Using the search tool, I read a lot of info here before posting this. But posting anyway to see if anyone can help advise me on my specific mead.
The mead in question was made 13 days ago.
Popped the top today to check to SG and smelled a bit of sulfur smell. Not crazy strong, but definitely present. Took a very small sample and the gravity was .998, down from 1.112. Tasting the sample and swirling in the glass, I didn't pick up any sulfur that I could detect through the mead's aroma at this early stage. The mead seems to have a lot of yeast still in suspension as it looked almost milky.
The recipe for the mead was:
15.87 pounds of acacia honey.
Enough water to reach 5 gallons total approx.
8 grams of Lalvin QA23, rehydrated with 12 grams of Go Ferm.
Pitched at 68, fermented from 68-70F.
3 minutes of pure O2 was used at pitching.
12 hours after pitching, 4.5 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K were added. Stirred vigorously and 3 min. of O2 added again.
When gravity reached 1.096(24 hours after pitching), added 2.8 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K.
When gravity reached 1.070(60 hours after pitching), added 1.8 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K.
36 hours after pitching, added 5 grams of potassium carbonate. I don't trust the litmus papers I have (yeah, I know, buy a pH meter). They're from MoreWine.com. But, these are the readings I had from them:
Must before fermenting: 6.0.
12 hours after pitching: 3.0 (but that's the minimum with these papers).
24 hours after pitching: same, 3.0.
36 hours after pitching, before adding 5 grams of potassium carbonate: 3.5-3.6.
40 hours after pitching, 3.0 again.
60 hours after pitching, 3.0 again.
13 days after pitching, still 3.0.
Initial water had 386 ppm bicarbonate.
So, long thread, sorry, but wanted to post all of the facts. Given that I don't really trust these papers and don't have the money for a pH meter at the moment, should I have used more potassium carbonate? Could that low pH be what caused the hydrogen sulfide? That yeast is listed as throwing off low levels of hydrogen sulfide with proper nutrients. Don't think I underdid the nutrients. Also, I was heavily degassing the must by stirring strongly with a drill attachment up to 1/3 sugar break.
Another question: Is 8 grams of yeast enough? I'm used to pitching much larger amounts of yeast in beer brewing. Would the yeast have been less stressed if I pitched 2 packets, 16 grams total?
For now, what should I do? I don't want to use copper. From what I read, I think it was Wayne that said that removing the mead from the lees can help as they may still be throwing sulfur. So, perhaps I should rack? I'm not fond of the idea of splash racking because of oxidation, so I was thinking of just regular racking to remove from the lees.
We head to the sea mid week next week. So, I was thinking of doing that: racking, then just leaving it until we return home ten days later and see if it's gone. Like I said, it's not crazy strong, so I don't wanna take drastic actions. I saw Medsen recommending yeast hulls. Is that a good idea for this stage? I don't have yeast hulls, but I do have some dry yeast of various sorts. Would just boiling it to kill it and adding that be like adding yeast hulls?
Anyway, advice would be appreciated.
Cheers. (p.s., I'm a patron now, see?!)
The mead in question was made 13 days ago.
Popped the top today to check to SG and smelled a bit of sulfur smell. Not crazy strong, but definitely present. Took a very small sample and the gravity was .998, down from 1.112. Tasting the sample and swirling in the glass, I didn't pick up any sulfur that I could detect through the mead's aroma at this early stage. The mead seems to have a lot of yeast still in suspension as it looked almost milky.
The recipe for the mead was:
15.87 pounds of acacia honey.
Enough water to reach 5 gallons total approx.
8 grams of Lalvin QA23, rehydrated with 12 grams of Go Ferm.
Pitched at 68, fermented from 68-70F.
3 minutes of pure O2 was used at pitching.
12 hours after pitching, 4.5 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K were added. Stirred vigorously and 3 min. of O2 added again.
When gravity reached 1.096(24 hours after pitching), added 2.8 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K.
When gravity reached 1.070(60 hours after pitching), added 1.8 grams each of DAP and Fermaid K.
36 hours after pitching, added 5 grams of potassium carbonate. I don't trust the litmus papers I have (yeah, I know, buy a pH meter). They're from MoreWine.com. But, these are the readings I had from them:
Must before fermenting: 6.0.
12 hours after pitching: 3.0 (but that's the minimum with these papers).
24 hours after pitching: same, 3.0.
36 hours after pitching, before adding 5 grams of potassium carbonate: 3.5-3.6.
40 hours after pitching, 3.0 again.
60 hours after pitching, 3.0 again.
13 days after pitching, still 3.0.
Initial water had 386 ppm bicarbonate.
So, long thread, sorry, but wanted to post all of the facts. Given that I don't really trust these papers and don't have the money for a pH meter at the moment, should I have used more potassium carbonate? Could that low pH be what caused the hydrogen sulfide? That yeast is listed as throwing off low levels of hydrogen sulfide with proper nutrients. Don't think I underdid the nutrients. Also, I was heavily degassing the must by stirring strongly with a drill attachment up to 1/3 sugar break.
Another question: Is 8 grams of yeast enough? I'm used to pitching much larger amounts of yeast in beer brewing. Would the yeast have been less stressed if I pitched 2 packets, 16 grams total?
For now, what should I do? I don't want to use copper. From what I read, I think it was Wayne that said that removing the mead from the lees can help as they may still be throwing sulfur. So, perhaps I should rack? I'm not fond of the idea of splash racking because of oxidation, so I was thinking of just regular racking to remove from the lees.
We head to the sea mid week next week. So, I was thinking of doing that: racking, then just leaving it until we return home ten days later and see if it's gone. Like I said, it's not crazy strong, so I don't wanna take drastic actions. I saw Medsen recommending yeast hulls. Is that a good idea for this stage? I don't have yeast hulls, but I do have some dry yeast of various sorts. Would just boiling it to kill it and adding that be like adding yeast hulls?
Anyway, advice would be appreciated.
Cheers. (p.s., I'm a patron now, see?!)
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