Acerglyn Question

[CraftBeerYeti]

Making an Acerglyn based off a recipe I found. I’ve changed a few things, ie making a smaller batch (2.5 g), using Lalvin 71B, going to back sweeten w/ 16oz of maple syrup. On the recipe, it calls to add nutrient to the pitch, then more after 3 days, then more after 3 more days. I was wondering how long do I continue to add nutrients? I know mead needs nutrients to help with fermenting, so do I just keep going after every 3 days until fermentation stops, a month, etc...?

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi CraftBeerYeti, With honey wines (mead) there is a recognized protocol for feeding the yeast nutrients known as TOSNA or a variant thereof, but you can use the feeding quantity suggested by the manufacturers for the volume of must you begin with. The thing is that after the ABV has reached about 9% the yeast cannot absorb the nutrient and this is then left in solution to feed any other volunteer microbes (not a good idea).
The other thing to be very careful about is that once the yeast has started to produce CO2 any added powders will act as points of nucleation for the gas and you can find that you create a volcano of liquid that rifles (literally) through the neck of a carboy and can paint your ceiling. Make sure to thoroughly dissolve all nutrients in either water or a little of the wine or mead before adding this to a carboy. Adding powders to wines in a bucket being used as a primary fermenter is typically less of a problem not least because there is no neck to rifle the liquid AND because buckets are not filled to the top.

 

[CraftBeerYeti]

Hi CraftBeerYeti, With honey wines (mead) there is a recognized protocol for feeding the yeast nutrients known as TOSNA or a variant thereof, but you can use the feeding quantity suggested by the manufacturers for the volume of must you begin with. The thing is that after the ABV has reached about 9% the yeast cannot absorb the nutrient and this is then left in solution to feed any other volunteer microbes (not a good idea).
The other thing to be very careful about is that once the yeast has started to produce CO2 any added powders will act as points of nucleation for the gas and you can find that you create a volcano of liquid that rifles (literally) through the neck of a carboy and can paint your ceiling. Make sure to thoroughly dissolve all nutrients in either water or a little of the wine or mead before adding this to a carboy. Adding powders to wines in a bucket being used as a primary fermenter is typically less of a problem not least because there is no neck to rifle the liquid AND because buckets are not filled to the top.

Thanks, I’ll check the gravity, see what I have. Also, the fermentation has slowed significantly, maybe a bubble a minute. I started on the 11th. Is that normal? It’s been a good 15+ years since my last homebrew.

 

[bernardsmith]

Not sure what brewers of beer do but wine makers have not calculated the relationship between bubbles /minute in an airlock and the progress of the fermentation. Too many variables that result in the frequency at which a bubbler might bubble. Far more useful as
pure entertainment than as a monitor of your fermentation. Always much better to use an hydrometer. Observing changes in gravity provides a fairly accurate indication of how much sugar is left in solution and the progress of process.

 

[JimRausch]

Hey CraftBeeryeti! First off, welcome to the forum!
I've done 1 gallon batches of acerglynn a couple times, and probably will do a batch this year once maple season hits (I tap a few trees).The TONSA protocol mentioned by bernardsmith is a real help for nutrient-deficient musts like acerglynns and meads. Ciders too. But before I read about that, my technique was boiling 1 tablespoon bread yeast and adding that at pitch (dead yeast makes a good nutrient) plus 1 tsp. of Wyeast yeast nutrient. I'd oxygenate it and pitch 1 pkt of dry yeast (usually Red Star Cote des Blancs). I stir the fermenting must twice daily to degas (excess CO2 drives down the pH and slows/stops fermentation prematurely). I'd also add 1/2 tsp. of wyeast nutrient at day 2 and another 1/2 tsp. at day 4. Visible signs of fermentation would usually be done by about 7 days. I rack to a 1 gallon carboy sometime between day 10-14. As bernard said, don't add any more nutrient after you've hit about 60% of fermentation completed.

 

[CraftBeerYeti]

Measured the gravity, it’s at 10%. Guessing its time to move to secondary and add more maple syrup? Let it sit longer? Thoughts?

 

[Seamonkey84]

If it’s in a bucket, then yea I would move to a carboy, but keep the lees and yeast in until it’s finished. it’s not really a secondary, it’s still finishing primary but removing headspace. Then I would let it ferment dry. If your not planing on letting the yeast work on the syrup at all, then wait for it to clear completely and then rack off the lees, Let it clear again in secondary. Once it’s fully clear again, rack (as many times as you need to), stabilize (sulfite and sorbate), sweeten, then bulk age or degas and bottle.
Personally, at least when making mead, I prefer the yeast to work on the honey until it reaches alcohol tolerance, and leave residual sweetness behind. That way it doesn’t just taste like raw honey. Though that does mellow and blend a bit with aging. Maybe it’ll be different with maple syrup, but I haven’t tried yet.

 

[CraftBeerYeti]

If it’s in a bucket, then yea I would move to a carboy, but keep the lees and yeast in until it’s finished. it’s not really a secondary, it’s still finishing primary but removing headspace. Then I would let it ferment dry. If your not planing on letting the yeast work on the syrup at all, then wait for it to clear completely and then rack off the lees, Let it clear again in secondary. Once it’s fully clear again, rack (as many times as you need to), stabilize (sulfite and sorbate), sweeten, then bulk age or degas and bottle.
Personally, at least when making mead, I prefer the yeast to work on the honey until it reaches alcohol tolerance, and leave residual sweetness behind. That way it doesn’t just taste like raw honey. Though that does mellow and blend a bit with aging. Maybe it’ll be different with maple syrup, but I haven’t tried yet.

Thanks, it’s in a carboy, so I’ll let it sit longer, clear up a bit, then put it in secondary, let it clear up some more, etc...

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

Wondering: The last time I made maple syrup, (So much boiling! ) the syrup ended up growing rock candy in the jar. The syrup that remained tasted pretty good.

If the goal is the flavor of the syrup, not just the sugar, chilling some maple syrup in the right way would cause some of the sugar to crystallize out as pure sugar, leaving behind all the flavor components. The remaining syrup, being enhanced in flavor, could then be used to back sweeten without rendering the acerglyn too sweet.

I'll have to ask a friend of mine with some land if he's got any maples to tap. It might be fun to make syrup again.

Well, darn: He says it doesn't get cold enough here in S.C. to tap the trees. Guess I'd have to buy some syrup.

 

[Seamonkey84]

That’s the reason real syrup is so expensive! It’s a regional crop, It’s very time consuming, takes 10gal of sap to make 1qt, and theres a very short harvest season. The nighttime temps have to remain at freezing or just below, while daytime needs to be just above. Once it gets too warm the sap starts to get bitter. Taping for syrup is a hobby many here in Maine have.

 

[CraftBeerYeti]

That’s the reason real syrup is so expensive! It’s a regional crop, It’s very time consuming, takes 10gal of sap to make 1qt, and theres a very short harvest season. The nighttime temps have to remain at freezing or just below, while daytime needs to be just above. Once it gets too warm the sap starts to get bitter. Taping for syrup is a hobby many here in Maine have.

Is it possible to make a very small amount of syrup from a qt of Maple Water?

 

[JimRausch]

Is it possible to make a very small amount of syrup from a qt of Maple Water?

Well the boildown ratio of sap:syrup is 40:1, so boiling down 1 qt. of sap will yield less than 1 oz. of syrup. but yes I suppose it's possible if you're careful not to burn it.

 

[Seamonkey84]

Sure you can, but not worth it other than to coat the pan... it’s a 40:1 reduction and fine temp control at the end to prevent it from burning. Maple water has been sold as a health drink, I’m assuming that’s what your referring to?

 

[JimRausch]

If the goal is the flavor of the syrup, not just the sugar, chilling some maple syrup in the right way would cause some of the sugar to crystallize out as pure sugar, leaving behind all the flavor components. The remaining syrup, being enhanced in flavor, could then be used to back sweeten without rendering the acerglyn too sweet.

Interesting question. I do know that syrup is ready when it's temp is 7degrees above the boiling point of water (219 at sea level). The 1st year I boiled down some, not knowing this, I kept boiling until it looked 'ready'. When cooled it formed crystals. I suppose it was a supersaturated solution. I didn't particularly notice a difference in flavor. My grandfather used to boil some down extra and mix it with snow to form 'maple taffy'.
Sorry- just stories. I don't really have an answer to your Q.