triple scale

[choctaw]

I'm trying to understand what I'm reading I brewed mead that started with to much honey and got double yeast the pics are start and finish readings

 

[RM-MN]

Just above the zero on most Triple scale hydrometers there will be a small word, "beer". Use that scale for beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

...Use that scale for beer.

also for mead, wine, etc.

It's the Specific Gravity scale (SG).
The scale actually starts with 1.000 which is the reading for just plain (distilled) water, with no sugar content.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm trying to understand what I'm reading I brewed mead that started with to much honey and got double yeast the pics are start and finish readings

Your pix aren't showing.

 

[choctaw]

I tried again on the pics

 

[deadwolfbones]

You appear to have a beverage that could kill a man.

 

[Andrew7447]

OMG is that like 2.020 lol?

 

[chickypad]

Jeepers, that first one is post fermentation? The line looks about where the 36 brix marker would be, or 1.154 on my triple scale. The second one I assume is pre-fermentation, it looks like it's just suspended in honey

 

[Qhrumphf]

That, uh, is floating right? Looks like it's just resting on the bottom of a glass.

 

[choctaw]

it turned out real sweet had to cut it with vodka to enjoy it I let it brew for 8 weeks with double the normal yeast, can anyone hazard a guess at the alcohol content. yes it is floating

 

[RM-MN]

it turned out real sweet had to cut it with vodka to enjoy it I let it brew for 8 weeks with double the normal yeast, can anyone hazard a guess at the alcohol content. yes it is floating

The alcohol content is controlled by the tolerance of the yeast. It looks like you had too much honey and the alcohol produced by the yeast finally poisoned the yeast so it died without fermenting the rest of the sugars.

Look at the yeast you used and consult the web page of the manufacturer. They usually list the tolerance of the yeast. Given the right conditions the yeast may be able to exceed this tolerance but by only a small amount.

 

[chickypad]

This would be a total estimate but gauging from the picture, if the scale stays linear, it looks like it's floating about 45 gravity pts below the 1.170 mark. So 1.215 ish starting OG? If it fermented to around 1.154, using the brewer's friend calculator for higher gravities that gives about 9.33% ABV. Mead yeasts would usually go higher than that but given that extreme starting gravity not surprised that it wouldn't get very far.

Edit: correction the Brix of 36 is about 1.158 to finish, and the ABV using the higher gravity calculator looks like around 11.29%. So in range of tolerance for a sweet mead yeast.

 

[balrog]

Kinda late but have to ask, does the hydrometer read 1.000 in water? Perhaps the paper inside has slipped? Otherwise I have to agree with @chickypad , if only because of the cool avatar of the bottle opener used.

 

[choctaw]

the hydrometer is good I checked to make sure I'm a complete rookie at this but I'm still alive so it can't be all bad I'm using lalvin d47 is there a better yeast?

 

[chickypad]

It's not the yeast, it's the super high gravity. How much honey did you use in what volume anyway? A typical mead would be something like 2-4 lb honey per gallon.

 

[choctaw]

6 cups honey 1 gal water. I realized after that I only needed 4 cups of honey I have some brewing now I will need to buy more yeast before the next batch that's why I asked about the yeast I'm shooting for a high alcohol and sweet