same yeast over and over

[shortnskinny]

i have now made almost 50 gallons of mead on the same yeast. am i doing my part to create a smaller carbon foot print or just makin awsome drink?
it started with a maple mead ( making syrup is hard and to acheave around 21% by volume you only need to cook sap down about 15 gallons to 1 gallon)
then it was elderberries and honey. then strawberries and molases.ect..........
and finaly this year is wild berry ie... elderberries blueberries black berries and boisen berries. along with about 17 pounds of local honey thats almost clear.
this is batch 12 i think
it started as 1 batch now iv just used the sludge from the previous batch and devided it into 2 so at the moment i have 4 carboys with the same yeast.
and suprisingly enough it works and the only nutreient i use is a small amount of basimati rice.

P.S. elderberries in mead are so tart you cant help but smile as soon as you taste it and say ummmmmmmm

 

[liquiditynerd]

can you describe how you use the rice? I have been doing the same with recycling but I have yet to add a nutrient. the first go around they ate the honey at an amzing rate. not sure if it's worth banking though.

 

[shortnskinny]

yea i take a coffee filter and i twist tie about a teaspoon of rive in it then i boil 2 cups of water and drop in the rice. be sure that your filter is baggy because the rice will rupture it lett it boil off till about a half cup then just let it cool. i will refridgerate it over night then dump into carboy before i add must. and as far as the yeast goes i just make a small starter and it devours the sugar every time. i use all natural ingredeance no chemichals
cran berries are a great source of acids. they brew well

 

[hightest]

...and the only nutreient i use is a small amount of basimati rice.

I'm not sure what you're actually doing, but I can assure you that rice provides virtually nothing in the form of nutrients that might be used in a mead fermentation - primarily carbohydrates (starch), Iron, and calcium.

Moreover, enzymes are required to convert starches into sugars and rice doesn't have any... When Sake is made the enzymes are provided by a special mold called Aspergillis. This mold can either be purchased as a starter, or pre-inoculated on a rice base as a product called koji.