do you stir mead.

[Hunt]

I started a 3 gal batch of bochet mead on the 9 th of April. The starting sg was 1.123 there is still some activity in the airlock with about 1 bubble every 2 or 3 min. The st as of 4 days ago was 1.060 and as if today I can't see any change. Just wondering if I should give it a stir or add some more nutrient to get it moving again or just leave it be

 

[seth8530]

You should add aminno nitrogen to mead all the way up to the 2/3 sugar break (Not DAP the yeast wont use it that late in the ferment). I would also recommend you get it out of the carboy and into an open primary that way you can get some air into the must. If it was my mead I would not worry about getting it into a carboy until primary fermentation is nearly complete.
If you are not careful with a mead it will stall out on you and the lack of proper nutrients can lead to some funky flavours.

 

[Hunt]

This is my first large batch I have always done just honey mead in 1 gal batches with various outcomes. You talked about a sugar break. What do you mean by that. I'll get it out of the carboy tomorrow should I take the sediment with it or treat it like a racking and get it off the sediment

 

[byathread]

Sugar break means how much of the fermentation is complete (2/3 sugar break meaning 2/3 or 66% of fermentation complete). As mead is such a low nutrient must it is vital (particularly with high gravity musts) to follow good fermentation practices, such as daily aeration in the first 3-5 days as well as staggered nutrient addition.

 

[seth8530]

I would keep the sediment with it. It most likely has some yeastie beasties in thier so best not to leave them behind.

The 1/3 sugar break is 1/3 of the way through fermentation. So to give you an idea 1.123-1.00 is .123. Thus if you break that into three steps you would have your 1/3 sugar break after you had fermeted around .040 of your sugars thus at 1.083. The 2/3 break would be at roughly 1.043. If I recall correctly DAP is not much good way past the 1/3 sugar break.. However, from what I recall a product like fermaid O is good up to the 2/3 break.

Nutrient scheduling is of crucial importance when making meads since they are practically sugar water and have little nutrients of their own..

Give these two threads a read for some more info.


http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f86/got-off-phone-fermaid-people-38704/

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f86/yeast-nutrients-39655/

The top thread has more detailed information that will be very useful for mead making. However, the second thread is a nice quick and dirty one.

 

[Hunt]

I'm almost 20 says in without aeration or adding any nutrients. I'm I still good to add air and nutrients

 

[seth8530]

It is not the days in its the progress of the ferment. At 20 days in I would be seriously worried about a stalled fermentation. At this point I would get it into an open primary, get some air in it, and some nutrient and try and bring this ferment back to life.

 

[BernardSmith]

What was your yeast? Is it possible that it cannot ferment out the sugars in the honey?

 

[Hunt]

It was D47 yeast

 

[seth8530]

Yup, bad trouble in yeast land lol. Need to get this guy back to life since it appears you are well within the ABV tolerance.

 

[Hunt]

I still have some action so it's not totally stalled I think. I'm making a trip to the home brew store to get the chemicals I need

 

[SouthernChemist]

It sounds like the fermentation is struggling if not stalled. Adding yeast nutrients may work, but it's possible at this point that it won't be enough. You may be able to revive things with a viable yeast starter if that's the case. The only way to be sure that fermentation is still progressing is with a SG reading. What is the fermentation temperature?

 

[Hunt]

Steady at 75 degrees

 

[Hunt]

Was able to get fermax at the brew store. It was the best they had. Hope it's good enough

 

[SouthernChemist]

Steady at 75 degrees

D47 can produce higher alcohols above its recommended temperature range (59-68 according to Lalvin). Aging can alleviate this at least somewhat, though.

 

[Hunt]

I think it's officially stalled. Almost 24 hours after adding the nutrient there is no activity. And no SG change still at 1.060

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Get a pack of EC1118 or Premier Cuvee, make a starter, when it gets bubbling add an equal volume of your mead, let it eat some of that and then add another volume of your mead and after it bubbles that dump it into your mead and stir the snot out of it. Also, how much did you cook your honey, if you really really caramalized it some people think that there are sugars left that the yeast cant eat and leave the sg high. D47 at this high a temp not the best choice, its usually suggested for cooler lighter styles, a Bochet is big and meaty, a K1V1116 would also be a good choice. WVMJ

 

[Hunt]

I cooked the honey for 2 hours it's pretty dark.

 

[SouthernChemist]

I second the idea of making a starter. Caramelization could lead to unfermentable sugars, but I would expect that to give a final SG much lower than 1.060.

 

[Hunt]

The starter is going and bubbling away. I added the first portion of the stuck mead. How long am I supposed to wait before adding more.