I began my starter two days ago on Monday evening. I am looking to make the must and pitch the starter either tomorrow evening or the next day.
I have tried to make sure that my plan follows the official recipe as much as possible and have documented any adjustment prior to pitching. If anyone has any suggestions, pointers, or notices any flaws in my plan please let me know.
Here are my parameters:
"BOMM" 5 Gal. target FG 1.010
Recipe Source
Based entirely on Bray’s information documented at the following links:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/BOMM5gallons/
https://denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Liquid-yeast-SNA/
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/Start/
Recipe Conditions/modifications
No stir plate for starter
No 2L flask, rather a 64fl.oz. growler
City water from tap using whole-house carbon and sub-micron filtration system
Want the final specific gravity (FG) a little sweeter, so original specific gravity (OG) of 1.130 rather than 1.100, leading to an estimated FG of 1.010
Using TOSNA (Fermaid O) nutrient schedule
Kirkland brand Oregon sourced honey from Costco, variety unknown
Starter Recipe
1. Sanitize 64fl.oz. growler
>To sanitize, use StarSan or OneStep. Do not cook it on the stove burner as glass will shatter. Avoid iodine based cleaner due to staining.
2. Add 1 tsp GoFerm
3. Add 48fl.oz. water
4. Mix in 4fl.oz (half cup) honey (6 oz by weight)
5. Pitch smack pack of Wyeast 1388 (125ml or 4.22fl.oz) (count this as water for SG purposes?)
>I generally do break the internal packet for the nutrients, but you don't have to wait to pitch.
>Final volume close to 56fl.oz. (7 cups, or 1 cup shy of half gal) with smack pack volume added.
6. Cover but don’t air lock (sanitized foil) and swirl it when you can for 3 to 4 days
7. Pitch in your mead. Don't forget that the starter will add 56fl.oz. of volume!
Mead Recipe
1. Sanitize fermenter (7gal Fermonster carboy)
2. Add 3.2734 gal (3gal+1qt+3floz) water to fermenter (See volume calculations below)
3. Add 1gal+1qt+1cup+1floz honey by volume (253.5oz (15lbs+13.5oz) honey by weight) (SG 1.130 est) (See volume calculations below)
4. Use a drill powered mixer to mix honey completely
5. Add 10.375g (1 1/4 tsp) Potassium Carbonate. One time addition (See nutrients calculation below)
6. Add 9.45g (2 5/8 tsp to 2 1/4 tsp) Fermaid K. One time addition (See nutrients calculation below)
7. Add 13.8g (3.067tsp to 5.52tsp) Fermaid O at upfront, 1.100, & 1.060 (See nutrients calculation below)
8. Stir again to aerate.
9. Add your starter of Wyeast 1388.
9. If needed, add water or honey to 1.130 OG
10. No water in airlock for 1 week
11. Degas daily
12. Ferments dry in about a week, clears in 3-4 weeks. You can cold crash to speed up clearing
13. Wyeast 1388 temperature range is best in the 68-74 F range. Some people have reported issues with going above 74ºF, other people say it's fine. I try to keep my fermentations at 68ºF for the initial few days, then bump it up to 72 F for the last 20 points.
14. Do not step feed if attempting to re-use the yeast cake
Volume Calculations to reach 1.130 OG
1. 10oz. by weight of honey in 5gal raises specific gravity (SG) by 0.005
2. Water SG is 1.000
2. Ratio is honey to final must volume, not honey to water volume
3. 3oz. by weight of honey has volume of 2fl.oz.
4. 1 gallon is 128fl.oz
5. Math for water and honey amounts:
5gal *128 floz/gal = 640floz
10oz honey = 6.67floz honey
640floz must - 6.67floz honey = 633.33floz water
633.33 / 6.67 = 94.95
Water to honey ratio for 1.005 SG = 94.95:1 by volume
6.67/640 = 0.0104 floz honey per oz. must per 0.005 SG increase
1.130-1.000=0.130 increase in SG desired
0.130/0.005=26 units of increased SG desired
26*0.0104=0.2704 floz per 1 floz must to get 1.130 OG
640*0.2704=173.056 floz honey per 5 gal must
173.056floz / 128floz/gal = 1.352gal = 1gal+1qt+1cup+5floz
173.056floz = 259.584oz honey by weight
640floz must - 173floz honey=467floz water
173 floz honey - 4floz honey in starter = 169 floz honey in fermenter
169/128=
1gal+1qt+1cup+1floz honey by volume
169*1.5=
253.5oz (15lbs+13.5oz) honey by weight
467floz water - 48floz water in starter = 419 floz water in fermenter
419/128=
3.2734 gal (3gal+1qt+3floz) water
Nutrients calculations for 1.130 OG
1. Excerpt from chart for Fermaid O at 1.130 OG
Brix 29
SG 1.131
YAN 400
Fermaid O (grams) 8.26
Split by 3 (grams) 2.76
Split by 3 (tsp) 0.69
Wyeast 1388 Additions Upfront, 1.101, 1.061
2. Add 1.89g Fermaid K per gallon upfront only for all gravities.
1.89g/gal * 5 gal = 9.45g (2 5/8 tsp to 2 1/4 tsp) for 5gal batch
3. Add 2.075g (1/4 tsp) potassium carbonate per gallon upfront only for pH buffering.
2.075g/gal (1/4 tsp) * 5 gal = 10.375g (1 1/4 tsp) for 5gal batch
4. Add 8.26g/gal split between 3 additions
8.26g/gal * 5 gal = (41.3g (9.178tsp to 16.52tsp) for 5 gal batch)
Each addition is 2.76g/gal * 5 gal = 13.8g (3.067tsp to 5.52tsp) at upfront, 1.100, & 1.060