Stopping Fermentation

[lilhill]

Hi all,

I'm making my first batch of mead - 5 gallons in a carboy.

I wanted to make a very sweet mead and used about 19 pounds of honey.

After about 5 weeks of fermentation, bubbling had slowed considerably and my SG was down to 1.03. Research told me that this is a good SG to stop fermentation.

I added five 1/2t potassium sorbate and 1/4t potassium metabisulphite to stop fermentation.

Six days later, the stuff is still bubbling some and there's considerable foam/bubbles at the top of the mead.


Does this sound okay? I'm not sure where to go from here...

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[Yooper]

Hi all,

I'm making my first batch of mead - 5 gallons in a carboy.

I wanted to make a very sweet mead and used about 19 pounds of honey.

After about 5 weeks of fermentation, bubbling had slowed considerably and my SG was down to 1.03. Research told me that this is a good SG to stop fermentation.

I added five 1/2t potassium sorbate and 1/4t potassium metabisulphite to stop fermentation.

Six days later, the stuff is still bubbling some and there's considerable foam/bubbles at the top of the mead.


Does this sound okay? I'm not sure where to go from here...

Thanks in advance for your advice!

It's almost impossible to stop an active fermentation. Neither sorbate nor campden (sulfite) stop fermentation. Sorbate inhibits yeast reproduction, but since an active fermentation has plenty of yeast, it is ineffective at stopping fermentation.

Wait until fermentation stops, and the mead clears. Rack whenever you have lees 1/4" thick, or any lees in 60 days. After 60 days with no new lees in the bottom, you can use the sulfite and sorbate to stabilize and then sweeten to taste, or to the SG of 1.030 (which is definitely 'very' sweet if that's what you want). I'd go more by taste, since I'd find 1.030 like syrup and undrinkable, while others may love it. If you like it at, say, 1.024, sweeten it to there.

The thing is, sorbate does have a taste so you don't want to overdo it. But you will have to add more since the first 'dose' was added far to early to be effective.

 

[lilhill]

Thank you!