Crazy fast fermentation (or is it?)

[giuzep89]

Hello friends,
I'd like to share with you how my traditional mead is proceeding, and my considerations to follow.
Recipe:
-3.15kg wildflower honey (brought personally from the beekeeper, so nothing other than honey)
-10 liters total batch size
-Lalvin 71b (rehydrated 20 mins at room temp)
-Wyeast yeast nutrient blend for beer (it's what I found the closest to home)
-OG 1.090
-The plan is finishing it dry and back sweetening it with erythritol

Now, I added nutrients following an online calculator and it resulted in adding 2.4g after 24, 48, 72h and at 1/3 sugar break. Which is today! Took a reading and it's at 1.028 on day 7, extremely close to prediction (I expected 30). It's been fermenting very vigorously since the beginning of the second day. Having never made one with the same setup but without nutrients I can't confidently say that it's because of the nutrients that it's proceeding at such fast pace. But then again I don't know exactly if this is fast at all or it is to be expected with this schedule.

I found heaps of conflicting info all around about how much nutrient and when to add it. My only concern here is that it might be going somewhat TOO fast, possibly blowing off flavor compounds. Is that founded you think?

 

[JimRausch]

I do 1 gallon batches with OGs in the 1.105 range, which I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes, although I do pitch a whole packet of yeast in that 1 G, so it's a pretty hefty yeast pitch. I oxygenate the must and add nutrients at pitch (I use a combination of Wyeast beer and Fermax nutrients). I add 1/2 dose of nutrients at 24 and again at 48 hours. While I don't check SG until I'm ready to rack, I do stir to degas twice daily. And the amount of CO2 I get at the degassing is much less by day 3, and not enough to bother with by day 4-5. So, long way of saying that my fermentations work like you are describing. Probably done for the most part by 1 week. I generally rack at 2 weeks. SG then is generally sub 1.000.

 

[CKuhns]

Seven days is pretty quick to drop 0.060 gravity but not unheard of. Yes you could lose some of the lighter aeromatic flavors due to the vigorous ferment.

In your case sounds like you followed TOSNA 3.0. Using this strategy definately makes for a cleaner quicker ferment and helps with some of the off flavors as the yeast tend to be less stressed.

Temperature of your brew area can also significantly speed the process up. How warm are you fermenting at? If near the top of the temp profile for the yeast could be part of the reason as well.

Finally, i suspect your ferment will slow some from here on and could take another couple weeks to get to completion.

 

[giuzep89]

20°C is the average temperature it's been fermenting at!

 

[giuzep89]

Quick update. 3 days after the last feeding, not only did it not slow down but it seems to have sped up again. I have the feeling that the honey I used might have been more nutrient rich than average. The beekeeper quite literally gets it out of the hives and into the bucket he brings me!

 

[CKuhns]

If i remember correctly 71b temp range is 15 to 30c. So not pushing the higher end at 20.

Sounds like you have a good one going.

Enjoy the ride!

 

[videojunkie1208]

I haven't played with 71b, but my D47 experience averages 10-15 points per day. I often find that I miss the 1/3 sugar break because it happens so quickly. (Within 72 hours!)

Good nutrition leads to happy yeast! Happy yeast make clean alcohol!