Stuck Mead

[JS26]

Hi Everyone,
I've got around 150 batches under my belt of mostly beer and cider. Decided to make my fourth mead a couple months ago, and it seems to be stuck. I'll outline my process, perhaps someone can help me troubleshoot.

12/12/17 - Gravity 1.120
12# Raw, unfiltered Orange Blossom Honey
2.75 Gallons Poland Spring Water (not distilled)
2.5g Superfood Yeast Nutrient - 33% DAP
2 Packs D-47, rehydrated
12/14/17
2.5g Superfood Yeast Nutrient - 33% DAP
12/20/17
2.5g Superfood Yeast Nutrient - 33% DAP
1/13/18 - Gravity 1.170
2.5g Superfood Yeast Nutrient - 33% DAP
1/22/18 - Gravity 1.050
2/1/18 - Gravity 1.040 (Read some articles on stuck ferments....)
.33 tsp Magnesium Sulfate
3.6g Fermaid K
2/10/18 - Gravity 1.030
1 Pack UVAFerm 43 - Rehydrated
10g Go Ferm Protect
2/21/18 - Gravity 1.030

A few other details, fermentation temp started at 64F, and is now at 70F. I don't have a PH meter, and maybe that could be the issue. Would racking into another carboy or onto some fruit get things started? I'm all ears if anyone has any opinions.

Thanks,
John

 

[CKuhns]

D47 has been known to lag or stall near 1.030 + - a bit. Fermaid K / DAP probably did not help i have read that Fermaid K does not help when you are above 9%, I would suggest the following. - Check the pH and raise it to near 3.5 using Sodium Bicarbonate. Raise the temp a few Deg F (But your already pretty warm), Racking I have found sometimes jump starts things. Not sure why, but it sometimes does.

If that does not work, start EC 1118 in a Must with a slightly higher gravity to what you are at now and let the starter go for 24+ hours before pitching. Then rack off the current Lees and pitch the 1118.

I have limited experience with Fermaid O but have read it could help kick start things. Would need someone else to weigh in.

Explanation - pH drops during fermentation a healthy pH is 3.5 to 4.5 and at this spot in the process anything more than 3.5 IMO is not necessary. EC 1118 is a beast and if started will produce Billions of healthy yeast and will likely out compete the D47 and take over.

 

[Shine0n]

May have reached the limit of the D47 already?
PH 3.5 is lower than I'd keep mine, usually 4.0-4.5 is where I end up although my fermentation has ended within a month.
2 weeks primary, 2 weeks 2ndary, rack once more and leave 3 months.

I use fermaid o but never below half the abv, every other day for 6 days and she's good.

Adding now may leave off flavors IMHO

 

[JS26]

Thanks very much to both of you for the replies, very helpful information. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[madscientist451]

With 12 lbs of honey and 2.75 gallons of water, I'd say its done. Adding an acidic fruit like blueberry or raspberry or currants would balance the residual sugar.
You could start another base mead now and get a second run out of the fruit once you rack the first mead off of it.

 

[JS26]

With 12 lbs of honey and 2.75 gallons of water, I'd say its done.

Thanks for the reply. Why is this?

 

[Shine0n]

As it sits now you're at 11.79% ABV, that's a good level for a wine although it could go higher doesn't mean you should press for it.
It does depend on the sweetness/dryness your after, right now you're borderline desert wine level of sweetness, if you want a dryer mead maybe you could start a new ferment and go dry then blend the two.

Make a lower OG mead say 1.090, ferment to dryness at 1-1.005 with the same honey, same yeast, temps, nutes and you can balance out the sweetness and dryness of each other and have twice the mead

 

[madscientist451]

Thanks for the reply. Why is this?

Usually 12 lbs of honey is used for a 5-6 gallon batch, your batch size is 2.75 gallons?
I just re-read your post and noticed you added more yeast, I don't know why that hasn't kicked off yet, but the UVA ferm 43 is known to have a lag time.
You could wait and see if anything happens, add water to reduce the alcohol level and give the new yeast a better chance, or take some other steps to balance the residual sugar. Or leave it like it is, make another mead and blend it. A final gravity of 1.030 isn't all that high if you're making a flavored mead and have an ABV around 12%.

 

[JS26]

Just an update on this, the mead never budged so I decided to add 5 pounds of raspberries on 4/24 and see what happened. The gravity remained basically unchanged (1.025, I assume from the water of the raspberries) but it now tastes fantastic and I'm going to bottle it in the next day or two.

 

[Ogroat]

It’s too late now, but for future purposes - I’ve had luck with adding heat to a stuck batch that I couldn’t unstick. I put the carboy on a heat pad and it picked up and slowly fermented for another month or so and dropped very clear as soon as it was done.

 

[RPh_Guy]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
Use this and switch it to the "alternate" equation which is supposedly more accurate than the old fashioned equation frequently used.
It shows ABV at 13.6% ...
Listed tolerance of D47 is 14%.

 

[JS26]

Interesting, thanks for that. I've used that site, but never the alternate equation. Definitely something to think about on my high gravity brews.