D-47 question for frequent users...

[Randar]

Is this a bit of a weaker yeast?

I've only done 2 meads. One was with K1-V1116 and went easy-peasy. Added some nutrient at pitch and it was off. Went from 1.100 to 1.009 in 2 weeks and down to 1.000 by the end of a month's time.

Now, I was simply trying to make a medium show mead and go from 1.095 down to wherever it got. Well, after almost a month I was only down to the 1.065 range and it seemed like fermentation stalled.

I added almost 5 tsp of yeast nutrient a couple days ago and now it's going bonkers.

I had read of the use of staggered nutrient and wondered why after my first mead went so easily with K1-V1116.

Am I going to have to add more yeast nutrient later in this fermentation and is this generally the expected behavior of D-47?

 

[MedsenFey]

K1V is a particularly good yeast for low nutrient fermentations - natural mead makers use it regularly. With good nutrient, aeration, temp and pH management it can usually take a 1.100 must fully dry (gravity below 1.000) in about 14 days or less. When nutrient deprived, it can take weeks (or months) longer to get done.

D47 is a very good yeast, and generally isn't a nutrient hog, but it will give you the best results if it gets adequate nutrition. It sounds like yours were starving. You probably won't need more nutrient (if this is a 5 gallon batch). Also, if you don't aerate the must during the first part of fermentation your yeast will not grow as fast giving you slower and sometime incomplete fermentation.

Medsen

 

[YoMomma]

Well D-47 is a nutrient, specifically nitrogen, hog. You will have to add a little more than what you would with KV. Kv-1116 is an all around easy yeast to use. It is part of a strain of yeast known to restart fermentation when one stops. You can warm up your must to around 68-70F and it should help. But even so at a starting gravity that low, you will end up pretty dry. IMO

As the very wise Medsen says..................

 

[Randar]

Well, should have noted that I aerated with pure oxygen (maybe not enough, I suppose, I'm used to beer aeration rates).

Thanks for the background, though. Will keep this in mind in the future. I was hoping to avoid adding the KV-1116 to this batch as it would finish drier than I had wanted and was thankful I was able to get things going again. Just wanted to catalog this experience in a specific mental bin, if you will.

 

[giligson]

You could 'restart a stuck fermentation" with K1V as per
http://www.scottlab.com/info-center/documents/2009RestartStuck.pdf

Note this is for a commercial winery - you will have to scale down.

I also remember one fermentation (a sugar wash) that defied almost all restarting - then I checked the pH (a couple of tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate later and it just took off the next day)

 

[Randar]

I also remember one fermentation (a sugar wash) that defied almost all restarting - then I checked the pH (a couple of tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate later and it just took off the next day)

That was my secondary strategy if the nutrient didn't solve the issue, but I don't have any test strips or test kit that will measure down that low, so I was hoping I wouldn't have to run around trying to find something on short notice.

 

[giligson]

Bought one of these about 1.5 years ago and haven't regretted it: I use it mostly for wine:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Brand-New-ATC-ha...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eaad8e8dd

I also see some meters from HongKong for about $10 including shipping - can't speak for those but who knows???