Keep adding Yeast energiser and nutrient?

[MaxTheSpy]

Alright, so I started my first gallon of mead yesterday following these instructions and after doing a little looking around someone told me to keep adding yeast energizer and nutrients for the next 3 days, how critical is this, some people tell me to and others say not to. Also, I was told to use lemon juice as nutrient, because I didn't have any, not sure if that's correct or not. Fermentation seems to be doing ok, bubbling every so often, and bubbles rising to the top seem steady.

also added 2 tablespoons of Clove and 2 of another ground spice, Going to add some raisons for nutrient also


What am I doing wrong? Or right?

 

[ForsbergFotos]

I am by no means an expert,but from what I've been reading it's best to wait until secondary to add the spices, especially cloves and always be sure to use whole spices when possible as opposed to ground

 

[porterpounder]

Staggering the nutrient additions every other day for the first week or so helps introduce nutrients the yeast needs as it needs it. You don't need much. It significantly shortens fermentation time and in my experience significantly improves the quality of the final product along with daily de-gassing of the fermenting mead. Honey is severely lacking in FAN needed to keep the yeast going. Not sure about the lemon juice, but can't see increasing the acid in a fermentation in excess leading to the yeast to stop working.

I usually go easy on the spices in primary as the fermentation will likely blow off the aromatics from the spices, but some can be added initially and then bumped up in secondary to taste. Ground or whole, hasn't mattered for me, but whole is easier to remove later when transferring.

 

[Anamalier]

Every time you open the top/mess with it, you chance introducing germs/foriegn yeasts. Honey is low in nitrogen-- which is why you add yeast nutrient. Acid is needed, many use the acid blend: citric, malic, tarteris. Lemons are acidic. Many of the recipies I have seen ask for the juice of oranges.

Steady bubbles fermenting is okay. Even for wine (I've made) the bubbles are initially fast, but soon slow down.

Wait till secondary fermentation to add things. Actually, since honey is so low in nitrogen, maybe adding something to it would help. Even Melomiel, which is fruit and mead has more nitrogen because there is something else beside honey in the fermenting container. Maybe look into this.

 

[MaxTheSpy]

Every time you open the top/mess with it, you chance introducing germs/foriegn yeasts. Honey is low in nitrogen-- which is why you add yeast nutrient. Acid is needed, many use the acid blend: citric, malic, tarteris. Lemons are acidic. Many of the recipies I have seen ask for the juice of oranges.

Steady bubbles fermenting is okay. Even for wine (I've made) the bubbles are initially fast, but soon slow down.

Wait till secondary fermentation to add things. Actually, since honey is so low in nitrogen, maybe adding something to it would help. Even Melomiel, which is fruit and mead has more nitrogen because there is something else beside honey in the fermenting container. Maybe look into this.

Ive got lemon juice should I add that? I can't really go to the store unless I wanted to hike half way across the city in the snow. Some say that the spices that I added would help in fermentation some said to add into secondary, I really like clove so hopefully it's a really strong clove flavor. Im confused because I thought the degassing was done by the airlock and opening would cause problems but I'm not sure what I was supposed to add.

 

[Anamalier]

Every recipe I have for meade has acid blend, grape tannin. pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and orange juice and lemon juice. I am just new to this but I spent months getting little jars and bags of these powders so I can be successful.

The spices you add might help with fermentation because they would give off nitrogen. Degassing is stirring it for an hour before putting it in secondary fermentation. The airlock makes sure that your carboy or bucket does not blow up because the fermentation process (yeast + sugar (glucose)) turn into Alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide needs a place to go, so it goes in the airlock, as it is a gas. The later degassing will remove even more carbon dioxide bubbles. This is all chemistry.

 

[fossilcat]

Here are my thoughts and processes for a basic (very basic) standard mead:

3 lbs of honey per 1 gal (OG 1.120 resulting in about 14%-15% alc)
Warm honey in hot water from tap to help de-crystallize.
Rehydrate powdered yeast with GoFerm.
Potassium Carbonate (buffer)
Temp control (below 70, usually 65, varies per yeast)
Begin SNA schedule after lag phase.
Aerate daily to 1/2 sugar break
Degas at reduced frequency to 2/3 sugar break (then swirl gently until rack to secondary).
Frequent hydrometer readings, can be daily for a week or so sometimes.
Sanitize everything that touchs the must, every time it touches the must.
Top off in secondary to reduce head space.

That's it.

I only use acid blend at the end just before bottling to bring out the fruit taste or to address a sweet cloying taste.
I add fruit to either primary or secondary, or both, depends on what I'm trying to make it taste like. I use pectic enzyme every time I use fruit. I add it to the fruit a couple of hours before adding it to the must, sometimes overnight if I'm also sanitizing with k-meta. Whole fruit is always frozen then thawed.
I've never used grape tannin.
I treat the addition of orange juice or lemon juice the same way I do any fruit although these guys add acidity, which should be addressed if adding to the primary (keep track of pH (3.5 to 4.0 is ok) and add more potassium carbonate if necessary).
I've tried a bunch of ways to add spices: steep in a tea, extraction with vodka, added to both primary and secondary. I feel I have more control if adding to the secondary. I boil and steep if I'm using a number of different spices. I prefer whole and cracked as opposed to powder.

Hope this helps