New brewer, very confused at the moment

[Dan O]

Got a room for rent in Alaska too?It's my favorite place in the world!

Mine as well. I've been there 5 times

 

[T Murph]

Welcome @Samwisethebrave , making mead as an introduction to brewing is a brave endeavor. Patients is a great virtue and a must have when making mead. As others have stated, while the yeast may seem to have stopped working they are still in there contemplating their next move to react to your next move. They are not finished in only one week. By now since you added more honey they should be off to the races again if not completely gone through that one added pound by now. I would sneak a taste if you haven't already done so, just to see what it taste like. I would give it at least a month before doing anything else at this point. At the end of a month take another reading and if fermentation is to a point you determine to be done, then rack the mead off the lees and yeast into another clean and sanitized fermenter for aging. You should stabilize (basically kill off) any viable yeast at this point and seal the vessel up for aging. After another month sample your mead to see if it taste how you want it to taste, ie, dry, semi sweet or what ever your target taste will be. At this point you can back sweeten if desired to achieve your desired level of sweetness. Then give it another month to settle and meld flavors. I usually age my meads at least six months to years.

 

[Bluekat]

Ok. That was my main concern. I'll have a little more info today. I'm going to run by the brew store and ask them what yeast they sold me since I didn't make a note of it and just tossed the package like a doofus lol at least then I'll know the theoretical tolerance of the yeast.

You did the right thing by reaching out on this forum. You will get excellent advice, guidance and wisdom from very experienced home brewers. Remember, we all started exactly where you are now. My two cents, listen and learn, take detailed notes of your brew day, clean and sanitize thoroughly, read John Palmers book.

 

[JAReeves]

Starsan solution in the airlock instead of water?
And when you say "still using airlocks" what else would they use?

I'll be counter-cultural here and suggest you use the finest vodka you can get in a plastic, twist-off cap bottle. I use a $10/1.5L from Total Wine for all of my airlock needs. The fruit flies seem happy for it to be the hill they die on. And if some vodka gets sucked back into my fermentations, it's just a little extra ABV instead of acidity.

 

[T Murph]

I'll be counter-cultural here and suggest you use the finest vodka you can get in a plastic, twist-off cap bottle. I use a $10/1.5L from Total Wine for all of my airlock needs. The fruit flies seem happy for it to be the hill they die on. And if some vodka gets sucked back into my fermentations, it's just a little extra ABV instead of acidity.

@JAReeves I thought I was the only one who puts vodka in air locks. I only use air locks for meads and wine but I always use vodka in the air locks. Lol, I really like the smell of the CO2 being expelled after passing through the vodka, Tito's in my case.

 

[Maylar]

Lol, I really like the smell of the CO2 being expelled after passing through the vodka, Tito's in my case.

Absolut in the liquor cabinet, Smirnoff in the brew room for airlocks here.

 

[Dan O]

@JAReeves I thought I was the only one who puts vodka in air locks. I only use air locks for meads and wine but I always use vodka in the air locks. Lol, I really like the smell of the CO2 being expelled after passing through the vodka, Tito's in my case.

I use vodka for all of my airlocks. Some bugs can swim, but, I haven't met one yet that can make it through the vodka. Smirnoff in my brew room, as well, @Maylar

 

[JimRausch]

I'm another vodka in the airlock person- I believe that there are more of us than use starsan. I use the cheapest 80 proof I can find- 5 o'clock brand. Save the good stuff for wife's mixed drinks.