My first batch!

[FredrikH]

Hello!

I'm new to the forum and to the world of mead making! I just started my first batch, a blueberry mead, 27/2.

My recipe:

1.3kg honey
3.8L water
zest of one lemon
1 bag of earl grey tea, I used some of the water for that.
500g frosen blueberries.

Yeast: Mangrove Jacks M05
Nutrients: 1g Fermaid K, 2.5g DAP (approximately)

The reading was 1.116,.

But i did not take in to considiration of the blueberries sugar, so i might need some help on how to counter in that for the equation . The package say 6.9g of sugar on 100g.

Today I took a new reading, it say 1.018.

I think i wanna stop the fermentation soon, don't want it to be to strong.

What do you guys think? Should i let it ferment out, does my readings sound good?

Any pointers would be great

 

[CKuhns]

I would let it ferment out. But I enjoy a nice dry mead.

 

[Gary G]

Let it ride the fermentation wave!

 

[FredrikH]

Okey okey, I will let it ferment out!

if I calculated it correctly, the sugars in the blueberries would rise the gravity by around 5, so it should be 1.121 for the starting gravity.

So I will get an ABV around 16%. It’s not that important that this reading is accurate, but more interesting to have an idea of what it may be

 

[bushpilot]

I believe the blueberries will add more water than sugar, so the end result is that they will reduce the abv, not increase it.

Anyone with a better understanding can freely correct me.

 

[FredrikH]

I believe the blueberries will add more water than sugar, so the end result is that they will reduce the abv, not increase it.

Anyone with a better understanding can freely correct me.

When you think about it, that makes sense!

Maybe that’s why I felt the fermentation was going a bit fast, 1.116 - 1.018 in 8 days.

 

[FredrikH]

I just re-racked the mead in to a second glass carboy, but because all of the blueberries on top and yeast at the bottom i only got a bit over half of the container filled.

Will that head space be an issue, should i quickly find a smaller container?

 

[CKuhns]

Smaller container would be better. But if still off gassing or has a little ferment yet to go the air qill be replaced with CO2.

 

[FredrikH]

Will start looking for a smaller container just in case! The lesson has been learned, will have this with me for my next batch!