jerjones99
Junior
A few days ago I started a 3 gallon batch of mead with 5 lbs of honey… should I add more?
First batch of mead
- Thread starter jerjones99
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A three gallon batch of mead might have six to 7.5 pounds of honey and water added to make the target volume. You aren’t too bad at five pounds. On my part if I made the batch fit the target carboy I would stay where it fit rather than having a 3.69 gallon volume.
Our normal starting point is based on the gravity. Yeast will stop fermenting/ die if the osmophilic potential is too high (concentration of sugar). Yeast like below 1.100 specific gravity. Have you measured gravity? There is some variation in moisture content in honey so you don’t know where you are unless you measure.
What finished alcohol do you want? Normal for a high alcohol is to step feed. Yeast need some extra oxygen and nitrogen along with sugars to produce high ABV.
Our normal starting point is based on the gravity. Yeast will stop fermenting/ die if the osmophilic potential is too high (concentration of sugar). Yeast like below 1.100 specific gravity. Have you measured gravity? There is some variation in moisture content in honey so you don’t know where you are unless you measure.
What finished alcohol do you want? Normal for a high alcohol is to step feed. Yeast need some extra oxygen and nitrogen along with sugars to produce high ABV.
jerjones99
Junior
I was in a rush and didn’t measure original gravity unfortunately. I guess I could do that today although it’s been fermenting about two days. Didn’t add any nutrients either, just a handful of raisins. Last time I used fermaid k for some wine it left a nasty taste. Was aiming for around 12% alcohol or somewhere close to that. Using champagne yeast.
SDO
Junior
Can you update us on your decision to add raisins for nutrients, how did that work out? Did you SNA with FermK/O and/or DAP
and if so what intervals and how much? What did the mead taste like in the end, and also after bottling, aging? Any left, photos?
Hope you had fun and learned, every batch for me is a learning experience...
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Original Reply [LONG winded]: You can back sweeten after stabilization, or during fermentation with SNA to continue to your target ABV (adjusted in this case?).
Most important thing is feed the monkeys as I call it, let them do their work, remember you are just building a community of billions
of yeast cells that eat, shit/piss and are happy (or not) which in turn do what you want them to do (impart by product flavors and ABV)
so the mead is drinkable, enjoyable, and maybe repeatable. Take notes, learn from mistakes, and of course have fun. Remember
its homebrewing, have one and smile.
and if so what intervals and how much? What did the mead taste like in the end, and also after bottling, aging? Any left, photos?
Hope you had fun and learned, every batch for me is a learning experience...
=========================================
Original Reply [LONG winded]: You can back sweeten after stabilization, or during fermentation with SNA to continue to your target ABV (adjusted in this case?).
Most important thing is feed the monkeys as I call it, let them do their work, remember you are just building a community of billions
of yeast cells that eat, shit/piss and are happy (or not) which in turn do what you want them to do (impart by product flavors and ABV)
so the mead is drinkable, enjoyable, and maybe repeatable. Take notes, learn from mistakes, and of course have fun. Remember
its homebrewing, have one and smile.
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