Gentlemen and Ladies,
I need some help in troubleshooting a sweet Mead I made recently.
Used Raw - unfiltered honey from my friends dad. He is a beekeeper.
KV 1116 Yeast - rehydrated with goferm. Pitched yeast after tempering.
Spring Water
Used TOSNA and degassed two or three times per day. The process was solid the end result was not.
Starting gravity was 1.145 and finished at 1.027. Temperature at the beginning of ferment was 63 degrees. Started stong but then the ferment went SLOW, very very slow. At times it was dropping 1-2 or 3 points per day, with some spurts in activity here or there. because it was so slow I tried different things. I re pitched yeast, I warmed up the must to 66 degrees, added additional Fermaid O. Nothing seemed to work, it just was super slow. 27 days it fermented.
I've made over 30 batches of Mead. Never had this problem but also never used KV-1116. Also this is a new honey to me, not sure if the honey was just not good... my friends dad lives in Bradford PA, bees are on his property. Wildflower/clover is most likely the source. Tasted good when I tried it.
I cold crashed and racked. Then stabilized and cleared it. Had some friends over to try that and some other Mead. I knew it was OFF but man the reaction I got was...accurate....from the time they smelled it they gave the Mr. YUCK face.
My wine drinking friend said it smelled like cabbage/bad cabbage, my drinking friends said urine.
The smell is bad, cannot drink it with this smell.
1. Anyway to remove the smell?
2. Mask the smell with making it a spiced Mead?
or do I just turn it into a vinegar and give it away for Christmas?
Thanks,
Rob
I need some help in troubleshooting a sweet Mead I made recently.
Used Raw - unfiltered honey from my friends dad. He is a beekeeper.
KV 1116 Yeast - rehydrated with goferm. Pitched yeast after tempering.
Spring Water
Used TOSNA and degassed two or three times per day. The process was solid the end result was not.
Starting gravity was 1.145 and finished at 1.027. Temperature at the beginning of ferment was 63 degrees. Started stong but then the ferment went SLOW, very very slow. At times it was dropping 1-2 or 3 points per day, with some spurts in activity here or there. because it was so slow I tried different things. I re pitched yeast, I warmed up the must to 66 degrees, added additional Fermaid O. Nothing seemed to work, it just was super slow. 27 days it fermented.
I've made over 30 batches of Mead. Never had this problem but also never used KV-1116. Also this is a new honey to me, not sure if the honey was just not good... my friends dad lives in Bradford PA, bees are on his property. Wildflower/clover is most likely the source. Tasted good when I tried it.
I cold crashed and racked. Then stabilized and cleared it. Had some friends over to try that and some other Mead. I knew it was OFF but man the reaction I got was...accurate....from the time they smelled it they gave the Mr. YUCK face.
My wine drinking friend said it smelled like cabbage/bad cabbage, my drinking friends said urine.
The smell is bad, cannot drink it with this smell.
1. Anyway to remove the smell?
2. Mask the smell with making it a spiced Mead?
or do I just turn it into a vinegar and give it away for Christmas?
Thanks,
Rob
