Standard mead question (please help)

[WTPooh]

Hello all,
I started making mead yesterday and have some questions.
Recipe 5gal
15 gal wildflower honey (locally harvested last week)
2pk lalvin 72b yeast
Yeast nutrients 1 1/4 tsp
Yeast accelerant 2 1/2 tsp
Used warm filtered water about 115 degrees to stir my honey in added filtered water to the 5 gallon point. Started my yeast in 88 degrees water as stated on the back of the yeast packet and let sit
for 15 min. Added yeast nutrients and accelerates to the must. Added about 1Tbsp must to yeast after the 15 min and let set 5 min. (The yeast looked very happy) I took the SG and it was 1.106. The yeast temperature was 83 degrees and the must was 89 degrees so I pitched the yeast and closed the bucket with the air lock. Looked at it today 25hrs after pitch and seemed very active. I degassed and stirred the must. I took the SG again and it was 1.090. My plan was to add nutrients and accelerates at the 1/3 sugar break and the 2/3 sugar break. So probably tomorrow. So I did a lot of reading but just found this forum which seems much more active than others I researched on. I have a couple of questions.
1 did I get the nutrients and accelerates mixed up ?
2 did I add too much of each
Thank you for reading and hope to get some good feedback

 

[CKuhns]

Not sure i can effectively answer as i dont know what your yeast nutrients and accelerator are. So hard to say. But typically nutrients are 2xs (or there about) more than accelerator.

Look up TOSNA 2.0 or 3.0 as a reference.

If fermenting well. Then your probably ok.

 

[WTPooh]

Not sure i can effectively answer as i dont know what your yeast nutrients and accelerator are. So hard to say. But typically nutrients are 2xs (or there about) more than accelerator.

Look up TOSNA 2.0 or 3.0 as a reference.

If fermenting well. Then your probably ok.

Thank you for you advice,
I did figure out that I had them backwards...
the nutrients and accelerates are standard ones I bought at local wine making shop. So the fermentation is still going well. So these are the rest of my log so far.
24 hrs
Degassed
SG 1.090
48 hrs
Degassed
SG 1.068
Added another 1 1/4 tsp of nutrients

 

[Dan O]

It sounds like it's going along just fine

 

[WTPooh]

Thank you,
So should I still add more nutrients? I’m at 2 1/2 tsp and looks like I could add up to 5tsp. Since my SG is at 1.068 is it past the point off adding more? Also I was thinking about racking and stopping fermentation around 1.015 to keep it at a semi sweet but at the rate I’m going that might be at the 7 day point is that too early? Or should I just wait out the 14 days and see what it gives me. Once again thank you for any advice given

 

[Dan O]

Me, personally, I would ferment till it finishes...1.000 or below, then wait 2 weeks, taking gravity readings every 4 days. If gravity readings don't change, then I would backsweeten a small amount & see if any re-ferment happens. (I have fermentor lids w/airlocks that go on Mason jars.) If it doesn't restart, backsweeten the rest. A lot of people stabilize, but, I personally have not needed to yet. I don't add any chemicals unless it's a last resort.
Gravity readings are the only true way to tell where your brew is & when it's ready for feedings.
As far as adding more nutrients, by my calculations, your 2/3 sugar break should be around 1.036, so I would say just nutrients @ that point with nothing else. Be sure to degass before adding them, as there's a chance of eruptions when adding nutrients. You know what they say, there's no mess like a mead mess. I make a slurry of spring water & nutrients & add them a tablespoon @ a time & I've never had any eruptions. Remember to SANITIZE EVERYTHING....including your hands.
Again, that's just me & what I would do.
Good luck & happy meading

 

[WTPooh]

Thank you for you advice,
I did figure out that I had them backwards...
the nutrients and accelerates are standard ones I bought at local wine making shop. So the fermentation is still going well. So these are the rest of my log so far.
24 hrs
Degassed
SG 1.090
48 hrs
Degassed
SG 1.068
Added another 1 1/4 tsp of nutrients

Just an update
72hrs
Degassed
SG 1.044

 

[Dan O]

Just an update
72hrs
Degassed
SG 1.044

Getting close to your last nutrient addition

 

[WTPooh]

Just an update
72hrs
Degassed
SG 1.044

Update
96 hrs
SG 1.024
I didn’t add more nutrients because it still dropping so fast. Now I’m going to let it sit undisturbed for the weekend and check the gravity on Monday which will be the 1 week mark. Once again I appreciate any and all comments and advice.

 

[Dan O]

I hope it was helpful to you.

 

[WTPooh]

Update
96 hrs
SG 1.024
I didn’t add more nutrients because it still dropping so fast. Now I’m going to let it sit undisturbed for the weekend and check the gravity on Monday which will be the 1 week mark. Once again I appreciate any and all comments and advice.

7 days
SG 0.999
So I racked it to the carboy and added stabilizers and clarifier. Also topped off carboy with about a qt of water.
For the stabilizers I used
2 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
I dissolved it in about 2 cups of water and added it after I stirred the must vigorously for a few minutes.
Clarifier
12.5 ml Kieselsol
75 ml Chitosan
Added to the carboy, Kieselsol first then per instructions added the Chitosan an hour later.
Now I plan on letting it sit for a few days and back sweetening it with a lb of honey since it’s tasting dryer than I would like.
Once again I appreciate and feedback or suggestions and I hope this helps someone else

 

[WTPooh]

7 days
SG 0.999
So I racked it to the carboy and added stabilizers and clarifier. Also topped off carboy with about a qt of water.
For the stabilizers I used
2 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate
1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
I dissolved it in about 2 cups of water and added it after I stirred the must vigorously for a few minutes.
Clarifier
12.5 ml Kieselsol
75 ml Chitosan
Added to the carboy, Kieselsol first then per instructions added the Chitosan an hour later.
Now I plan on letting it sit for a few days and back sweetening it with a lb of honey since it’s tasting dryer than I would like.
Once again I appreciate and feedback or suggestions and I hope this helps someone else

Update
Day 17
FG .998
It has a bunch of sediment on the bottom so I’m going to rack onto what I plan on back sweetening it with. Took a sample qt and with the calculations that I saw, sweetened it with 2tsp of honey and liked what I tasted. So I added a cup of hot water to the qt of must and added a cup of the honey to that so I could dissolve the honey with a cappuccino whisk. Put that into the new carboy and racked onto it. Gave it a good stir and pulled some for a gravity reading and got 1.004. Tasted it and it was wonderful. Now just to age

 

[Dan O]

Update
Day 17
FG .998
It has a bunch of sediment on the bottom so I’m going to rack onto what I plan on back sweetening it with. Took a sample qt and with the calculations that I saw, sweetened it with 2tsp of honey and liked what I tasted. So I added a cup of hot water to the qt of must and added a cup of the honey to that so I could dissolve the honey with a cappuccino whisk. Put that into the new carboy and racked onto it. Gave it a good stir and pulled some for a gravity reading and got 1.004. Tasted it and it was wonderful. Now just to age

Be aware, just because you racked it off of the gross lees, doesn't mean all the yeast had dropped out of suspension. Some of that yeast will have likely gotten into secondary. Be careful it doesn't restart fermenting. Keep an airlock on it if you're not planning on stabilizing.
Happy meading!!

 

[WTPooh]

Update
Day 17
FG .998
It has a bunch of sediment on the bottom so I’m going to rack onto what I plan on back sweetening it with. Took a sample qt and with the calculations that I saw, sweetened it with 2tsp of honey and liked what I tasted. So I added a cup of hot water to the qt of must and added a cup of the honey to that so I could dissolve the honey with a cappuccino whisk. Put that into the new carboy and racked onto it. Gave it a good stir and pulled some for a gravity reading and got 1.004. Tasted it and it was wonderful. Now just to age

 

[WTPooh]

View attachment 723323

Bottled the mead today after 2 months
Drinkable now can’t wait to see how it tastes 4-6 months down the road