First batch/first post (apple pie mead)

[foolsgold]

Well this is my first post and my first start at homebrewing all in one
Started with
5 gallons of organic apple juice
5# of clover honey
1# light brown sugar (stupid store didn't have dark)
1# priming sugar
1oz ground nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
1 pack of lalvin 1118

Used StarSan to sanitize everything. Added 2 gallons of the apple juice to the carboy. Heated the sugar and nutmeg (fresh ground, my hand still hurts lol) with about a half gallon of juice till the sugar was dissolved. Added the honey to the carboy and shook it to mix with the juice. I did rehydrate the yeast per instructions on the packet. Added the sugar/juice from the stove and the last 2 1/2 gallons of juice and then the yeast.
Took a SG reading and got 1.160. That seams really high (again, first time brewing anything) compared to what others have posted on this thread. Do you think my reading was wrong? I took it before adding the yeast.
As a side note my son liked drinking the juice/honey mix that I used to take the reading lol. It's sitting in my basement now w/ the air lock on and an ambient temp of 73*F.
7/8 update:
So checked it yesterday and there was a lot of bubbling to see on the top sludge (lack of something else to call it) and the air lock was going really well. I could watch the mead swirling in the carboy all happy and excited to watch my first mead. Today the sludge on top is gone but the air lock is still going like crazy.
7/9 update:
Checked the SG and it was at 1.058
7/12 update:
Checked the SG it's sitting at 1.026. The mead isn't swirling around the carboy anymore and the airlock is down to a bubble every 3-5 seconds. I am heading to the LHBS today to pick up some yeast energizer to add. There is little apple or spice taste this time, all you taste is alcohol but it still doesn't taste bad. I figure if I don't care for the flavor after I rack it I can add more cinnamon and nutmeg.

 

[fatbloke]

Welcome to the forums........

So....... a couple of points.

Yes, it's possible to have mis-read the hydrometer but given the sugar, as well as the juice and honey it could be correct...... it certainly is a lot higher than I like to start with.

EC-1118 is a robust yeast be it can be stressed by excessive sugars. Meads flavoured like that probably do use the same ingredients but likely use a very different method (many ways to skin a cat etc).

That yeast has a habit of blowing a lot of aromatics and VOC's straight out the airlock. So don't be surprised if you needed to add some more spices later on (in secondary or after clearing).

For now, I suggest you take regular measurements to monitor the progress of the ferment (I do that but make sure I sanitise everything then put the sample back in so no waste - tiny tastes help you understand it too). Plus regular aeration (a bloody good stirring) down to about 1.100 won't hurt it, plus you didn't mention any nutrient/energiser. Yeast hulls or boiled bread yeast and one or two crushed vitamin B1 tablets - sooner rather than later would be a sensible idea.

If your numbers are correct, then a drop of 133 gravity points equates to 18% ABV, which is the published tolerance for the yeast so it'd still be quite sweet - in theory........

 

[foolsgold]

Thank you Fatbloke.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/grandmas-liquid-apple-pie-389463/ This is the recipe that I followed.
I have yeast nutrient but as the recipe didn't call for any I didn't add it. Should I add some and if so how much and when?
I was going to wait a week and take another SG reading on the 13th.

I looked in on it today and it is still spinning nicely (I assume it's supposed to do that lol, idk being my first time and all) and the air lock it bubbling away. I'll give it a stir and see how things go.

EDIT: Well I decided to take a SG reading and sample it.... for learning purposes of course.... the SG was 1.058 and according to the ABV calculator I put the numbers into it's already at 13%!! I did some more reading on adding the nutrient and while the bottle calls for 1/2tsp per gallon most of the topics I read said that was for beer and that the poster used ~ 1tsp per 5gal batch. I boiled about a 1/2 cup of water and added the nutrient to dissolve it, let it cool to ~80*F and added it after putting the sample back for the SG reading. I'll check it in the morning.... oh and it is already starting to taste good imo. I can't wait, I have plans to drink this on vacation this fall.

 

[loveofrose]

Punching your numbers into my brewpal software puts your SG ~1.09. Max ABV would be 11.3%. EC1118 won't have any problem taking it dry.

You probably took the reading while it was still hot which gives an erroneously high gravity. Gravity readings are dependent on temperature as well.


Better brewing through science!

 

[foolsgold]

When I first took it it was in the 80's range but then I cooled it down to 60*F and that was the OG reading that I posted.
*shrug* IDK I'm just having fun with this.