Taste of my mead

[zeroblank57]

This is my first time ever trying to make mead (or really anything for that matter). I used about 3 pounds of honey for a gallon since I read that would make a sweet mead which is what I want.

I switched it to the glass bottle and it's been sitting in there for about a month and a half to two months. Being curious I took a small sample and it tasted like really sweet honey water. Is this normal? Did I mess up somewhere?

I didn't keep track of the hydrometer readings so I don't know much about that. I was also curious if it had any alcohol content or not. Thanks for the help!!

 

[Mikael]

did it bubble at all? did you use an airlock? was there a time when it stopped bubbling and there was sediment on the bottom?? has it cleared at all since you began it? and as for any alcohol flavor, can you detect any alcohol? if you are unsure you can still get a hydrometer and try to get a readfing and see what it says

 

[fatbloke]

So you didn't keep a record of test reading ? Ok, a bit of an error there.

Just take a reading now then. That should give you some idea whether it fermented or not...

3lb in a gallon will give a gravity of something like 1.090 plus.....

If its still very high, then you can always take a pint of must, whizz it in a sanitised liquidiser, then add it back and sprinkle a pack of K1V-1116 on it (better still, rehydrate it as per the pack instructions)

 

[zeroblank57]

did it bubble at all? did you use an airlock? was there a time when it stopped bubbling and there was sediment on the bottom?? has it cleared at all since you began it? and as for any alcohol flavor, can you detect any alcohol? if you are unsure you can still get a hydrometer and try to get a readfing and see what it says

Yes it bubbled at the start. I used an airlock. Yes there was sediment on the bottom. It has cleared a bit. I can't detect any alcohol. Last time I checked a hydrometer (a few days ago) it was at about 1.060

 

[zeroblank57]

So you didn't keep a record of test reading ? Ok, a bit of an error there.

Just take a reading now then. That should give you some idea whether it fermented or not...

3lb in a gallon will give a gravity of something like 1.090 plus.....

If its still very high, then you can always take a pint of must, whizz it in a sanitised liquidiser, then add it back and sprinkle a pack of K1V-1116 on it (better still, rehydrate it as per the pack instructions)

Yeah, when I started the people I bought the supplies from didn't tell me it was important to keep track. It wasn't until I did a bit more research online that I found the importance.

So you're saying make a small amount of must and mix it together with what I have? And must is the honey/water/yeast/nutrient mixture right? Again still really new to this. Thanks to both of you so far!

 

[Mikael]

the BEST way to get it fermenting is by getting a yeast starter going, dont just pour the yeast in...i have a link for a GREAT yeast starter the first time i tried it it wroked fantastically and it has NEVER steered me wrong ever since..i ALWAYS use this.......first thign you do is make your honey and water mixture *this is before any nutirents are added* then follow this simple starter.....

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=44888&postcount=29



that will get it going within a few short hours : D

 

[fatbloke]

I'd suggest that the ferment has stuck.

There's some good guidance for restarting stuck ferments out there, or you can take a half pint of the ferment, mix it with the same volume of water, use that as the liquid to rehydrate the yeast, while the yeast is doing its thing, either aerate the ferment with a spoon or you can blitz a pint of it with a sanitised liquidiser, then add it back to the main part of the ferment and then stir in the rehydrate yeast.

once the ferment is bubbling again, boil 2 teaspoon of bread yeast in a quarter pint of water, then let it cool and then mix it into the ferment. That should do for nutrient.

I'd still use K1V-1116 as the yeast to do the restart.

 

[Mikael]

the lalvin EC-1118 is also a great restarter, thats what i use hasn't failed once. Pretty much, there are a variety of ways to get it going, many ways are good, none are gospel though, to each their own and variety is the spice of life, thats what makes everyone and everything so unique! you work with whats best! hope you get it unstuck, bud! CHEERS!!!

Mikael

p.s.- fatbloke...LOVE your av hahah those comics are GREAT!!!!!

 

[zeroblank57]

Thanks for the tips. Broke till next pay day (late tihs week early next week) but when I get money I'll try that out. Hopefully I can avoid this all next time! Haha

 

[fatbloke]

Thanks for the tips. Broke till next pay day (late tihs week early next week) but when I get money I'll try that out. Hopefully I can avoid this all next time! Haha

Mikael is right about EC-1118 being a good restart yeast, but with meads it seems to blow too much of the aromatics (and probably some of the flavour elements) straight out the airlock. Leaving a very dry mead with too many of the qualities of a flat champagne.

Of course, some might like that. I don't. Hence my suggestion of K1V-1116. Which leaves a young mead, a little rough tasting, but it seems to age brilliantly, plus its a low maintenance yeast.

My first choice for traditional meads is Lalvins D21, but second is the K1V. If it wasn't a stuck ferment, I'd have suggested 71B as its better, quicker. If you compare 2 identical batches (except for the yeast), the 71B is drinkable sooner, but if you give them 6 to 12 months to age the K1V, is IMO, much better.

regards

fatbloke