New maker and I MEAD some help!!

[Cmarino72]

I started my second batch of mead today. I used 3 gallon gallons of water with 9 pounds of honey and 6 pounds of fresh Prickly Pear and I used EC-1118 yeast. This is in a 5 gallon bucket. I did my initial gravity reading and it was 1.072 Does this seem like a low OG? I figured that it would have been around the 1.100. I may be reading the hydrometer incorrectly, but I don't think so.

Thank you,

Chris

 

[Dan O]

Welcome to the forums. That does sound low. Are you sure the honey was completely mixed in? If it wasn't, that may be a false reading.

 

[davidabcd]

BOOOOO! BOOOOOO!
That was some pun.

 

[Cmarino72]

Yes sir, that was it. I put my mixing paddle in and there was a nice thick lump of honey right in the middle section of the bottom. I mixed it again and the reading came out to 1.112 which is right where I wanted it. I just put the yeast in!! Thank you so much!!

 

[Dan O]

Yes sir, that was it. I put my mixing paddle in and there was a nice thick lump of honey right in the middle section of the bottom. I mixed it again and the reading came out to 1.112 which is right where I wanted it. I just put the yeast in!! Thank you so much!!

Glad to help. Here's hoping it comes out as delicious as it sounds.

Happy meading

 

[bernardsmith]

Interesting issue when a gravity reading appears to make little sense. When I experience that my assumption is - all other things aside - if the reading seems off and the ingredients are typical then I have not mixed the the must well. Honey has almost always a gravity reading of 1.035 (+/-) when 1 lb is mixed with water to make a total of 1 US gallon. Ripe table fruit is likely to contain the equivalent of about 1 lb of sugar when juiced to produce a US gallon.