Time for yeast to get busy - Mead

[Pork]

Hello everyone...I've been making moonshine for some time, but wanted to try my hand at Mead....I am using Lavlin ec1118 yeast...only doing a gallon so used 1/2 pack of the yeast. I am also fermenting it in a fast ferment conical fermenter. It's been a couple days since I pitched the yeast and I'm not getting any activity in the airlock. When I open the fermenter...you can see that the yeast is starting to form the crust a bit in the middle. How long should I wait for some good activity and/or to pitch more yeast. It's fermenting in the basement which I'm certain is cool enough for the yeast.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!!

Alex

 

[milkflakes]

DId you add nutrient? Also how cold is it? It might actually be a bit too chilly if you have had it in the basement the whole time. Do you have gravity readings?

 

[Pork]

Hello...thank you for the reply...yes to nutrient Fermentade (supposed to be for Mead)...I tried taking specific grav readings but I'm finding my eyesight isn't good enough to read the small numbers on the glass thingy...brain fart can't think of device name. I'm debating buying a refractometer...thoughts on that would be appreciated. This yeast says it does best in 58-62 F...I'll take an actual temp reading but it's likely close to that range.

 

[milkflakes]

I use a cheapo refractometer off amazon. You do need to adjust readings that you take after fermentation starts, but aside from that I've found it works just fine and you only need to pull out a few drops of beer to measure SG. That being said if your eyesight isn't good you could splurge on one of those tilt hydrometers which also measures temp. I think it displays all the info on your phone.

Without more info I would say you could move it to a warmer place for a day because from Lallemand's website it looks like the yeast is ok up to 86. 70 would work. After it's chugging along it would do better in the basement.

 

[Jag75]

Welcome to HBT !

Not sure the amount of yeast you used was enough. Ive used the Lavalin D47 and used the whole pack for a 1 gallon batch. I used goferm and then did the degas & step feeding . Check out the Mead section .

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forums/mead-forum.30/

 

[Pork]

Perfect...I'll look into the tilt hydrometer (that was the device name ) and I'll move the unit to a warmer environment.

Cheers

 

[Pork]

Welcome to HBT !

Not sure the amount of yeast you used was enough. Ive used the Lavalin D47 and used the whole pack for a 1 gallon batch. I used goferm and then did the degas & step feeding . Check out the Mead section .

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forums/mead-forum.30/

I watched a lot of vids that said that you would use the whole pack of yeast for a 5 gal batch. I did a one gallon batch as a test run before I spend $$$$ on 15lbs of honey. I'll try the moving to a warmer environment...if that doesn't work...I'll add more yeast - I'll also check out your mead section.

Thanks very much!

 

[Andres Falconer]

Staggered nutrient addition (dividing up the required amount of nutrient over a few days) works wonders for me to get and keep the fermentation going