Aiming for a semi-sweet FG

[SKBugs]

I would like my mead to stop at 1.010 - 1.015 and be around the 10%. I was planning on using D47 or 71B.
Is it really a matter of starting with a gravity of 1.090, as the MeadMakr calculator tells me?
Won't the yeasts keep going till they stop? Or will the amount of honey used to get the OG be enough to stop it?
In the past all my meads have finished dry and then i have backsweetened them, but that seems like a bit of a work-around.
Thanks

 

[CKuhns]

My expierience has been that all yeast like 71B or D47 from 1.090 or greater with a good TOSNA or SNA protocol will drive to dry. 1.000 or there about.

I would love to hear if anyone has successfully and routinely accomplished this short of utilizing a chemical or filter apparatus.

 

[Seamonkey84]

most of my stuff finishes as semi sweet, but with abv of 16%. I use the BOMM protocol and start with a gravity of 1.130, wyeast 1388 will will use up 120 points, leaving 1.010 at finish. So far that has been very consistent with the four batches I’ve made.

 

[SKBugs]

most of my stuff finishes as semi sweet, but with abv of 16%.

So that would be allowing the yeast to finish and drop the 120 points? Have you ever tried to make a lower ABV using the same protocol?

 

[JimRausch]

Choosing a yeast that you hope might stall and give you a higher than 1.000 FG is a crapshoot. Yeast just love to eat all that simple sugar. Seriously I have never read a post from anyone that found a yeast to consistently stop at 1.010-1.015, especially with starting with a relatively low(for mead) OG of 1.090. Maybe an ale yeast? But I'd plan that it will ferment completely down to 1.000 or below, then stabilize it and backsweeten.

 

[Seamonkey84]

So that would be allowing the yeast to finish and drop the 120 points? Have you ever tried to make a lower ABV using the same protocol?

Lower gravity/abv will all finish dry with this protocol. If your abv is low enough, and the yeast is healthy, they can keep working when you add more sugar/honey. Problem with this approach with high starting gravity, is if it does stall, itll end up with way too sweet. The BOMM and tosna protocol are all about taking care of the yeast. So more often than not, they exceed the advertised alcohol tolerance of the strain. Such as wyeast 1388 is said to only go to 12-13%, but using the protocol, others and myself gotten consistent ~16% if the sugar is all loaded up front.
But as Jim mentioned, it’s not the best/most reliable way to Reach a target final gravity. If you want lower abv and a have a sweet product, then let it ferment dry then stabilize. I just don’t want to use any stabilizers as I have friends with a list of allergies and sensitivities.

 

[Blacksmith1]

@Seamonkey84 You'll need to add this to your labels.
Warning: While this brew does not contain sulfites, it will knock you on your @$$