mead never carbs?

[tranceamerica]

ok, I've done 2 batches of mead recently. Both with EC-1118 yeast, 18 lb of honey for a 6 gal batch. Bottled with 1 cup of corn sugar for a sparkling mead.

Neither batch has carbed. I used the same method that I always do with beer (successful every time w/beer). but no fizz.

could the EC-1118 just be pooping out?

 

[Yooper]

Not usually. What was the OG and the FG?

A cup of sugar doesn't sound like much in 6 gallons, but you should have at least a little fizz.

 

[BigKahuna]

Could be...but not likely.
What was your final gravity before priming? How long did you age? Perhaps that 1118 has all settled out if you aged long enough.


***Dang Yooper....How fast do you type?

 

[Ecnerwal]

How long have you given it to carb?

While it's possible that you've actually pooped the yeast out, I have had no problem carbing and I brew mine with ale yeast, so I'd think the wine yeast has lots of room to work. But I'd also expect it to take time, far more than beer, given how long it takes before one gets to bottling with mead; so you expect the yeast to be slowed down and sparse, even if it's willing to work.

You can try the usual tricks - invert or roll the bottles to get the yeast off the bottom, warm them up, etc - but mostly, time, time, time.

As an aside, I always carb mead with honey, but I don't think that is your problem, just my own sense of how to do it.

 

[will_cbe]

+1 give it time.
3 bottle batches of mead, and all 3 have a little fizz when I open the bottles.

 

[tranceamerica]

I should have been more specific.

I pulled 1 gallon off into a growler with no carb.

5 gallons + 1 cup of sugar.

I'll give it more time, it's been in the bottle, in a warm garage, for 2 weeks now. Zero carb in that time.

 

[BigKahuna]

21 days or longer to carb. Probabaly longer for the mead.

 

[Yooper]

What was the FG? If it's higher than expected, that would be an indicator that your yeast was pooped out, and it won't carb.

 

[Thurz]

Is it possible to create a sweet, yet carbonated mead by fermenting in a bottle? I've always had to kill off my yeast when it reached the correct sweetness. Wouldn't the bottles explode?

 

[BigKahuna]

Is it possible to create a sweet, yet carbonated mead by fermenting in a bottle? I've always had to kill off my yeast when it reached the correct sweetness. Wouldn't the bottles explode?

Yes they will.

I'm sure that Yuri has some sort of solution for fermenting under pressure and carbonating at that time, then controlled counter pressure bottle filling. But for Mortal Men....NOPE.

 

[Freezeblade]

I've accidently bottle carbed sweet mead, but I wouldn't try it again. My yeast stalled out on me a little early, but it was susposed to be a higher finishing gravity so I thought nothing of a 0.005 fudge factor in FG and went ahead to bottle. Much to my surprise later when I opened one, that it was carbed about to champagine, yet still very sweet, on the verge of colying. Looking back on this, I would never try this on purpose, as too much more in there and I would have had bottle bombs. Do not try at home