Nutrients

[themcnabs]

I started a batch of mead two days ago. It is just honey and water with a starting gravity of 1.10. I made a mixture of 1/3 fermaid K and 2/3 DAP to add in staggered additions. On day one I added a little less than a 1/2 tsp. of the nutrient mixture just before pitching. I used a 5g package of 71b rehydrated in go-ferm, no oxygen yet (forgot). I have the fermentation temperature controlled at 62 degrees. I degassed in the morning on day two and got a large amount of foam. I added just under 1/2 tsp. of the nutrient mixture end of day two and degassed again (lots of foam) and added oxygen. On day three (tonight) the OG is down to 1.072. Again I added just under 1/2 tsp. of the nutrients and degassed (lots of foam) and added a little oxygen.

I was planning on adding one more addition of nutrient tomorrow evening but the fermentation is going faster than I expected and appears to be 1/3 complete. Should I add the fourth addition tomorrow or just leave it alone for the rest of the ferment?

I am now reading that maybe I should have mixed 2/3 fermaid K and 1/3 DAP instead of what I did????

 

[themcnabs]

Anyone? Have to either add more tonight or not.

I started a batch of mead two days ago. It is just honey and water with a starting gravity of 1.10. I made a mixture of 1/3 fermaid K and 2/3 DAP to add in staggered additions. On day one I added a little less than a 1/2 tsp. of the nutrient mixture just before pitching. I used a 5g package of 71b rehydrated in go-ferm, no oxygen yet (forgot). I have the fermentation temperature controlled at 62 degrees. I degassed in the morning on day two and got a large amount of foam. I added just under 1/2 tsp. of the nutrient mixture end of day two and degassed again (lots of foam) and added oxygen. On day three (tonight) the OG is down to 1.072. Again I added just under 1/2 tsp. of the nutrients and degassed (lots of foam) and added a little oxygen.

I was planning on adding one more addition of nutrient tomorrow evening but the fermentation is going faster than I expected and appears to be 1/3 complete. Should I add the fourth addition tomorrow or just leave it alone for the rest of the ferment?

I am now reading that maybe I should have mixed 2/3 fermaid K and 1/3 DAP instead of what I did????

 

[bernardsmith]

Sorry, I don't know. I generally add half the nutrient shortly after fermentation begins, 1/4 after half the sugar has gone and the remaining 1/4 after the remaining sugar has been half consumed. You seem to be focused on specific gravities... In other words, if you start with a SG of 1.100 then the second feeding would be at 1.050 and the third 1.025 . But others on this forum may have very different approaches...

 

[themcnabs]

I went ahead and put in 1/4 tsp. of fermaid k and degassed. I and not going to touch it again for a week or so.

 

[fatbloke]

Meh! All nutrient materials should be in by the 1/3rd sugar break.

You can add up to 85% of the total in the first instant, but the rest should be in by the 1/3rd point.......

Mainly because inorganic nitrogen isn't taken up by the yeast after that (later addition should be organic i.e. yeast hulls, boiled bread yeast or FermaidO).

Your mix, IMO, should be the other way round. 2 parts energiser (like Fermaidk) to 1 part DAP. Because DAP is to increase the nitrogen element, but provides nothing else. The greater level of non-nitrogen elements in the energiser is beneficial to the yeast and prevents other problems (see Ken Schramms article about nutrition linked in my blog - Sig line below)