Recent content by karamonde

It doesn't seem you have hit D47's alcohol tolerance - if 15% is to be believed, in optimal conditions - but I'd approach this fermentation as done and go with it, if I read it right you are 6 months into it, right? Likely the issue was lack of nutrient? Personally I like sweet meads so that...

17L JAOM 2 months in, actually clearing despite most of the photo being my reflection.

Double reply but...12 days later and it's restarted. Very very sluggishly, it bubbled a bit after a few days from racking and adding honey, I thought it was just off gassing, but no, now it bubbles about once per hour, quite consistently...

I hope it doesn't, I like to drink mead the same way I'd drink port wine: very very slowly, and like it sweet! I actually noticed a detail of my hydrometer I never paid attention earlier: it indicates beer, wine etc according to the SG (I assume - that's the only thing that makes sense), so...

So I racked it now and measured, it had gone to dead 1.000, from 1.13, that's 17% ABV gosh! Of course bone dry, and the first taste was pretty awful and medicinal, no hint of sour cherry, or any cherry flavour but I'm not worried. Lovely ruby colour. I added 1.5kg of honey (10L starting) which...

Thank you, I will be racking later today and checking taste and gravity before deciding what to do in terms of sweetening. I got stabilisers at hand but figure if the mead is clear I may not use them at all - I'd rather not in fact. If fermentation restarts so be it, I'll just call it a...

Thank you @bernardsmith, I have actually fermented plain sugar plus nutrients plus spices, for science, it's not drinkable really but it cost pennies and time to make. You're right to assume (if you are) that I'm being a bit cheap here, having already spent quite a bit of money on my last two...

I'm in a similar situation, haven't had to backsweeten so far because my meads finish sweet since I've only used bread yeast, however now I used a high alcohol tolerance yeast (Mangrove Jack M05), it took the SG from 1.13 to 1.040 in a week, but that was 3 weeks ago, and is still bubbling every...

Is turbo yeast actually good for anything? I have never used it but have yet to see a good comment about it, about anything, anywhere. On the face of it it makes me wonder if it is a "newbie trap" to think you'll get super alcoholic drinks (mead for example) but in fact all I read is you get...

Good point, you'd hope they're under airlock otherwise there may be a mess brewing in the near future!

The first bottle looks like a primary that's done fermenting and starting to settle, the second looks like a secondary, both look fine! My ignorant rule of thumb is if it bubbles within a couple of hours of pitching, and I keep everything very clean when racking or bottling it will all be fine...

Add 40 litres, don't know if you're counting US or UK gallons, so it's either 77.5 or 75.8 gallons :)

Exactly, and can be gifted too :)

Cheers, I've been somewhat lazy with planning as I've had results I've been very happy with so far. Me and my wife are not even real drinkers, I realise I have now 40L of stuff bubbling away and no idea when they'll be drunk, an instant cellar of sorts. Nevermind, when these batches are done and...

I guess you mean about the Bochets and melomel? That's what I've always done with Bochet: rack after 1 month in primary, then rack after 1 month in secondary, and bottle at three months from starting. As I use bread yeast I do this for clearing as I don't have space for cold crashing, and don't...