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Adding more honey after must creation?

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rejjr7

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Mar 8, 2014
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I made a 5 gallon batch of BOMM today. I followed the recipe as closely as I could but after I added the gallon of honey I started topping off with water up my my 5 gallon mark. I was just shy of it (about 4.5 gallons) when I realized that I'm supposed to be going by my gravity readings, not volume. I checked the gravity of the must and found that it was at 1.07, which is below the 1.08 - 1.1 recommendation.

I don't have any more honey. Is there any problem with buying some more tomorrow and whipping it in during my afternoon aeration?
 
danr

danr

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rejjr7 said:
I made a 5 gallon batch of BOMM today. I followed the recipe as closely as I could but after I added the gallon of honey I started topping off with water up my my 5 gallon mark. I was just shy of it (about 4.5 gallons) when I realized that I'm supposed to be going by my gravity readings, not volume. I checked the gravity of the must and found that it was at 1.07, which is below the 1.08 - 1.1 recommendation.

I don't have any more honey. Is there any problem with buying some more tomorrow and whipping it in during my afternoon aeration?
Click to expand...

Are you sure that you honey was fully mixed with the water? A gallon of honey (approx. 12 pounds) with 3-1/2 gallons water for a total volume of 4-1/2 gallons would normally have a specific gravity around 1.095. Your 1.070 reading makes me wonder if the honey was not fully mixed. At the 5 gallon mark, I would expect a SG around 1.086.

That being said, I have not made a BOMM, but generally it would be fine to add some more honey tomorrow. Just keep in mind that if fermentation has started, it will no longer be possible to know what you exact "Original" gravity is, since the SG will have dropped from your original reading. You can estimate it though.

Edit: BTW, 2 pounds of honey should bring your SG up by about +0.015 in a 5 gallon batch.
 
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rejjr7

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Mar 8, 2014
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Wellnow that you mention it I just realized another newbie mistake. I did the gravity reading after the honey had been all mixed in so the must was really airy, when I saw the gravity was low I mixed it up a lot more and it did rise slightly from 1.07 to 1.075... Maybe I should go check it again now that its not so airy?
 
danr

danr

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rejjr7 said:
Wellnow that you mention it I just realized another newbie mistake. I did the gravity reading after the honey had been all mixed in so the must was really airy, when I saw the gravity was low I mixed it up a lot more and it did rise slightly from 1.07 to 1.075... Maybe I should go check it again now that its not so airy?
Click to expand...

It can definitely be hard to get a good reading if the must is foamy, but I would not expect this to lower your hydrometer reading. Are you fermenting in a bucket? How did you do your mixing, with a spoon? I am still wondering if the honey was not fully mixed and your second stirring got more of the honey dissolved into the water. It can not hurt to take another reading, or to aerate it some more at this stage, as long as you are sanitizing your equipment.
 
WVMJack

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Are you stirring with a big spoon or a drill mounted stirrer, those things are the best friend to any meadmaker. When you add your honey to your fermenting must first stir the must up good and they add your honey so you dont get a valcano even in a bucket you can make a valcano when you add honey to an active ferment, I just dont want your next post to be about it all bubbling out of your bucket! WVMJ

rejjr7 said:
I made a 5 gallon batch of BOMM today. I followed the recipe as closely as I could but after I added the gallon of honey I started topping off with water up my my 5 gallon mark. I was just shy of it (about 4.5 gallons) when I realized that I'm supposed to be going by my gravity readings, not volume. I checked the gravity of the must and found that it was at 1.07, which is below the 1.08 - 1.1 recommendation.

I don't have any more honey. Is there any problem with buying some more tomorrow and whipping it in during my afternoon aeration?
Click to expand...
 
smertz001

smertz001

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Nov 13, 2012
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I quite often add honey in steps. Quite often 1-2 weeks apart. (I may even be currently almost 3 weeks late on my last addition in my blood orange one I have going now, stupid life!)

So, no problem adding it later. But as WVMJack says, stir it up first, get the CO2 out of there, else when you add the honey or anything really, you could end up with a MEA and a mess to clean up.

Cheers !
 
mannye

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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I have made several BOMM batches and have added honey many times the next day. It's not a problem at all. Just make sure you aren't in an active ferment and start adding without first aerating the heck out of it. Or like smetrz says, you will be cleaning sticky must off the walls. In fact, adding honey in steps is a way to get 1388 to yield up to 19% ABV. Not that adding tomorrow will do that. So relax, have a homebrew and add some honey tomorrow.


Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
 
loveofrose

loveofrose

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GntlKnigt1 said:
19% ? Its rated at 13% max

Sent from Arthur Dent's towel smothering a volume of Vogon poetry, some of which just leaked out.
Click to expand...

I got 19% with very gradual step feeding. If you put the fermentables in up front, it won't make it past 15%.
Keep in mind the ratings were tested in beer wort. That really doesn't mean much in the mead world.

Better brewing through science!
 
loveofrose

loveofrose

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GntlKnigt1 said:
(Chicago accent) I figured couple 2 or 3 %.....didnt figure it would stretch to 6 or 7

Sent from Arthur Dent's towel smothering a volume of Vogon poetry, some of which just leaked out.
Click to expand...

Me either. But it did and it's damn tasty!


Better brewing through science!
 
M

Maeloch

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Sep 6, 2013
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GntlKnigt1 said:
(Chicago accent) I figured couple 2 or 3 %.....didnt figure it would stretch to 6 or 7
Click to expand...

I just had a JAO BOMM hit 15% without too much trouble (JAO recipe, BOMM yeast and nutrient additions). That was at fermenting at 15C/60F too, so pretty cool. Backsweeted it to 1.020, the best JAO yet.
 
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