Started my first batch of mead on 1/31, 5 gallons. Used EC-1118 yeast, also had sliced oranges in the primary. It did really well at first and I stirred it every day. When I took it off the oranges, my recipe had me add orange juice, this made it active again. It slowed way down, but here is where I think I went wrong, and I cannot find the book that led me to think I had to do this. About a month in I added Campden tablets. It would still bubble periodically but I think I stalled it. I racked it a week ago and it is still sitting at 1.030, started at 1.120. Will adding nutrients help me at all at this point? Or do I just have to wait it out and recheck in like 3 months?
Mead stopped at 1.030 almost 3 months in, what can I do?
- Thread starter Sebrinak
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Joeywhat
Well-Known Member
Well, campden tablets will kill all the yeast, so when you added that fermentation stopped. Why did you add the campden?
BrewChatter
Well-Known Member
I was working on two brews at the same time, the tablets were for the other brew. My mistake,
BrewChatter
Well-Known Member
Nice! May take them a little bit to get moving again going in at ~13% abv, but they'll go. What are you using for nutrients?
Joeywhat
Well-Known Member
Yes I would wait a bit before calling it.
Yeast can't assimilate nutrients after 9% ABV. Whatever you put in there will be in your finished mead.
A couple of dashes of Fermax yeast nutrient and a dash of Tap Craft yeast energizer.
good news, I repitched the yeast and I am seeing a little more action. So now I am more comfortable waiting it out. I will probably take a gravity reading in a few days just to make sure and eventually take it off the dead yeast. Would agitating it now that its going again be a good idea, or would that just put more stale yeast into the flavor?
Leave it alone.
BrewChatter
Well-Known Member
Yep, leave it alone and let them do their thing.
