Stuck fermentation

[Wiesty]

Hey everyone,
So I'm trying my first mead with the cherry berry mead recipe. I used the recommended Wyeast 4184. I just checked the gravity today after two weeks and I've only gone from 1.100 to 1.080. It should be lower than this by now I'd think. I even made a starter! I'm thinking of purchasing some champagne yeast and pitching that. Any reccomendations?

 

[Yooper]

Hey everyone,
So I'm trying my first mead with the cherry berry mead recipe. I used the recommended Wyeast 4184. I just checked the gravity today after two weeks and I've only gone from 1.100 to 1.080. It should be lower than this by now I'd think. I even made a starter! I'm thinking of purchasing some champagne yeast and pitching that. Any reccomendations?

Have you been stirring well, several times per day if possible, and adding nutrients?

 

[Wiesty]

I did use nutrients, but have not been stirring. Is this batch hooped or can I revitalize it.

 

[Yooper]

I did use nutrients, but have not been stirring. Is this batch hooped or can I revitalize it.

Oh, it'll be fine! Just sanitize something- a stainless spoon, a plastic mini-blind rod (yes, that works well, and fits in a carboy............), whatever you have, and stir it like it owes you money. Start slow, as when the c02 comes out it will volcano on you if you whip it right away. Degas, and get some oxygen in there. That will really help. Do that fairly often, daily at least, until things get going well. You can stir until you get to 1.040 or so, but not as often unless you need to.

 

[Ganbei]

Wiesty did you get any results?

I also have a slow fermentation. OG 1.120, SG measured today 1.09.
Gonna follow the advise here and "stir it like it owes me money" at least once a day.

 

[9mmruger]

I made a blueberry/pomme on Friday and have been stirring it. It certainly does de-gas excitedly.

 

[Wiesty]

Hey guys,
Sorry for the lack of updates here.

I stirred daily until it got to 1.055 and then I left it for a few days. I checked a few days ago and it was down to 1.040. I gave it one last good stir and closed it back up. I'm really hoping to hit about 1.15 which would give me an 11% mead and 84% attenuation. This might be high hopes however. Should I be preparing to buy some champagne yeast to finish it up?

 

[Wiesty]

Hey everyone.
So I gave it the mead one last stir close to a week ago, it was 1.030. It's been bubbling for a good week so il sure the Gravity has gone down even further. However, it's been im primary for 4.5 weeks now on strawberries. Should I leave it til it stops fermenting or transfer and hope it finishes in secondary?

 

[9mmruger]

I personally would rack it off into a secondary. It will continue to work.

 

[Wiesty]

So I just transferred this to secondary. My FG was down to about 1.010, so I'm sitting at about 12% which I'm very happy with. It tastes wonderful. A LOT of straberries (puree) went along when I transferred it. How do I get these to drop to the bottom? They were floating/supsended.

 

[Chef-Ryan]

The method i like for clearing a wine is using bentonite it is a type of clay that is used in commercial wineries, the average dosage is about 25g/hl (hectolitre, sorry that is commercial quantities) which is about .25g per litre or 2.5g for every 10L (not sure what this is in oz, quarts or gallons). You get very warm water (20x the amount of bentonite) sprinkle the bentonite on top of the water and let it set over night. this is called swelling the bentonite. the next day you poor off as much excess water as you can, you then add a bit of wine to the bentonite and stir. Add to the carboy, feel free to use more wine and rinse out the container you swelled the bentonite in. stir the wine then put into a cool area (best is around 4c or 34f) and let it settle for 7-14 days. then rack and go

 

[Yooper]

So I just transferred this to secondary. My FG was down to about 1.010, so I'm sitting at about 12% which I'm very happy with. It tastes wonderful. A LOT of straberries (puree) went along when I transferred it. How do I get these to drop to the bottom? They were floating/supsended.

Gravity! Wait about 30-45 days, and rack off of the sediment and try to avoid sucking up solids. That will really drop much of the solids as the mead starts to clear. It will be fine.