Yeast is slooow

[joshyG]

My 14 lbs of honey are sitting in 5.7 gallons of water at 70*. I pitched D47 yeast and added raisins. It’s been 2.5 weeks and the bubbles are going every 20 seconds... it’s never gotten aggressive at all. But it is bubbling so something is happening.

I don’t want to pull gravity for fear of introducing oxygen, or having the yeast go aerobic.

I wonder if I should test the gravity anyway to see where were at. Otherwise waiting longer and hope for the best.

Also I’ve read this yeast takes forever anyway so I’m not sure. My guy says dont worry about it, and let it ride.

What do you think?

Josh

 

[JimRausch]

Raisins aren't a very good yeast nutrient. I would suggest going to your LHBS and picking up some nutrient. Add a tsp and she'll probably pick up.
By the way, don't be scared of taking a sample for an SG reading. Otherwise how are you going to tell where you are?
If you're really worried about introducing O2, then do as I do: Snake a thin tubing down the airlock hole and withdraw what you need using a 35-60ccc syringe.

 

[Yooper]

Mead needs oxygen at the beginning- you can stir two, three times per day in primary to get rid of the c02 (which is poisonous to yeast) and bring in oxygen.

I'd check the SG right away. If it's over, say, 1.030, I'd stir the heck out of it (start slowly or it may volcano on you). You should also consider nutrients, although it's a bit late now to start on those as they are normally added at intervals from the beginning, stopping at about 1.030.

A well made mead should be at FG within two weeks- if it's slow, it's a fermentation issue with not enough nutrients or oxygen, or too much c02, not enough yeast, too cool fermentation temperature, etc. Those are all easily fixed.

 

[Seamonkey84]

Check the gravity, bubbles don’t mean much once fermentation begins. The bubbles could just be the CO2 coming out of solution, it’s basically a carbonated drink until it’s degassed, either manually or through aging.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Hopefully your honey is dissolved in the water. Also, it's only been 2.5 weeks, mead takes time, think in terms of months, not weeks. Also, raisins aren't really sufficient nutrients in mead, I'd give it a gentle stir & add a dose of yeast nutrient, and DAP, if the nutrient doesn't have any in it. Add the powdered yeast nutrient to a little boiled & cooled water, maybe a 1/4 cup, then pour that into your mead & give it a GENTLE stir. Adding dry powder directly to an active ferment can cause CO2 to suddenly come out of suspension, causing it to foam up VERY quickly & make a big, sticky mess; that's why you add powders to boiled & cooled water before adding them to the mead must.

D47 will often generate fusels at temps higher than 65*F, you can avoid this by providing good yeast nutrition & fermenting at lower temps. FYI: Actual fementation temps can be as much as 10*F higher than those stick on thermometer tapes indicate. Active fermentation generates it's own heat. If you do get some fusels, they'll usually age out, it just takes longer.
Regards, GF.

 

[joshyG]

Hopefully your honey is dissolved in the water. Also, it's only been 2.5 weeks, mead takes time, think in terms of months, not weeks. Also, raisins aren't really sufficient nutrients in mead, I'd give it a gentle stir & add a dose of yeast nutrient, and DAP, if the nutrient doesn't have any in it. Add the powdered yeast nutrient to a little boiled & cooled water, maybe a 1/4 cup, then pour that into your mead & give it a GENTLE stir. Adding dry powder directly to an active ferment can cause CO2 to suddenly come out of suspension, causing it to foam up VERY quickly & make a big, sticky mess; that's why you add powders to boiled & cooled water before adding them to the mead must.

D47 will often generate fusels at temps higher than 65*F, you can avoid this by providing good yeast nutrition & fermenting at lower temps. FYI: Actual fementation temps can be as much as 10*F higher than those stick on thermometer tapes indicate. Active fermentation generates it's own heat. If you do get some fusels, they'll usually age out, it just takes longer.
Regards, GF.

So I checked gravity...

It was1.09! The thing barely fermented.

I added more d47 and a half packet Lavin k1-v1116 for good measure. Activated it first

 

[joshyG]

Hopefully your honey is dissolved in the water. Also, it's only been 2.5 weeks, mead takes time, think in terms of months, not weeks. Also, raisins aren't really sufficient nutrients in mead, I'd give it a gentle stir & add a dose of yeast nutrient, and DAP, if the nutrient doesn't have any in it. Add the powdered yeast nutrient to a little boiled & cooled water, maybe a 1/4 cup, then pour that into your mead & give it a GENTLE stir. Adding dry powder directly to an active ferment can cause CO2 to suddenly come out of suspension, causing it to foam up VERY quickly & make a big, sticky mess; that's why you add powders to boiled & cooled water before adding them to the mead must.

D47 will often generate fusels at temps higher than 65*F, you can avoid this by providing good yeast nutrition & fermenting at lower temps. FYI: Actual fementation temps can be as much as 10*F higher than those stick on thermometer tapes indicate. Active fermentation generates it's own heat. If you do get some fusels, they'll usually age out, it just takes longer.
Regards, GF.

Also I’m getting the nutrients

 

[Seamonkey84]

Degas it first, give it a gentle stir at first to get the fizzing started. The nutrients should get the process going. Which type of nutrients did you get?

 

[joshyG]

Degas it first, give it a gentle stir at first to get the fizzing started. The nutrients should get the process going. Which type of nutrients did you get?

I got Brerwraft Thiamin, vitamin b complex. Im going to add a new packet of D47 too. one that wasnt shipped from amazon and sitting out in the hot sun. . .

 

[Seamonkey84]

Not familiar with that nutrients, but if it’s made for wine, you’ll want to at least double or triple the dose, or add the recommended amount at each feeding if your staggering it. Wine nutrients are designed for grapes, which contain a lot of nutrients already, while honey provides none.

 

[joshyG]

Not familiar with that nutrients, but if it’s made for wine, you’ll want to at least double or triple the dose, or add the recommended amount at each feeding if your staggering it. Wine nutrients are designed for grapes, which contain a lot of nutrients already, while honey provides none.

When I added it in the top of the carboy was fizzing... I think it’s a good sign

 

[6Tap]

FYI
They like to listen to country music!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I got Brerwraft Thiamin, vitamin b complex. Im going to add a new packet of D47 too. one that wasnt shipped from amazon and sitting out in the hot sun. . .

Why do you keep adding yeast? One 5g packet is good for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[JimRausch]

mead takes time, think in terms of months, not weeks.

All the meads I've done ( OK it's only been 4 in the past 2 years, so I'm no expert) have taken about a week or maybe 2 at the most to reach FG. They have been 1G batches, but volume shouldn't make that much of a difference. I do add both Wyeast nutrient and LD Carlson Yeast energizer at pitch and again 2 days in. And pitch an entire yeast packet in a 1G batch.
Then, of course, they sit for 3-4 months with several rackings in order to clear before bottling.

 

[joshyG]

Here we have it! It's about 13%, ended just around 1. I added 8oz toasted coacao nibs and wow the flavor is amazing and sweet.

The cinnamon sticks I added and vinella extract arent really present...but that's okay.

Bottling the rest this week.

And yesterday picked up another 12 lbs wildflower local Orange county honey!

Anyone ever do a beer wine with grains? I wonder using a wine yeast or beer yeast. Or if that would even be good...