Mead

[TartanSpecial]

Should I ??

all the Americans seem to be doing sequential nutrient additions for their meads, so probably worth a go and not do any harm. I've just added 4gramms of fermaid k to a 19ltr batch of pyment (grape/honey) on day 2 and will add another 4 grams in 3 days time.

 

[TartanSpecial]

On Temperatures...this pyment I've got going 8lbs Spanish orange blossom honey, 10ltrs Welch's purple grape juice, made up to 19ltrs...OG 1.094 , added 6 grams potassium carbonate, 10g Lalvin 71B 1122 hydrated in 170ml water with 12.5 grams go-ferm. Its really taken off. Temp inside fermenter is over 25C in a room at 20 C. If I was making beer I'd not be happy but with this yeast it should be OK.

https://youtu.be/77OIg1z8fwo

 

[Cqr]

Is fermaid k better than the youngs one

 

[Cqr]

That looks a nice fermenter :thumb:

 

[TartanSpecial]

I don't know...its a mix of DAP and yeast huls and other stuff...I only use it because the american mead makers seem to like it. I see Youngs make a range of nutrients, may be some of them are similar to fermaidk ...I don;t know. I just wanted to use something that was more than just DAP, and hop & grape stocked it.

 

[TartanSpecial]

That looks a nice fermenter :thumb:

thanks... brewtech 7us gal chronicle stainless conical thing...use it mainly for beer but am trying to get experience making mead...so slotting in a couple of mead brews during my brewing season. I get good results with it....and being able to see the temp inside is useful esp when doing beer with yeast strains that don't like it much above 20c.

 

[Cqr]

thanks... brewtech 7us gal chronicle stainless conical thing...use it mainly for beer but am trying to get experience making mead...so slotting in a couple of mead brews during my brewing season. I get good results with it....and being able to see the temp inside is useful esp when doing beer with yeast strains that don't like it much above 20c.

Think I need to hint at next years Christmas prezy from the wife :whistle:

 

[TartanSpecial]

I've just added 4gramms of fermaid k to a 19ltr batch of pyment (grape/honey) on day 2 and will add another 4 grams in 3 days time.

Never got to add the last lot of nutrients since fermentation was complete by end of day 5....quite surprising 1.094 to 0.998 in 5 days but that's why I like the conical fermenter, things seem to ferment consistently quickly.

 

[TartanSpecial]

racked the pyment today...day 7 in primary...finished fermenting end day 5. Its a smaller batch than last time so didn't fill my 20ltr carboy....so used a CO2 bulb and the injector from my pressure barrel to inject a load of CO2 into the airspace to try to minimise oxidation risk. Seemed to work OK...the airspace filled with a mist as the bulb released its contents (assume temporary freezing of moisture in the air), then mist gradually disappeared. Hopefully CO2 will form a barrier layer on top of the fermented must.

 

[Cqr]

Opps
Think I have to much sugar
Do I pitch the yeast ???

Just did a reading, tastes very strong and sweet , bubbling very slowly
This started out over 1150 off the scale :whistle:
Should I feed or add champagne yeast
Opinions please

 

[TartanSpecial]

H'mmm...with such a high starting gravity that might be it....Ken Schram's mead book has a recipe for sweet show mead with starting gravity 1.120-1.135 using lalvin D47, and he quotes the expected final gravity at 1.025, so your 1.150+ starting gravity might finish at 1.038 like you've got.
If you want you could try adding a bit nutrient plus champagne yeast so see if you can get it a little lower but I've never had much success restarting fermentation this complete.
Alternatively you could keep this as is, and make another batch of drier mead with less honey (eg 1.2-1.5kg for 5 ltrs) and blend the two before bottling ?? just a thought

 

[brumbrew]

Blending is always fun because you have to taste it ;-)

 

[Cqr]

If I have my calculations right I have 15.62 abv at the moment
I'am going to try champagne yeast tomorrow
Then blend with a new batch I will make
Any yeast recommendations please
Here's a silly question
I'am going to do a second cyser especially to mix with this one
Any ideas off a recipe for this please

 

[NCFCcrazy]

H'mmm...with such a high starting gravity that might be it....Ken Schram's mead book has a recipe for sweet show mead with starting gravity 1.120-1.135 using lalvin D47, and he quotes the expected final gravity at 1.025, so your 1.150+ starting gravity might finish at 1.038 like you've got.
If you want you could try adding a bit nutrient plus champagne yeast so see if you can get it a little lower but I've never had much success restarting fermentation this complete.
Alternatively you could keep this as is, and make another batch of drier mead with less honey (eg 1.2-1.5kg for 5 ltrs) and blend the two before bottling ?? just a thought

I had a similar issue with my mead, just stopped around 1030. Took several attempts to restart, had to draw some off, add additional sugar and then added yeast. Kept on airing cupboard overnight so it was going well, then added. It's going again, but slowly.

 

[TartanSpecial]

Any yeast recommendations please
Here's a silly question
I'am going to do a second cyser especially to mix with this one
Any ideas off a recipe for this please

could try lalvin ec 1118 .
If you want to blend with a drier cyser instead of the 1.2-1.5 kg honey in 5ltrs water you could take 4.5 ltrs apple juice and add 2 * 340gram jars of honey to that. +nutrient plus tea tannin maybe. That should give and OG around 1.065 and if fermented out completely (0.985) end up around 10.5% abv. That might be OK for blending.

 

[Cqr]

could try lalvin ec 1118 .
If you want to blend with a drier cyser instead of the 1.2-1.5 kg honey in 5ltrs water you could take 4.5 ltrs apple juice and add 2 * 340gram jars of honey to that. +nutrient plus tea tannin maybe. That should give and OG around 1.065 and if fermented out completely (0.985) end up around 10.5% abv. That might be OK for blending.

Thank you so much :thumb:
To be honest it tastes great but to sweet

 

[Cqr]

I just poor a packet of gv4 on top and it started bubbling within minutes
Hope it keeps going

 

[brumbrew]

Slightly off topic but I saw this in a charity shop and thought it would be good for mead.

And only 2.50!

 

[Cqr]

I e got it down to 1035 so far tastes so so nice
Strong and sweet
I gave the trub one more stir going to bottle when it settles if it does not start up again

 

[TartanSpecial]

thats probably it... glad it tastes good.