In Your Opinion, What Should I do?

[Whsoj]

I have a 1 gal plane mead I've been trying to ferment for 2 months now. Its not going well at all. 3# of honey topped up to 1 gallon of water. I let sit over night with energizer and nutrient shaking the crap out of it every so often thinking I was oxygenating it, and one more time before I pitched the yeast.

It bubbled for two weeks and stopped, and I knew there was no way it it fermed out that quick. So instead of pulling a full hydrometer sample(which would be a 10th of my finished product) I star-saned a straw and tasted it, it was so sweet I spit it out. So I thought stuck fermentation ill just give it some nutrient and see if it starts back up, don't do that, I forgot about nucleation point's and how those crystals must have billions, I had a volcano.

It tried after that but she stopped fermenting again. So I re pitched It fermed for 2 more weeks and it stopped again. I checked the gravity last night cause I'm tired of guessing,and its still at 1.070. I've been using Red Star Montrachet so far could this be the problem? I have Lavin EC-1118 should I pitch this and see what happens. Also if I do re-pitch should I rack it into another growler to get it off the lees in the first growler?

 

[snuesen]

Sounds like you just need to treat your yeast better. Shaking is not aeration. In the first stages of fermentation you don't need to worry about oxidizing, since co2 is being produced at such a high level. You also don't mention rehydration of yeast, which is important even with a 1.108 OG. A gallon jug is also not ideal as a primary fermenter..

You're at a pretty poor stage to add too much oxygen right now, but it may be necessary. How much nutrient/energizer did you add?

 

[Arpolis]

I would let it sit another 3 to 5 days and then check the gravity again. If gravity is unchanged then I would cold crash it. Get as much yeast to drop out of suspension as you can. Rack off the lees and then make a starter with the 1118 yeast.

Basically take 1 cup of water and add in two tbs of honey and a pinch of yeast nutrient mix well and add the 1118 yeast on top. Cover with paper towel and rubber band and wait an hour or two. Then add a 1/4 cup of your mead must to the starter. Wait another hour or two and repeat the process. When you have two cups of liquid in the starter then pitch that into the stuck mead. That should get it to ferment to completion.

 

[Whsoj]

Sounds like you just need to treat your yeast better. Shaking is not aeration. In the first stages of fermentation you don't need to worry about oxidizing, since co2 is being produced at such a high level. You also don't mention rehydration of yeast, which is important even with a 1.108 OG. A gallon jug is also not ideal as a primary fermenter..

You're at a pretty poor stage to add too much oxygen right now, but it may be necessary. How much nutrient/energizer did you add?

I would let it sit another 3 to 5 days and then check the gravity again. If gravity is unchanged then I would cold crash it. Get as much yeast to drop out of suspension as you can. Rack off the lees and then make a starter with the 1118 yeast.

Basically take 1 cup of water and add in two tbs of honey and a pinch of yeast nutrient mix well and add the 1118 yeast on top. Cover with paper towel and rubber band and wait an hour or two. Then add a 1/4 cup of your mead must to the starter. Wait another hour or two and repeat the process. When you have two cups of liquid in the starter then pitch that into the stuck mead. That should get it to ferment to completion.

I don't just re-hydrate yeast I make starters, with a stir plate. In this case it was a small starter but a starter none the less both times with 1/4 tablespoon of both nutreint and energizer The reason I thought I could get away with a 1 gal jug is Montrachet yeast doesn't krausen. I think I'm gonna go the cold crash method. I was mainly worried about putting 1118 on top of Montrachet cause 1118's a killer yeast. Off flavors and all that

 

[fatbloke]

Had it crossed your mind to test the pH ?

Nutrients aren't the only reason for stuckies......

Sweet spot for pH is 3.4 to 3.8 but if it drops to below 3.0 it can stall/stick, and it can slow if sitting on or about the 3.0 mark.......

If so, potassium carbonate is the likely way ahead......

 

[Whsoj]

Had it crossed your mind to test the pH ?

Nutrients aren't the only reason for stuckies......

Sweet spot for pH is 3.4 to 3.8 but if it drops to below 3.0 it can stall/stick, and it can slow if sitting on or about the 3.0 mark.......

If so, potassium carbonate is the likely way ahead......

Cool man thanks i'll check that when I get done picking blackberries