Too late to add DAP+energizer?

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DaveVanO

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New to meadmaking, I currently have 3 gallons of mead being made (all started on Friday, 1/11/13)
I have two JQGM's and one JAOM.
Before i even started brewing, I purchased some yeast energizer and nutrients. I dont plan on adding anything to the JAOM.

Is it too late to add nutrients/energizer to the JQGM's?
Here is the recipe. This is one recipe. and used 2 different welch's
2lbs clover honey
64oz Welch's grape juice/64oz welch's white cherry concorde
Lalvin EC-1118


Being that i made it on Friday, is it too late? or when is the best time to add some energizer/nutrients? I didnt take any gravity measurements because they are 1gallon batches and didnt have my hydrometer yet.
 
Or should I just not worry about it? Both JQGM's are bubbling away without an issue. My JAOM was bubbling, but nothing is happening now.
And if it isnt too late. what/how much should i add?
I bought just the normal DAP and energizer (tan powder) from my LHBS
 
Or should I just not worry about it? Both JQGM's are bubbling away without an issue. My JAOM was bubbling, but nothing is happening now.
And if it isnt too late. what/how much should i add?
I bought just the normal DAP and energizer (tan powder) from my LHBS

Use of nutrient and energizer is an individual choice. Many people look at the ingredients in their must and decide if supplementation is necessary. Energizer and nutrient are different in their makeup and application.

Nice article by Northern Brewer-- http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/2010/04/nutrient-vs-energizer-which-should-i-use-and-when/


Perhaps visit the glossary section at http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/. ..Sara
 
how would I tell if nutrients and supplementation is necessary? Im new, so just tryin to figure this out. Thanks
 
By it's self honey is pretty nutrient barren. Fruit juices are much better. You have grape juice in your brew so it isn't really a necessity. I'm a fan of nutrients, so I'd pitch them anyway. You don't have to, but IMO you get a cleaner ferment with them. That means less aging time is necessary for the brew to taste good. You also decrease the probability of getting a stuck ferment if the yeast are in better health.

In any event, it will still be mead. It will still taste good, it will just need more time in the bottle if the yeast is stressed.

And, as always, have nice day. :mug:
 
ah ok, would 72 hours after pitching the yeast hurt a ferment if i added the nutrients? Im gonna hold off on the energizer until I do different meads that call for it. And should I just add the recommended dosage on the package?

Thanks and you have a great day also:ban:
 
ah ok, would 72 hours after pitching the yeast hurt a ferment if i added the nutrients? Im gonna hold off on the energizer until I do different meads that call for it. And should I just add the recommended dosage on the package?

Thanks and you have a great day also:ban:
To the first question, no adding the nutrients at this point won't hurt anything. To the second, yes. Since you do have some juice, the standard dosages should be more then adequate.

Let's see if my wine clouded mind can do some approximation here. Typically, a normal packaged juice has a gravity of about 1.050. The juice was diluted in a solution of honey and water. 5 lbs of honey is usually enough to get 2 gallons of liquid to a gravity of 1.100. So, it's typically 40 gravity points per lb. That should give you an approximate gravity of 1.035. If the whole batch ferments dry, you would have a abv of 4.7%. All of that assumes typical numbers for both the juice and the honey. The gravity of honey isn't all that consistent, so this could be wrong.

1 standard dosage of nutrients from the package instructions is usually about right for a nutrient poor solution, both energizer and nutrient, up to an abv target of 5%. Since you have 1/6th the volume of the liquid in nutrient baring juice, 1 standard addition should be just about perfect. You'll have a few extra nutrients in the solution, but not enough for you to get really excessively active fermentation.

The yeast you chose is alcohol tolerant up to 18% as well. So, no problem there either.

Happy Brewing!
 
To the first question, no adding the nutrients at this point won't hurt anything. To the second, yes. Since you do have some juice, the standard dosages should be more then adequate.

Let's see if my wine clouded mind can do some approximation here. Typically, a normal packaged juice has a gravity of about 1.050. The juice was diluted in a solution of honey and water. 5 lbs of honey is usually enough to get 2 gallons of liquid to a gravity of 1.100. So, it's typically 40 gravity points per lb. That should give you an approximate gravity of 1.035. If the whole batch ferments dry, you would have a abv of 4.7%. All of that assumes typical numbers for both the juice and the honey. The gravity of honey isn't all that consistent, so this could be wrong.

1 standard dosage of nutrients from the package instructions is usually about right for a nutrient poor solution, both energizer and nutrient, up to an abv target of 5%. Since you have 1/6th the volume of the liquid in nutrient baring juice, 1 standard addition should be just about perfect. You'll have a few extra nutrients in the solution, but not enough for you to get really excessively active fermentation.

The yeast you chose is alcohol tolerant up to 18% as well. So, no problem there either.

Happy Brewing!

WOW thanks for all the information. This forum is probably the best place someone that is new should come to for information and help.
I am going to add the nutrients now and try to mix them in somehow so make sure they dont just sit on top of my mead.
Cheers :mug:
 
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