SG Almost at Jupiter Levels

Apathy · Oct 6, 2013

Greetings. First time poster, long time ogler here

Let me start out by saying, I've been making mead for a few years (small batch, 1G or so). Two weeks ago I made my first 5 Gallon.

15lb Wild Mountain Brand honey
4gal + bottled water (just enough to give me 5g total)
2TBS Fermaid K
2TBS Yeast Energizer
White Labs WLP720 Sweet Mead/Wine Yeast

Mixed the stuffing out of it (drill attachment) for about 5 minutes, closed the bucket & sealed with bung & airlock (used vodka).

The bucket was happily bubbling away within 12 hours. As I haven't in the past been very...well, good about taking things like SG etc I figured this time around I'd be a good girl and take measurements. Initials were about 1.09 SG, 24 brix, 14% ABV

This week, I checked it. It's still bubbling, just not as vigorously (not too worried about that). However, I figured that I'd check again the SG etc and see what was up. I was so excited to check...

Until I see a SG of 1.4

1.4?? *faint*

I've searched the forums, and have heard folks talking about starting with a higher SG, but I have not yet seen anything here or on google with the SG actually *increasing* . What's confusing to me is that when I popped the top, you could hear the gas escaping, and the mead was definitely bubbling, so I'm assuming that there's fermentation going on in there. However, I have zero clue as to what would cause the SG to explode to planetary size during the process.

I decided to use the drill bit and mix again, and verified. The calibration of my hydrometer seems to be normalized, and I tried with a second one just to verify.

So, I'm at a loss here as to what is going on, what has happened, but as of right now, this is something even a bear would want none of.

I'm wondering if I need to add additional water, or at this juncture is this even a plausible thing?

Thanks for any input. I'm going to go cry over a fermenting bucket now

Medsen Fey · Oct 6, 2013

You need to re-read the hydrometer. 15 pounds of honey in 5 gallons will give a gravity of around 1.104. Normal hydrometers don't read above about 1.170. It sounds like you are on your way to a good batch of mead.

Apathy · Oct 6, 2013

Oh gosh...you're right.

I saw 1.00...then 20, 30, 40...and read it as 1.4

Extracting my head from my bucket now. Thanks lol

joemirando · Oct 6, 2013

Apathy said:
Oh gosh...you're right.

I saw 1.00...then 20, 30, 40...and read it as 1.4

Extracting my head from my bucket now. Thanks lol

Hey, that's a lot better than it could have been, right? So you've got a good healthy ferment going. Now what's called for is vigilance and patience.

In the meantime, you should be planning your next mead.

Good luck,

Joe

Apathy · Oct 6, 2013

joemirando said:
Hey, that's a lot better than it could have been, right? So you've got a good healthy ferment going. Now what's called for is vigilance and patience.

In the meantime, you should be planning your next mead.

Good luck,

Joe

Today I actually put together some Apfelwein. The mayhem that ensued from *that* escapade was comical; all that was missing was Benny Hill music

I am planning on making T'ej next week; I've just got in a batch of Gesho stems and leaves from Brundo, so I am giving that a whirlybird next week. My husband is cautious about that one, since I am making it the mouldy way.

BTW, I just wanted to add that these forums have been great over the years, I should have created an account sooner

joemirando · Oct 6, 2013

Yeah, I've said this a dozen times, and I'll probably say it a dozen more...

I've been involved with online forums and chat groups since the late 80's (That's right, before there was a www), and this group has got to be the friendliest, most helpful group on any subject. I don't know what they did to get this kind of 'attitude' in here, but it works.

T'ej, huh? I've been mulling it over. But I've got bunches of stuff that I've got to clear out of carboys before I can even think of starting another. House rules.

Will be very interested to hear on your t'ej batch.

Joe

Honeyhog · Oct 6, 2013

I'm guessing what you read was actually 1.04, because my hydrometer doesn't go any higher than 1.160 and I'm thinking neither does yours. So all this means is that things are proceeding nicely. As for the taste don't worry about it a lot of meads can be foul right out of the fermenter and you won't recognize it in 6 months, maybe a year.

Chevette Girl · Oct 6, 2013

joemirando said:
and this group has got to be the friendliest, most helpful group on any subject. I don't know what they did to get this kind of 'attitude' in here, but it works.

Heh, threaten to have Oskaar toss you out if you misbehave?

I've been a member of one other forum that was this nice and helpful. Unfortunately it had to do with Chevettes and there just aren't that many around anymore and the person who owned the site sort of gave up the fight against spammers...

Bob1016 · Oct 7, 2013

I doubt Oskaar or Vickie will ever give up on this forum, no matter how busy!

If they do, where will I low tasting notes of my daughters 21yr aged mead????

Chevette Girl · Oct 12, 2013

I always have a hard copy backup of my logs, never know when the world might end (or the internet goes down, same diff).

mannye · Oct 13, 2013

've been involved with online forums and chat groups since the late 80's (That's right, before there was a www), and this group has got to be the friendliest, most helpful group on any subject. I don't know what they did to get this kind of 'attitude' in here, but it works.

Ah yes... I remember putting my phone into the massive modem and logging on to bulletin boards BB! I used an Atari ST hooked up to my television. Most of the boards were full of douchebags.

But there was nothing like spending a few hours trying to get out of the maze or figuring out how to open the stupid dam in Zork or later the Zork engined Hitchhiker's Guide game (eat the peanuts!)

The only other board as cool as this one is..... hmmmmm Ah yes... the Dalek builder's forum. Those guys are AWESOME too. I bet one or two of them are here as well.

joemirando · Oct 13, 2013

mannye said:
Ah yes... I remember putting my phone into the massive modem and logging on to bulletin boards BB! I used an Atari ST hooked up to my television. Most of the boards were full of douchebags.

Hahahahaha! I used to write for Atari Explorer magazine. I also used to write for a couple of other Atari ST magazines, and wrote a monthly column on the Atari Portfolio. I also did game reviews for the Jaguar. I, technically, am still co-managing editor of A-ONE (Atari Online News, Etc.) magazine.

I started out in college with an Apple ][ (not even a ][+) and a 110 baud acoustic modem. Even then, I could type faster. The ST was always 'my machine', but lately I haven't had the time, money or energy to do the stuff I want to do with/for/about it. I've still got a couple of STs, a MegaE, a TT and a STacy. I haven't used them in a while. And still, the more I use Windows, the more I long for my ST.

Joe

Apathy · Oct 13, 2013

LOL I hear you. I still have the bits and pieces of my Amiga lying around somewhere, and a massive 8086 that I somehow moved 3000 miles across country, even though it hasn't worked for at least 15 years.

And let's not forget...'search' was basically ARCHIE and VERONICA

GntlKnigt1 · Oct 15, 2013

joemirando said:
Yeah, I've said this a dozen times, and I'll probably say it a dozen more...

I've been involved with online forums and chat groups since the late 80's (That's right, before there was a www), and this group has got to be the friendliest, most helpful group on any subject. I don't know what they did to get this kind of 'attitude' in here, but it works.

T'ej, huh? I've been mulling it over. But I've got bunches of stuff that I've got to clear out of carboys before I can even think of starting another. House rules.

Will be very interested to hear on your t'ej batch.

Joe

Nay, nay, Joe!!!! You first have to make Madame Rosmerta's Oak Matured Mead from Frankenstein Mead Thread first !!!!

I really AM anxious to hear how it turns out...

Oh, and on the Hitchhiker game, it took me so long to get Marvin in the hold to throw the papers to confuse....well, let's say, I never finished the game.

joemirando · Oct 15, 2013

GntlKnigt1 said:
Nay, nay, Joe!!!! You first have to make Madame Rosmerta's Oak Matured Mead from Frankenstein Mead Thread first !!!!

I really AM anxious to hear how it turns out...

Oh, and on the Hitchhiker game, it took me so long to get Marvin in the hold to throw the papers to confuse....well, let's say, I never finished the game.

Quite right. Quite right. Madame Rosmerta's Oak Matured Mead comes first! But the list grows and grows and grows.... <grin>

I finished Hitchhiker... after months of dealing with that manic little mechanical wart. <grin>

I loved the Infocom games. SUSPENDED, INFIDEL, ZORK, etc. All of them, but especially STARCROSS, provided hours of enjoyment. Today's generation, the Millennials, will never get it. They'll never know the intellectual thrill. Everything for them is 'hurry up', instant gratification, and if it takes a moment's thought or busts their poor little entitled brains too much, it's not worth it to them. Ah, I weep for the future.

Sigh, in not too many more years, I will be that old man in his bathrobe, standing on the front porch yelling, "Hey you kids! Get offa my lawn! I got flowers planted there, ya little bastards!" <lol>

Joe

GntlKnigt1 · Oct 16, 2013

joemirando said:
Quite right. Quite right. Madame Rosmerta's Oak Matured Mead comes first! But the list grows and grows and grows.... <grin>

I finished Hitchhiker... after months of dealing with that manic little mechanical wart. <grin>

I loved the Infocom games. SUSPENDED, INFIDEL, ZORK, etc. All of them, but especially STARCROSS, provided hours of enjoyment. Today's generation, the Millennials, will never get it. They'll never know the intellectual thrill. Everything for them is 'hurry up', instant gratification, and if it takes a moment's thought or busts their poor little entitled brains too much, it's not worth it to them. Ah, I weep for the future.

Sigh, in not too many more years, I will be that old man in his bathrobe, standing on the front porch yelling, "Hey you kids! Get offa my lawn! I got flowers planted there, ya little bastards!" <lol>

Joe

OMG, LMAO. Well, I think I have the collection of old Infocom games on my PC somewhere. Bought a big collection of them when they got released some years ago with the maps, newspapers etc with them.

rmccask · Oct 16, 2013

I picked up some of these old games on gog.com when they were on sale. I just haven't had time to play them yet. Too many things I want to do and not enough time.

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SG Almost at Jupiter Levels

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