My mead.... No alcohol?

[Perd]

So, I basically made Joam with organic prunes instead of oranges 4 weeks ago. I racked it 4 days ago and upon tasting it, it had almost no noticeable alcohol flavor and I ended up with about 2.5 gallons cause I left all the yeast poop that was swimming on top and the bottom, so I added water and 1 more lb of honey in hopes it would boost the alcohol a bit and fill the headspace.

Well it never started fermenting again and it still had a little headspace so yesterday I dissolved a little corn syrup and sugar in water then pitched a little Nottingham ale yeast and filled up the headspace. Still no bubbles...

Also initially I used a mead yeast not bread yeast.

why would it taste like it's around probably 2-3% alch. and be so sweet after it bubbled away like a little maniac for 3 weeks?


And is it worth saving?

This was my first brewing attempt, and I learned my lessom about not taking an OG and taking good notes... I started a cider and did it right and thats looking good.

I'm gonna do my first beer this weekend! (and maybe banana wine)

 

[daugenet]

Can you post your gravities/recipe?

 

[lumpher]

did you also make sure no ingredients had potassium sorbate in them? that's a fermentation killer, as it makes the yeast go dormant

 

[janivar123]

Have a recepie and a current gravety so you can get an estimate ABV?
Mead can be pretty sneaky sometimes,(when you wake up on the floor you know its more then 2-3%)

 

[Perd]

I'll get back to you about the current gravity, but initially I used 10 #'s clover honey, 6 organic prunes, a whole plum pitted, and enough bottled water to fill my 3 gallon carboy.

Since racking I've added probably 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon corn syrup in about a half a gallon of water, and 1 # blueberry honey.


It actually tastes great, just too sweet and I was hoping the sugars would actually dry it out a little with some vigorous fermentation, that was probably a mistake though?

Thank you guys for all the help though, it's greatly appreciated. I'll get back to you with the gravity first thing tomorrow afternoon.

 

[KuntyBrew]

did the ferm stall? add any nutrients?

 

[janivar123]

3gallon with 10lbs of honey should give an OG around 1.140
giving about 19%ABV if it fermented completely at first

Looks like you have to water it down and/or try a high gravety/alcohol yeast

 

[Perd]

The gravity on it is 1.03... So I'm gonna just leave it for now and get some new yeast this weekend assuming it's worth it.

 

[cimirie]

The gravity on it is 1.03... So I'm gonna just leave it for now and get some new yeast this weekend assuming it's worth it.

Actually, if you're at 1.030, and you started at 1.140, you're WAY higher than 3% abv. I might try adding some yeast nutrient and pitching a champaign yeast. BUT you're at around 13% abv so starting up in that environment may be a tough sell to the yeast.

 

[Perd]

I'll just leave it then, it's very refreshing and sweet so I'm just gonna check it for the next three days, bottle and drink! Thanks!

 

[janivar123]

If its drinkable now messing with it might ruin the batch
maybe diluting with a gallon of orange juice?
Or hope that some fresh hig gravety yeast can do the job

15% ABV with only the initial honey added
This is not accurate numbers but close enough to get an idea

 

[Perd]

Well I greatly appreciate all the help guys and apologize for being a helpless noob.

This weekend I'm going to make a nice chocolate or milk stout and I learned from my mistakes, this time everything will be closely monitored and recorded!

Thanks again.

 

[janivar123]

got a brewing program yet?
promash, beersmith,brewtarget?
It does realy help when guesstimating how much fermentibles you need to get drunk