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Ok, that's how I assumed it worked. 2/3 cup of corn sugar (that comes with the NB kit). 4 weeks for the Wee Heavey since bottling. 3 months for the Carribou Slobber. After bottling, they were stored at room temp, about 68-72 F.

Hello, and thank you ahead of time for any info. My question is concerning yeast and eventual carbonation, resulting from racking. When you rack from the secondary carboy to the bottling bucket, do you try to leave all/most of the sediment behind? Or should the yeast in that sediment be...

And she is in the same line for corporate handouts as Walker. She's being recalled and will be removed because her constituents don't like what she's done, this included. Well put.

The small breweries (and future new small breweries) want to maintain their current rights to self distribute, which allows them to start up and grow. MillerCoors simply want to kill their competition (which equals a whole 3%). Our nutcase governor, and those in our legislature trying to jam...

That would be useful.

Your SG reading will be pretty accurate with everything mixed together well (just try to let the solids of the strawberries settles somewhat, so you're floating the hydrometer in just liquid). Another way you can do it is to mix everything up to include 1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme per gallon...

I agree with adding strawberries to the secondary for more flavor. As for yeast I agree that 1116 brings out nice fruit flavors. I've won most of my ribbons and medals from meads made with 1116. I also have used 1122 and D47 yeasts with great results. However, unless you have your initial SG...

It depends on how sweet you backsweeten to, as to how much of the missing volume you'll make up. I think trying to make up a whole quart of 1 gallon is way too much. And as I wrote before, I'm not a fan of watering down flavor and alcohol. As for headspace, it depends on how long you...

With the initial fermentation in your primary, I wouldn't leave the mead on the fruit past 2-3 weeks max. It varies depending on the fruit type, but usually I remove the solid fruit via the mesh bag or by racking within a week. Also, concerning 1 gallon batches (I do a lot of 1 gal. batches...

With the alcohol at 14.9% you can add sulfite and sorbate now, and should not worry about the yeast taking off again, even with the addition of fruit. As for how much honey to backsweeten, if you add more fruit for flavor I'd wait until after that is removed. Then get a new SG reading and...

It looks normal for 1122 yeast.

I agree that 71B-1122 yeast makes a nice, tastey mead that seems to clear faster than most others. However, while experimenting with a high SG strawberry/kiwi mead that yeast didn't die out until it hit 16.4% alcohol. That was doing the typical stepped nutrient addition, and nothing else...

You should be close on the #s you want. However, adding 3.5 cups of brandy to 1 gallon I think is going to give it a very strong brandy flavor. Let us know how it tastes after it sits for a while. I always like to learn the results of experimenting.

I've made pear wine in the past and have tasted others' pear wine. Definitely use 6-8 lbs of pears per gallon, or you will be lacking flavor and body, even if you use a lot of raisins. When I made pear wine using 7 lbs pear and 1 lb of gold raisins per gallon it turned out with nice pear...

Based on past experiences I wouldn't add too much cider or brandy, given you're working with a cyser. Too much cider will, as you put it, overpower with apple flavor. Too much brandy will mask the apple and honey flavors and make it taste strange (I wouldn't go much above 15%). Given you will...

Here is a good dilution calculator that you can use to figure how much cider you should put back in if you go that route: http://homedistiller.org/dilute.htm And here is a good fortification calculator that you can use to figure how much brandy to add to get to what you want...

Since you've aged it some in a carboy, I'd rack it to a clean carboy, and then add a little honey to whatever SG level you want it at, and stir it in good. Then let it bulk age more. At bottling time you'll have a little sediment left behind in the carboy from the honey. To me it's better...

You have enough sugar still present in each batch, so to each I would add a bit more nutrient and energizer, repitch another yeast, then either let it go dry or stop the fermentation with sulfite and sorbate at your desired SG level. Also, adjusting your temperature up slightly can help the...

Aerating isn't needed when you first pitch yeast. It doesn't hurt, but it's not needed for the yeast to take off. Too much time has gone by for your yeast, if you don't see any activity (bubbles/foam). I would repitch another packet of yeast, but, preferably a packet that you didn't get at...

1118 is the only yeast that on multiple attempts was not stopped by racking onto sulfite and sorbate for the first time. I've been 100% successful stopping the following yeast types: D47, 1122, 1116, R2, Cotes de Blanc, D254, BA11, and T306. If I can get it to work every time, anyone else can...