So this is my first attempt at mead. I have what appears to be a stuck or ridiculously slow fermentation. Started it march 3rd, using 71b and it had an og of 1.12. Checked on it a month later, it was at 1.064. Checked on it again two weeks later, and it was at 1.054. At this point i racked to secondary as it had some cranberries in it and i didn't want it on the fruit any longer. Checked it a couple days ago after another two weeks and it was at 1.051. So it is either stuck or going very slowly... plan to check again next week to see if it is still moving slowly or now stopped. I thought about adding some nutrients to try to kickstart it again, but the thing is, it's at just under 10% alcohol and has a really nice sweetness to it, so I am willing to keep it where it is. My question is, if it is a stuck fermentation can I just bottle it or is there still a possibility that fermentation will spontaneously start again and i need to worry about bottle bombs?
Stuck fermentation, can I just leave it?
- Thread starter Elric
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Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
Let it sit in secondary for a while and check again. If it’s been several month stable, you should be safe. Just make sure it’s completely clear and stopped dropping lees before bottling. Most would suggest sulfite and sorbate right before bottling to make sure.
Abhishek Dewan
Well-Known Member
It'd help to know the recipe and the type of yeast (attenuation etc). Usually for mead, nutrients are added in staggered manner, over a period of few days.
Anyways, to be safe, better to add campden etc and carb using CO2, if using glass bottles or Keg. Otherwise, bottle them in PET (soda) bottles, which have low risk & you can check the pressure and also burp it, if needed.
Anyways, to be safe, better to add campden etc and carb using CO2, if using glass bottles or Keg. Otherwise, bottle them in PET (soda) bottles, which have low risk & you can check the pressure and also burp it, if needed.
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Elric
Well-Known Member
It was a take on cs brews basic mead recipe. 3 lbs honey, water, lalvin 71b for yeast. Added a tisane of black tea and orange peel and added some chopped dried cranberries as nutrients. I am assuming they were not sufficient nutrients to keep it going. I wasn't planning on carbing this at all. I think i will follow @Seamonkey84 suggestion and just leave it longer making sure it has fully stabilized, and will look into both suggestions to pick up some chemicals to ensure yeast are killed off as I don't want to pasteurize.
thanks!
thanks!
Nutrients past 9% alcohol give no added value. the yeast just cant consume them in that amount of alcohol.
I definitely would NOT bottle this as long as it is still active you will create bottle bombs unless you inhibit or kill the yeast they will continue to eat the available sugar unless you do so. As mentioned above at this point you have a few options if you just cant wait. You can "inhibit" the yeast using sulfate and sorbate OR you can pasteurize Or filter to .45 Microns.
The other option is to just let it go - As long as its moving It may eventually get there.
If truly "stuck" then to get it re-started, I would try a couple of things.
- Check the pH if < 2.6 or so add some Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it to 3.0 - 3.5 or a little above. (Too much can cause off flavors so shoot for closer to 3.0 if you can.
- You already racked and aerated a little, that might help, but again past where I would introduce any more air.
- What temp are you fermenting at? If I remember correctly 71B can go to about 70 Deg FG with little problem raise your temp 5 Deg F or so. (Look up Temp range for 71B I might not be right.) Regardless, go closer to the higher end.
- If none of that works and you really cant just let it ride. Then get some EC 1118 create a starter with some honey and water at the gravity you are at righty now. Stir or swirl it every time you think of it and wait 24 hours . Then add to that enough to double your volume from your stuck mead and wait another 24 hours. Then add the starter to your carboy
Be aware EC1118 is a pretty aggressive yeast and will outperform pretty much anything else. But it will drive your mead to a very dry state.
I definitely would NOT bottle this as long as it is still active you will create bottle bombs unless you inhibit or kill the yeast they will continue to eat the available sugar unless you do so. As mentioned above at this point you have a few options if you just cant wait. You can "inhibit" the yeast using sulfate and sorbate OR you can pasteurize Or filter to .45 Microns.
The other option is to just let it go - As long as its moving It may eventually get there.
If truly "stuck" then to get it re-started, I would try a couple of things.
- Check the pH if < 2.6 or so add some Sodium Bicarbonate to raise it to 3.0 - 3.5 or a little above. (Too much can cause off flavors so shoot for closer to 3.0 if you can.
- You already racked and aerated a little, that might help, but again past where I would introduce any more air.
- What temp are you fermenting at? If I remember correctly 71B can go to about 70 Deg FG with little problem raise your temp 5 Deg F or so. (Look up Temp range for 71B I might not be right.) Regardless, go closer to the higher end.
- If none of that works and you really cant just let it ride. Then get some EC 1118 create a starter with some honey and water at the gravity you are at righty now. Stir or swirl it every time you think of it and wait 24 hours . Then add to that enough to double your volume from your stuck mead and wait another 24 hours. Then add the starter to your carboy
Be aware EC1118 is a pretty aggressive yeast and will outperform pretty much anything else. But it will drive your mead to a very dry state.
OP
OP
Elric
Well-Known Member
I have plenty of beers in various stages between serving-conditioning-fermenting and a cider that is also fermenting so I am in no dire need to get the mead packaged. I am getting the general consensus of jlils (just leave it longer stupid!) so I'll go with that. I really don't want to introduce another yeast at this point as i really don't want to completely dry it out. As I mentioned, I am really happy with the flavor it has right now. My hope is that this is where it has naturally stopped and in a month or so it is at the same gravity reading and i can go ahead and package it as is. I did give it another big swish this afternoon to try to re-suspend the yeast and see if there is anything in there that wants to get active.
Seamonkey84
Well-Known Member
That swirling also helps degassing, which lessens the stress on the yeast too.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
Start drinking it. Depending on the batch size, you can get some gallon jugs and keep some with airlocks on and put some of it in wine bottles and keep in the 'fridge and drink now. There's no rule that says you have to "package" all of it at the same time. So go ahead and enjoy it.
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Elric
Well-Known Member
Good point, I never thought of that!Start drinking it. Depending on the batch size, you can get some gallon jugs and keep some with airlocks on and put some of it in wine bottles and keep in the 'fridge and drink now. There's no rule that says you have to "package" all of it at the same time. So go ahead and enjoy it.
