftover nutrients will just sit there making your mead taste nasty. It doesn't age out in less than a year. I've got a few gallons on the shelf that tell that story.
Fresh yeast (2-3 packs!), properly rehydrated in the appropriate amount or a little less of Go-Ferm might do wonders.
There's no harm in pitching fresh yeast.
Harm in pitching nutrients at this point is you don't know how much. Yeast stop taking it up at ~9%. In your case, that's only down to ~1.090. Get lower than that and the leftover nutrients will just sit there making your mead taste nasty. It doesn't age out in less than a year. I've got a few gallons on the shelf that tell that story.
Fresh yeast (2-3 packs!), properly rehydrated in the appropriate amount or a little less of Go-Ferm might do wonders.
Last edited:
OP
OP
honeybrewmead
Active Member
I've got a package of WLP720 Blush Wine 70ml, the question is would it be ok to pitch different type of yeast from different manufacturer. Would the yeast go to war with each other?
EC-1118 is a competitive killer. It'll prevent the WLP720 from taking over.
