Adding Tannin

[chevyguy65]

I've noticed some recipes call for Tannin and some do not. I'm talking about straight Mead,dry and sweet.Is one waybetter than the other?




We started our batch with a recipe that calls for it. 1/4 tsp per gallon.We started it with Lalvin D47 after stirring the heck out of it and after a day and a half @68* nothing yet.Should we pitch another pack of yeast or just give it more time? The expire date on the first one was 01/2009

 

[Waldo]

Might try bringing the must temp up just a bit chevy, perhaps a little energizer and a good stirring should get it going for you

 

[masta]

Can you post the recipe? If the yeast is good my first guess would be an pH issue due to the addition of acid to the makeup causing a problem.

 

[chevyguy65]

Heres the recipe: it was for 1 gallon but we adjusted it to make 4 gal



12lb s Honey-sweet clover
Water to make 4 gallons
4tsp Nutrient
1 tsp tannin
6tsp Tartaric
10 tsp Malic
2tsp Energizer
Lalvin D47
SG 1.095 starting


Im going to turn the heater on and bump it up to about 71-72*

 

[grapeman]

Bumping up the temperature should help Chevy, but the acid may be a bit much for the yeast. If you have the ability, check the pH and see what it is running. Honey can tend to be acidic even though it is sweet. It tends to run between 3.1 and 4.0. The acidity is what keeps the bacteria from growing in it. Then you added a bunch of acid with all that acid addition of tartaric and malic acids. If the pH is too low to get it going, try a yeast starter mix. If that doesn't work, you could add another 6 pounds of honey and another gallon and a half of water and turn it to a 6 gallon batch. First up, raise the temp and get the pH reading if you can. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[masta]

Sounds like way too much acid and I agree dilution is the best bet if you can't get it going. From all I have read it is best to never add any acid to a mead until fermentation is complete.

 

[Wade E]

Where did you get this recipe with all the malic acid. Not your typical recipe.
Edited by: wade

 

[chevyguy65]

It was from a recipe book at our LHB Store. very similar to the ones posted on this website under "recipes" and actually a little less acid than the recipe on here. I'll have to check it when i get home from work today. Mrs. Chevy is out shopping today so she cant check it for me.


Hope the batch can be saved.Nothing going as of last night when I turned up the heater in the "wine cellar" (aka= furnace room)

 

[Wade E]

Do you have a way of checking acid. I see the 1 on this forum's recipe and youre right. I always adjust with test kit and never just add it all in because Ive noticed way to many Type O's in recipe books and the fact that everything varies way to much.

 

[chevyguy65]

We checked theacid today and it was around .525% Temp is at 72-73* and now its bubbling away. I can sleep easier now....

Mrs chevy went to pick up some supplies for our test kit and came home with a whole new tester for us that works like a charm!!!!!!

 

[chevyguy65]

well I was wrong the bubbles were only sitting on the surface .After starting this batch on 12/05 its at a SG of 1.060. ive noticed some small white cottony(?) looking things forming on the surface Ive scooped them out before I stirred it but they come back after a few days.I added some nutrient pwdr and a 2nd pkg of yeast on 12/21 then added energizer on the 24th.It still seems to not show any signs of "active " fermentation but the Sg is slowly dropping and its starting to taste more on the fermented side than just sweet "juice".


Im wondering should I give up on this batch? After the "rotten egg smell"disaster on the Concord.Im ready to sit the bench for a few innings!!!!!

 

[Dean]

Let it go for a while longer. D47 is notorious for slow fermentations if your temp is not stable. I had ferementation take up to 8 weeks because my temp would drop at night to below 70F. Adding a brew belt helped, but once the yeast colony is small, it seems to stay small in a mead, and just take it's sweet time. Also, the acid additions still seem very high to me,and the D47 might be struggling with that too. Were you able to take a PH reading? You're PH might be low as honey is naturally low in PH, which is what keeps the bugs out of it.

As far as the cottony looking things, it almost sounds like flowers of wine, but that should form a whole skin on the top.

 

[chevyguy65]

well it looks like the Mead has finally finished fermenting. we shut down the heat in the "wine room" and letting it settle out for a while before we rack! that was a close one!!!!!!


We added some white raisins and then it kicked in bigtime. we left them out when we racked to secondary and I guess the act of racking added enough oxygen for it to start working like mad