Do I have a stuck fermentation?

[phil74501]

Recipe is Red Star champange yeast, 6 pounds of honey, 5 tsps nutrients, 4 cans of lemonade concentrate, and 2 pounds of sugar.

OG was 1.072. First gravity reading 10 days later was at .998. The second reading, taken 8 days after that was at .994. The third reading, taken 10 days after the second reading, is still at .994.

I haven't seen any activity in the airlock in since about the 10 too 14 day mark. Is it stuck? If so, what should I do about it?

 

[aviator01]

.994 seems like a good FG to me. I bet it is just done doing what needs to be done.

What FG were you expecting?

 

[phil74501]

I was expecting any specific FG. My last batch of mead, which was my first ever, took almost 40 days to get too its FG. This one seems to have done it in about 18 days. There doesn't seem to be much alcohol taste to it though. The first batch has a very distinct alcohol taste.

 

[Deafmeadmaker]

Started a dry mead using Lalvin wine yeast. Watched it bubble for a month and a half, racked it on Dec 7th. Watched it clarify and decided to bottle it Dec. 28th. FG 1.0
Tasted the alcohol in it, but was disappointed in the batch. Two weeks ago, a bottle popped it's cork.
My question: Could it still be fermenting/ aging in the bottle and will it improve the taste if I let them sit for six months or so?
Today I racked a batch of prickly pear mead (FG .99) I used the same wine yeast and let it do it's thing for the month of January. I'm afraid this batch will disappoint as well when it comes time to bottle in March.
Before all this I made a wonderful two gallon mead using Red Star. Should I go back to using that yeast if I want mead for the summer?

 

[WyldWillie]

phil, I sympathize with you. I don't have too much useful information to impart to you, but I would pose a question to you.

When you drink wine do you taste the alcohol specifically?

I ask this because I've heard that Mead is supposed to be deceptively alcoholic.

If you can taste a distinctive alcohol taste, perhaps it needs more conditioning/time before consumption?

What does it taste like? Is it like a very dry wine or more of a dessert wine?

Just my .02 cents.

Good luck

 

[phil74501]

phil, I sympathize with you. I don't have too much useful information to impart to you, but I would pose a question to you.

When you drink wine do you taste the alcohol specifically?

I ask this because I've heard that Mead is supposed to be deceptively alcoholic.

If you can taste a distinctive alcohol taste, perhaps it needs more conditioning/time before consumption?

What does it taste like? Is it like a very dry wine or more of a dessert wine?

Just my .02 cents.

Good luck

Very dry. Not sweet at all. In fact it doesn't have much flavor one way or the other. I can just barely get a hint of lemon, and little honey taste. I will probably back sweeten it.

 

[skadalajara]

Age it. 6 - 12 mo at least. Then try it again. Meads, wines and cider's all benefit from aging. The longer you age it the better it'll be. Provided you don't let it oxidize or become contaminated.

 

[phil74501]

Age it. 6 - 12 mo at least. Then try it again. Meads, wines and cider's all benefit from aging. The longer you age it the better it'll be. Provided you don't let it oxidize or become contaminated.

It'll be going into a carboy in the next few days. Soon as I get around to it.

I was thinking about adding some lemons to it, and maybe some more honey. Not sure yet.