So, I started my third batch of mead on the 3rd of June. I used about 6 gallons of spring water and 9lbs of honey. I also used 32 Oz of blueberries. I boiled the water and honey scraping the protein and boiling the blueberries. After it cooled to about 80 degrees I added some yeast nutrient and some hydrated yeast. I just racked today (18th) and my hydrometer is reading zero percent sugar. I tasted the mead and there is no sweetness but it still tastes yeasty(?). I am extremely new to home brewing and haven't found any information online that describes this problem. My starting percent was about 22 (potential alcohol 12 percent) and specific gravity was1092. Any help would be really appreciated.
2 weeks in and no sugar left
- Thread starter Myers0819
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Just like grains in a mash ton, these are the pints of our lives.
9 lbs honey + 32 oz blueberries + 6 gallons of water = less than 7.5% potential alcohol
That low ratio of water to honey makes this mead more like a hydromel, so I'm not surprised your reading zero sugar remaining depending on what yeast you used. As for the yeasty taste, easy, you probably underpitched your yeast. the yeasty taste is from stressed yeast. 1 pack says its good for 1-6 gallons. If your recipe is accurate then your total volume is closer to 7 gallons. I usually pitch 2 packets for anything over 5 gallons
That low ratio of water to honey makes this mead more like a hydromel, so I'm not surprised your reading zero sugar remaining depending on what yeast you used. As for the yeasty taste, easy, you probably underpitched your yeast. the yeasty taste is from stressed yeast. 1 pack says its good for 1-6 gallons. If your recipe is accurate then your total volume is closer to 7 gallons. I usually pitch 2 packets for anything over 5 gallons
I agree with AODWITT - 9 lbs in 6 gallons would be closer to 1.05 OG. Dunno how you got 1.092, unless your honey/water ratio is not as you said.
It's likely that your ferment is finished. Two weeks can bring mead dry. Other than the yeasty taste, what makes you think something is wrong?
It's likely that your ferment is finished. Two weeks can bring mead dry. Other than the yeasty taste, what makes you think something is wrong?
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Hi Myers0819 - and welcome. What exactly is the "problem" you are asking about? You pitched the yeast June 3 (and I agree with what everyone has said about the total sugar content and the small colony of yeast you pitched given the volume of must) and today is - what? The 19th so we are talking about 16 days of fermentation...? Sixteen? I would give the yeast a few weeks to clean up after themselves... But what exactly is the "problem" you refer to?
The one "problem" I see is that you boiled the honey. Why? This is not 1518. This is 2018. Most bee keepers know how to produce quality raw and unprocessed honey. Commercial honey is already processed. So it's not entirely clear what the boiling is for other than to blow off any flavor or aromatic molecules. Most (most - not all) self-published YouTube videos on mead making are 99% garbage. The other 1% is rubbish. Truth be told, you might as well use table sugar if you intend to boil the honey. Honey does not need to be boiled. On the contrary, boiling honey damages it.
The one "problem" I see is that you boiled the honey. Why? This is not 1518. This is 2018. Most bee keepers know how to produce quality raw and unprocessed honey. Commercial honey is already processed. So it's not entirely clear what the boiling is for other than to blow off any flavor or aromatic molecules. Most (most - not all) self-published YouTube videos on mead making are 99% garbage. The other 1% is rubbish. Truth be told, you might as well use table sugar if you intend to boil the honey. Honey does not need to be boiled. On the contrary, boiling honey damages it.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
Put the mead in a cool place like your basement and forget about it for 3-6 months.
After that, taste it again, the yeast and blueberry should have settled out.
If it tastes ok, go ahead and drink it. If not come back and describe what you are tasting to determine what to do next.
You can speed up the process by racking the mead to 1/2 gallon or one gallon jugs.
As room allows, put these in your refrigerator, and the yeast should drop out and the mead will clear. The taste may or may not improve. You may want to experiment with some of the gallons by racking it on to more blueberries to pick up more flavor, 2 lbs of blueberries in 6 gallons isn't very much.
Next time:
-Run 1 gallon test batches until you figure out how to make a mead you like
-Don't heat the honey over 100 degrees F
-Use 1 pack of yeast for 1-2 gallons
-Re-hydrate your yeast with yeast energizer (not yeast nutrient)
-Add appropriate amounts of yeast nutrient on a staggered basis or all at once if you are making a low ABV mead.
-If you are using Acidic fruit like Blueberries, you may want to try the 71-B wine yeast, it may bring the tart acid not down a little. Your results/specific taste may vary.
After that, taste it again, the yeast and blueberry should have settled out.
If it tastes ok, go ahead and drink it. If not come back and describe what you are tasting to determine what to do next.
You can speed up the process by racking the mead to 1/2 gallon or one gallon jugs.
As room allows, put these in your refrigerator, and the yeast should drop out and the mead will clear. The taste may or may not improve. You may want to experiment with some of the gallons by racking it on to more blueberries to pick up more flavor, 2 lbs of blueberries in 6 gallons isn't very much.
Next time:
-Run 1 gallon test batches until you figure out how to make a mead you like
-Don't heat the honey over 100 degrees F
-Use 1 pack of yeast for 1-2 gallons
-Re-hydrate your yeast with yeast energizer (not yeast nutrient)
-Add appropriate amounts of yeast nutrient on a staggered basis or all at once if you are making a low ABV mead.
-If you are using Acidic fruit like Blueberries, you may want to try the 71-B wine yeast, it may bring the tart acid not down a little. Your results/specific taste may vary.
Well the problem is that my second batch was sweet and strong and I used the same amount of honey to water. I didn't boil the honey or scrape the protein from the top. I also didn't add any fruit, just yeast nutrient. My Hydrometer had the same reading for that fermentation as well. I didn't use as much yeast though. it took around four months for the hydrometer reading to drop but it never reached zero. I assume it was because it got cold where I have my yeast racked (it was winter). I boiled the honey this time because I wanted to experiment with the difference. I wanted to know the difference in flavor and in clarity between pitching raw honey and boiled. I guess what I am after in this thread is just why it happened the way it did. I went into my first batch completely cold and just threw some honey and water with yeast nutrient together. It was a disaster because I didn't take any measurements, I used too little honey, and I didn't keep anything climate controlled. The second batch was better but I still needed to do some fine tuning. For this third batch I am still in the learning and experimenting stage and my only source of info is from YouTube and the store where I buy my supplies. I am coming to this forum because I would love to make mead which isn't just 'okay' and I want to know what I am doing and be able to talk about it. that being said, this is all good info for me and I really appreciate it.
edit: I am using 10 g EC1118 wine yeast. Its what my retailer told me to get (for whatever that is worth).
edit: I am using 10 g EC1118 wine yeast. Its what my retailer told me to get (for whatever that is worth).
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It was only a few years ago that I was looking for answers like you. I did a ton of research, read a couple of books, and read this forum regularly. Now, this year, I've got 20 gals of mead in secondary or beyond that I'm sure will all taste delicious. I uploaded one of my recipes that details quite bit of my process that may answer a lot of your questions. It's a step feed recipe, not that I'm saying you should step feed, but you'll see how much I degas, my SNA schedule, how many times I take gravity readings ( a LOT!), and I try to explain why and when I do things.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/cranberry-orange-step-fed.623802/
Hopefully, you'll find it helpful.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/cranberry-orange-step-fed.623802/
Hopefully, you'll find it helpful.
Thanks a lot for the reference. That color looks wonderful. If the finished product is an indicator of the work you put in I cant wait to put more effort in. I am going to see where this batch goes and likely back sweeten at some point (a thing i didn't even know was possible until coming here). I plan on using all of the advice I've received here to great affect as I learn this mead-making process. Hopefully I'll be a pro before too long. Thanks again fossilcat and everyone else here who has given tips and help.
