First Batch of Mead, Looking for Advice and Criticism

Roland · May 17, 2018

Hey there!

First time as a user on the forum, and first time making mead. I have spent the better part of the past couple weeks slowly absorbing as much information as possible on the subject, and compiling a list of the equipment I need (that much is taken care of.) And now I have what I think is a decent plan in my head as well as a decent assortment of ingredients. Since I have been lurking these forums absorbing alot of the aforementioned info, I hoped to open myself up to the constructive criticism of those of you more wizened and experienced than myself.

So without further ado!

First Batch (1 Gallon Yield)

Batch Specs:
Target OG:1.134
Starting Brix:31
YAN Provided:387.5

Ingredients:
1.91lbs of Sleeping Bear Farms Star Thistle Honey
1.91lbs of Sleeping Bear Farms
H20 to 1 Gallon
Mix Honey and H20 until Brix reads 31
Yeast: Lalvin D47 (Minimum weight 2g?)
Go-Ferm:6.25G
Fermaid O: 7.8G

Fermentation Plan/Management:
Rehyrdration: 6.25g Go-Ferm in 125ml H20
Nutrient Regime: Staggered Nutrient Addition using the TOSNA 2.0 method; 7.8g of Fermaid O total, divided into 4 additions to the must at roughly 2g per addition. (At 24hrs, 48hrs, and 72hrs. Followed by a final addition when the must reaches the 1/3 sugar break.
Maintenance: Degassing/Aerating twice per day, testing the must every day (PH and SG).

Aging/Racking:
I had originally planned to rack when most sources recommended, when fermentation dies down and the SG is stable for over two weeks. However given what I have read about Lalvin D47, I was debating letting the mead age a bit on the Lees to get some of the citrusy/spicy complexity I hear it can provide? Plus, given my concern about creating a bottle bomb, additional time at this stage before adding some sort of sulfite prior to bottling I hope will assure the yeast has died. I am hoping to bring the ABV all the way to 14%.

End Result:
FG:1.03
ABV: 14%
Hopeful Result: A sweet mead with notes of citrus and spice provided by some aging on the lees, and the orange blossom honey.

That is the gist of it, anyway. I used the Batch Builder on MeadMakr's website https://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/ as it was as reliable and convenient a tool as I could find, and seemed to be spot on after I did the math provided by the TOSNA 2.0 information.

So a few concerns that I had:

1. Sulfites. I understand I should add them at the beginning of fermentation/before pitching the yeast to stabilize the process. And again before bottling to assure any remaining yeast remains dormant? Thoughts on this?
2. Am I overfeeding the must in terms of the YAN since I am using TOSNA 2.0? According to the method itself, I don't think I am. However I thought I heard somewhere that while Fermaid-O is lesser than Fermaid K and other sources in terms of actual nitrogen, because the nitrogen it does provide is organic it is far more efficient and assailable and so less goes farther. So my fear was that I was way over feeding here, and I know that over feeding yeast has been a bit of a topic lately.
3.Should I be lowering my OG/FG and trying to just feed the yeast up to its alcohol tolerance, then backsweeten? Or do these numbers make sense for a sweet traditional mead? I have little frame of reference on OG and FG given that I haven't brewed as of yet, but my logic tells me I may want to have something not quite sweet enough after fermentation, rather than way too sweet, then sweeten to taste.
4.If I am to age it on the lees, I figured just a week or two past the 3 week mark after fermentation stops may be best to impart some of the flavor that D47 can provide? Anyone have experience with this yeast, and is such an endeavor worth it?
5. Probably an obvious one, but when using yeast from a 5g yeast packet, should I stick with the minimum requirement of 2g of yeast that the Batch Builder suggested?

I think that wraps it up. I know it's a lot, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could and I endeavored not to ask too many obvious questions. A lot of these things I have doubts on come from a lack of experience, and I am hoping that's where some of the fine folks on this forum might be able to either reaffirm my plan or help me tear it down.

Thanks a ton for the read, for your time, and of course any feedback!

-Roland

m0n5t3r · May 17, 2018

somewhat of a beginner, too, but

1) you generally add sulphites to the must when you need to knock out existing wild yeast and other bacteria; this is generally needed when using fruit / grape juice or fresh fruit (or stuff like orange peels, etc), which can't really be sanitized; for a traditional, and assuming you used bottled water or boiled and cooled water it shouldn't be necessary
2,3,4) no idea, this is for veterans to answer

5) I don't think there is any drawback to pitching 5g instead of 2g; if anything, you'll have a stronger initial yeast population to start (especially since your must gravity is relatively high)

I, for one, approach this a lot like cooking: read up on ingredients, drop what I can't find, replace with what looks like it might work, look around the kitchen for what might be interesting additions, taste often

I think I might be overdoing the "taste often" part, especially after fermentation finishes.

darigoni · May 17, 2018

Any idea what your fermentation temperature will be? Any way to control it? D47's temp range is 59F to 68F and really like to be on the lower end of that.

What are you fermenting in, a bucket or jug? If you are fermenting in a bucket (which I would suggest), you might want to increase the batch (1.1G to 1.25G) size to offset racking loses, especially if you want a yield of 1 gallon.

You may want to look at the MeadMakr's TOSNA 2.0 calculator. I think you'll find that you'll be using a lot less Fermaid O and Goferm. https://www.meadmakr.com/tosna-2-0/

FYI. According to the Scott Labs Handbook, D47 has LOW nitrogen needs. I think the MeadMakr's have a chart that mistakenly say it's MED-High.

So, using your same SG, I get:

1. Fermaid O = 4.65 g
2. Goferm = 2.5 g in 50ml of water.

Roland · May 17, 2018

Thanks for the replies so far, guys!

@m0n5t3r
Ahh, I got ya. So it may not even be a real necessity for me to start the batch with Sulfites given that I'll be dealing with honey and water (perferably gallons of mineral water)? Does the addition of Sulfites provide any sort of benefit with stability of the fermentation aside from that? Anything that can be done to protect the work and time investment, I suppose.

@darigoni
I am really, really glad you mentioned that and turned me on to that calculator. I was taking that table at face value, honestly. And I thought the batchbuildr tool was up to date with 2.0; obviously it was not. That seems like a MUCH more reasonable amount of Fermaid-O though.
As far as volume goes, I am honestly probably going to do a 2gal batch, or maybe 5 (if I can get the fiance on board.) This recipe was more of a proof of concept since I won't be starting the brewing till after I leave town for this coming weekend and come back. I'd like to be able to be as hands on during the fermentation as possible.
I will be fermenting in a bucket, since unless I am mistaken light can have an impact on the mead or at least the yeast. And as for temperature control? I would love some suggestions, but I haven't found a great way yet. I live in a basement, and now that summer is upon us, we get pretty much all of the AC down here. So I am hoping that will put us around the low to mid 60s pretty regularly.
Keeping the must warm I can wrap my head around pretty well. But keeping it cool, short of moving it somewhere cooler? I have no idea.

Thanks again for the replies!

Roland · May 17, 2018

(Sorry if this double posts)

Thanks for the replies, guys!

@m0en5t3r
So given that I am using straight honeys, and water (likely bottled mineral water) I probably shouldn't have to worry about the addition of sulfites? I wasn't sure if they added any overall stability or helped protect the must against future infection. Not that I would use such a precaution to feel better about poor sanitation or anything, but accidents happen.

@darigoni
I am really glad that you pointed out that TOSNA 2.0 calculator, and D47's yeast requirements. I was taking that table at face value, and assumed that the BatchBuildr was correct in its calculations. That amount of Fermaid-O I feel much better about. To answer your questions though:
Temperature control: No real way to control it, however we live in a basement and receive the majority of the house's AC especially now that spring/summer are rolling in. My hope is that this will keep us in the mid 60s to low 60s. (Additional measurements in my living space are required.) Any suggestions on keeping it cool however? Short of moving it somewhere cooler?
Fermenter: Likely a white bucket. More than likely I will be brewing 2 gallons instead of 1. The 1 gallon recipe was more a proof of concept to make sure I had the right understanding before I gather all the necessities and start this next week. But going as much as a quarter gallon over desired yield is a best practice? Makes sense with the amount lost in racking.

Thanks again for the replies!
-Roland

Chilkat · May 17, 2018

I really think I should have aspired to make a first recipe like this.

Roland said:
Hey there!

First time as a user on the forum, and first time making mead. I have spent the better part of the past couple weeks slowly absorbing as much information as possible on the subject, and compiling a list of the equipment I need (that much is taken care of.) And now I have what I think is a decent plan in my head as well as a decent assortment of ingredients. Since I have been lurking these forums absorbing alot of the aforementioned info, I hoped to open myself up to the constructive criticism of those of you more wizened and experienced than myself.

So without further ado!

First Batch (1 Gallon Yield)

Batch Specs:
Target OG:1.134
Starting Brix:31
YAN Provided:387.5

Ingredients:
1.91lbs of Sleeping Bear Farms Star Thistle Honey
1.91lbs of Sleeping Bear Farms
H20 to 1 Gallon
Mix Honey and H20 until Brix reads 31
Yeast: Lalvin D47 (Minimum weight 2g?)
Go-Ferm:6.25G
Fermaid O: 7.8G

Fermentation Plan/Management:
Rehyrdration: 6.25g Go-Ferm in 125ml H20
Nutrient Regime: Staggered Nutrient Addition using the TOSNA 2.0 method; 7.8g of Fermaid O total, divided into 4 additions to the must at roughly 2g per addition. (At 24hrs, 48hrs, and 72hrs. Followed by a final addition when the must reaches the 1/3 sugar break.
Maintenance: Degassing/Aerating twice per day, testing the must every day (PH and SG).

Aging/Racking:
I had originally planned to rack when most sources recommended, when fermentation dies down and the SG is stable for over two weeks. However given what I have read about Lalvin D47, I was debating letting the mead age a bit on the Lees to get some of the citrusy/spicy complexity I hear it can provide? Plus, given my concern about creating a bottle bomb, additional time at this stage before adding some sort of sulfite prior to bottling I hope will assure the yeast has died. I am hoping to bring the ABV all the way to 14%.

End Result:
FG:1.03
ABV: 14%
Hopeful Result: A sweet mead with notes of citrus and spice provided by some aging on the lees, and the orange blossom honey.

That is the gist of it, anyway. I used the Batch Builder on MeadMakr's website https://www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/ as it was as reliable and convenient a tool as I could find, and seemed to be spot on after I did the math provided by the TOSNA 2.0 information.

So a few concerns that I had:

1. Sulfites. I understand I should add them at the beginning of fermentation/before pitching the yeast to stabilize the process. And again before bottling to assure any remaining yeast remains dormant? Thoughts on this?
2. Am I overfeeding the must in terms of the YAN since I am using TOSNA 2.0? According to the method itself, I don't think I am. However I thought I heard somewhere that while Fermaid-O is lesser than Fermaid K and other sources in terms of actual nitrogen, because the nitrogen it does provide is organic it is far more efficient and assailable and so less goes farther. So my fear was that I was way over feeding here, and I know that over feeding yeast has been a bit of a topic lately.
3.Should I be lowering my OG/FG and trying to just feed the yeast up to its alcohol tolerance, then backsweeten? Or do these numbers make sense for a sweet traditional mead? I have little frame of reference on OG and FG given that I haven't brewed as of yet, but my logic tells me I may want to have something not quite sweet enough after fermentation, rather than way too sweet, then sweeten to taste.
4.If I am to age it on the lees, I figured just a week or two past the 3 week mark after fermentation stops may be best to impart some of the flavor that D47 can provide? Anyone have experience with this yeast, and is such an endeavor worth it?
5. Probably an obvious one, but when using yeast from a 5g yeast packet, should I stick with the minimum requirement of 2g of yeast that the Batch Builder suggested?

I think that wraps it up. I know it's a lot, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could and I endeavored not to ask too many obvious questions. A lot of these things I have doubts on come from a lack of experience, and I am hoping that's where some of the fine folks on this forum might be able to either reaffirm my plan or help me tear it down.

Thanks a ton for the read, for your time, and of course any feedback!

-Roland

Roland · May 18, 2018

Thanks for the replies, everyone! And sorry for the last response. Had a few issues on my end with the forum.

@darigoni
I am really glad that you pointed out that TOSNA 2.0 calculator, and D47's yeast requirements. I was taking that table at face value, and assumed that the BatchBuildr was correct in its calculations. That amount of Fermaid-O I feel much better about. To answer your questions though:
Temperature control: No real way to control it, however we live in a basement and receive the majority of the house's AC especially now that spring/summer are rolling in. My hope is that this will keep us in the mid 60s to low 60s. (Additional measurements in my living space are required.) Any suggestions on keeping it cool however? Short of moving it somewhere cooler?
Fermenter: Likely a white bucket. More than likely I will be brewing 2 gallons instead of 1. The 1 gallon recipe was more a proof of concept to make sure I had the right understanding before I gather all the necessities and start this next week. But going as much as a quarter gallon over desired yield is a best practice? Makes sense with the amount lost in racking.

@m0n5t3r
Well that's the end goal for brewing our own mead in the first place? To taste as early and often as possible.
But that all makes a lot of sense. I know that not a ton would survive in honey itself, and if I use bottled mineral water, the likelihood of any wild yeast or infection is pretty slim so long as I sanitize everything properly. But I just wasn't sure if even in a plain honey batch, there might be some benefit in adding sulfites at the start to protect against future infection? Was a thought.

Roland · May 18, 2018

@darigoni
I am really glad that you pointed out that TOSNA 2.0 calculator, and D47's yeast requirements. I was taking that table at face value, and assumed that the BatchBuildr was correct in its calculations. That amount of Fermaid-O I feel much better about. To answer your questions though:
Temperature control: No real way to control it, however we live in a basement and receive the majority of the house's AC especially now that spring/summer are rolling in. My hope is that this will keep us in the mid 60s to low 60s. (Additional measurements in my living space are required.) Any suggestions on keeping it cool however? Short of moving it somewhere cooler?
Fermenter: Likely a white bucket. More than likely I will be brewing 2 gallons instead of 1. The 1 gallon recipe was more a proof of concept to make sure I had the right understanding before I gather all the necessities and start this next week. But going as much as a quarter gallon over desired yield is a best practice? Makes sense with the amount lost in racking.

@m0n5t3r
That makes a lot of sense. So as long as I am sticking to honey sulfites likely wont be needed so long as i sanitize properly? I just wasnt sure if adding sulfites at ths beginning might not help ward off infection amd make for a more stable fermentation

Devin Petry-Johnson · May 21, 2018

Roland said:
So a few concerns that I had:

3.Should I be lowering my OG/FG and trying to just feed the yeast up to its alcohol tolerance, then backsweeten? Or do these numbers make sense for a sweet traditional mead? I have little frame of reference on OG and FG given that I haven't brewed as of yet, but my logic tells me I may want to have something not quite sweet enough after fermentation, rather than way too sweet, then sweeten to taste.
4.If I am to age it on the lees, I figured just a week or two past the 3 week mark after fermentation stops may be best to impart some of the flavor that D47 can provide? Anyone have experience with this yeast, and is such an endeavor worth it?
5. Probably an obvious one, but when using yeast from a 5g yeast packet, should I stick with the minimum requirement of 2g of yeast that the Batch Builder suggested?

3. I think this is personal preference. But it might be easier to give the yeast the amount of honey it can handle, and then backsweeten to make sure you don't make it too sweet. If you have too high of a SG, the yeast might stop early and you could be left with something sweeter than you wanted.
4. I haven't done any trials where I compare mead left on D-47 for a few extra weeks versus mead where I rack earlier. But I think there are other benefits of keeping it on the yeast for a few extra weeks, including letting the yeast clean up some secondary bi-products of the fermentation that might not be desired. Maybe you could rack some off the yeast and keep the rest in there and taste test.
5. I typically use the whole 5 grams in order to get my fermentation going fast and strong. If you only want to use 2, then you should consider doing two different batches at once and using the whole packet at the same time. I've heard that you can store the yeast dry in the fridge but I'm not sure how well that works. I'd rather be confident in strong fermentations each time than to try to save a buck or two on yeast.

One thing I'll add is that you list 6.25 grams of GoFerm for 2 grams of yeast. I think GoFerm is 1.25 grams per gram of yeast, so that would be the amount for 5 grams of yeast being rehydrated, not 2 grams. You might consider bringing that down to 2.5 grams or using the whole yeast packet.

m0n5t3r · May 21, 2018

Roland said:
But that all makes a lot of sense. I know that not a ton would survive in honey itself, and if I use bottled mineral water, the likelihood of any wild yeast or infection is pretty slim so long as I sanitize everything properly. But I just wasn't sure if even in a plain honey batch, there might be some benefit in adding sulfites at the start to protect against future infection? Was a thought.

from what I understand, sulphites will inhibit the growth of existing wild yeast and bacteria already present in the must, mostly by taking up all the oxygen (I guess that's why recipes that specify adding campden tablets to the must call for leaving it alone for a few hours so the sulphite has time to act); there shouldn't be too many bugs in the must unless you add fresh fruit, etc.: there is _some_ stuff dormant in the honey, there is dust falling from the air, but those will bring insignificant amounts of stuff when compared to the amount of cells you're pitching

Since your yeast needs oxygen too in the first phase of fermentation (when it is multiplying), you'll need to oxygenate before you pitch (and 1-2 times more after that); this will add oxygen back to the must, but you'll be pouring in a large population of already active yeast that will get working right away and outcompete whatever was already in there.

All in all, I don't think you get any advantages from adding sulphite to a traditional must, but it shouldn't hurt either, add it if it makes you feel safer; I think I heard in a podcast about an experiment where they left the must unattended (and without pitching yeast), and it only started doing something after a week or so.

Squatchy · May 21, 2018

m0n5t3r said:
from what I understand, sulphites will inhibit the growth of existing wild yeast and bacteria already present in the must, mostly by taking up all the oxygen (I guess that's why recipes that specify adding campden tablets to the must call for leaving it alone for a few hours so the sulphite has time to act); there shouldn't be too many bugs in the must unless you add fresh fruit, etc.: there is _some_ stuff dormant in the honey, there is dust falling from the air, but those will bring insignificant amounts of stuff when compared to the amount of cells you're pitching

Since your yeast needs oxygen too in the first phase of fermentation (when it is multiplying), you'll need to oxygenate before you pitch (and 1-2 times more after that); this will add oxygen back to the must, but you'll be pouring in a large population of already active yeast that will get working right away and outcompete whatever was already in there.

All in all, I don't think you get any advantages from adding sulphite to a traditional must, but it shouldn't hurt either, add it if it makes you feel safer; I think I heard in a podcast about an experiment where they left the must unattended (and without pitching yeast), and it only started doing something after a week or so.

If that were the case about a wild ferment starting at one week. That doesn't mean you don't start having wild yeast in the must until then. If you only pitched a few yeast from a package in the must it would probably take that long for it to get through the lag phase as well. It's on everything in your house and as far as you can see outside. It gets in the must by floating around in ther air

Roland · May 21, 2018

Ugh, sorry again for the multiple replies guys. By the time I realized that I was being automoderated, I had assumed it was an issue with my browser and replied about 6 times.

Regardless! Really thankful for the replies.
After getting some direct input from darigoni (thanks a ton by the way) and your guys' advice, I have determined a few things.
It seems like common sense that I should just round up to the next pack of yeast for whatever batch I am making. So for this theoretical 1gal. batch, I would use an entire 5g packet. I also see, thanks to darigoni, that I did the math with Tosna 2.0 incorrectly and will be adjusting the amount of Go-Ferm and Fermaid-O accordingly. Additionally, I'll likely add sulfites right off for the sake of caution. To my knowledge it shouldn't harm anything, if/when wild yeast find their way into my must, I am hopeful the sulfites will give my yeast more than enough ground to do their thing.

Additionally, I am considering just going with a yeast that has a bit more wiggle room temperature wise. After setting up some thermometers in different points that I would brew in the basement I live in, the lowest temp I have noted is 68 and the highest 72. Shouldn't have a huge variance in the day. But this leaves me at an impasse with D47 as I would like to keep it in the lower 60's if I can. The idea of a swampcooler or purchasing an evaporative cooler has been thrown around, but it may just be wise to choose something that thrives in this temp range. Aside from that, I know that the temp of the must during fermentation is often higher than the surroundings, so I am just not sure if pointing a cooling unit at it would make a huge difference.

I would love to hear all of your input on cooling methods you've had success with, though!

-Roland

Roland · May 21, 2018

Ah and another important bit, I will likely follow Devin's advice and start with an OG that will bring me just to my desired ABV and backsweeten with honey after fermentation is complete. But that leaves me with a couple concerns, as I don't want to restart fermentation when I add more honey or fruit or whatever my desired method is.
Would after my yeast has consumed all of the sugars and it is sitting at 14%ABV in this case, would this be an appropriate time to use sulfites as well? Or will racking it off the lees and keeping an eye on it after the SG stays stable for a couple weeks be sufficient assurance that fermentation won't start up again?

Thanks again,

-Roland

m0n5t3r · May 22, 2018

Squatchy said:
If that were the case about a wild ferment starting at one week. That doesn't mean you don't start having wild yeast in the must until then. If you only pitched a few yeast from a package in the must it would probably take that long for it to get through the lag phase as well. It's on everything in your house and as far as you can see outside. It gets in the must by floating around in ther air

of course you'll have wild yeast and whatever else hitched a ride on dust from the air or whatever unboiled spices you're adding; my point was that when you pitch a yeast population that's multiple millions of times larger than whatever fell from the air and / or was in the honey / spices it should be able to outcompete the wild thingies easily; granted, this doesn't always happen (I've read that wineries tend to have a hard time getting rid of Brettanomyces, for instance; Acetobacter and Lactobacillus are also everywhere, but they need oxygen, which should be gone by the end of the lag phase) but I guess we'd be hearing about it a lot more if spoilage of meads due to wild yeast was common, most examples I've seen talk about temperature control, over / underfeeding and mismatched ingredients.

Squatchy · May 22, 2018

You missed my point. If you feed your YAN before they are out of the lag phase your feeding the wrong guys. So when your desired strain isn't getting the proper amount. Lots of times we see people here put nutrients up front, pitch, and then see many days go buy without the ye asset taking off. But do what you want friend.

m0n5t3r · May 22, 2018

ah, lol, totally disconnected conversation... I was talking about (the general lack of a need for) sulphite before pitching; for nutrients, yup, I agree, it makes sense to add them after the lag phase

Devin Petry-Johnson · May 22, 2018

Roland said:
Ah and another important bit, I will likely follow Devin's advice and start with an OG that will bring me just to my desired ABV and backsweeten with honey after fermentation is complete. But that leaves me with a couple concerns, as I don't want to restart fermentation when I add more honey or fruit or whatever my desired method is.
Would after my yeast has consumed all of the sugars and it is sitting at 14%ABV in this case, would this be an appropriate time to use sulfites as well? Or will racking it off the lees and keeping an eye on it after the SG stays stable for a couple weeks be sufficient assurance that fermentation won't start up again?

Once the gravity is stable for a while, that means the fermentation is done for the current conditions. If those conditions change (temp change, pH change, etc), the yeast might start up again. For example, if there is residual sugar but the gravity isn't changing, that might mean the yeast has hit its alcohol tolerance. If you dilute the must (maybe my adding fruit that has a lot of water in it or by adding fruit juice) then the alcohol by volume goes down and the yeast might start again.

So, once the gravity is stable, the fermentation is done at the current conditions. At this point you might leave it on the yeast (keeping them in suspension) for a while to allow them to clean up or get some sur-lees aging. But then you would want to let everything settle to the bottom for a few days (cold crashing might help) and rack off the yeast biomass at the bottom. Right after you rack, add the sulfites again. This will protect against infection, will help to preserve taste and color by combating oxidation, and if you intend to backsweeten it will stun the yeast that snuck their way in during racking. You should also use sorbate if you will backsweeten because it will keep the yeast from reproducing.

Whatever you do, I would keep it under airlock for a few days at least before capping it. If you sweeten, make sure the gravity is stable before capping/bottling.

Squatchy · May 23, 2018

Devin Petry-Johnson said:
Once the gravity is stable for a while, that means the fermentation is done for the current conditions. If those conditions change (temp change, pH change, etc), the yeast might start up again. For example, if there is residual sugar but the gravity isn't changing, that might mean the yeast has hit its alcohol tolerance. If you dilute the must (maybe my adding fruit that has a lot of water in it or by adding fruit juice) then the alcohol by volume goes down and the yeast might start again.

So, once the gravity is stable, the fermentation is done at the current conditions. At this point you might leave it on the yeast (keeping them in suspension) for a while to allow them to clean up or get some sur-lees aging. But then you would want to let everything settle to the bottom for a few days (cold crashing might help) and rack off the yeast biomass at the bottom. Right after you rack, add the sulfites again. This will protect against infection, will help to preserve taste and color by combating oxidation, and if you intend to backsweeten it will stun the yeast that snuck their way in during racking. You should also use sorbate if you will backsweeten because it will keep the yeast from reproducing.

Whatever you do, I would keep it under airlock for a few days at least before capping it. If you sweeten, make sure the gravity is stable before capping/bottling.

It's not the "yeast that snuck in during backsweetening". It's all the yeast left in the mead from pitch. They don't die just because you let them sit at zero for a few weeks or even 12 months. They will indeed start back up if you add something after thay tapped out at the ABV limit. Plus. SOrbate will stop the buding process. But you will still ahve 50 billion live cells ready to chew up any sugars in thier path.

Roland · May 23, 2018

So if it seems assured that with dilution of the must after the first fermentation is complete and after I add additional sugar in the form of honey or fruit, if Sorbate alone isn't enough to halt fermentation and there's still plenty of yeast biomass there to carry on, how do I stop the fermentation from going out of control? Or in the case of back sweetening and changing the alcohol content of the must with more honey or what have you, do I just let it ferment to it's tolerance again? It almost seems like a lose lose. I assumed Sorbate would keep the yeast dormant till they died their natural death. But I assume now that if you really want the fermentation to cease you have to treat it with sorbate or sulfites after racking and again before bottling?

I know that cold crashing has been thrown around as an option, but does that prove more effective at actually killing off the yeast, or is that just another means by which they're rendered inert?

Roland · May 23, 2018

Devin Petry-Johnson said:
Once the gravity is stable for a while, that means the fermentation is done for the current conditions. If those conditions change (temp change, pH change, etc), the yeast might start up again. For example, if there is residual sugar but the gravity isn't changing, that might mean the yeast has hit its alcohol tolerance. If you dilute the must (maybe my adding fruit that has a lot of water in it or by adding fruit juice) then the alcohol by volume goes down and the yeast might start again.

So, once the gravity is stable, the fermentation is done at the current conditions. At this point you might leave it on the yeast (keeping them in suspension) for a while to allow them to clean up or get some sur-lees aging. But then you would want to let everything settle to the bottom for a few days (cold crashing might help) and rack off the yeast biomass at the bottom. Right after you rack, add the sulfites again. This will protect against infection, will help to preserve taste and color by combating oxidation, and if you intend to backsweeten it will stun the yeast that snuck their way in during racking. You should also use sorbate if you will backsweeten because it will keep the yeast from reproducing.

Whatever you do, I would keep it under airlock for a few days at least before capping it. If you sweeten, make sure the gravity is stable before capping/bottling.

I think that more or less addresses the concerns I had. So the sorbate is to be used in conjunction with the other sulfites to further hinder the yeast. After racking, sulfites, then sorbate if backsweetening, bottling should be safe after the gravity has been stable for just a few days? A week or two? I know yeast is harder to predict than that, but helps set my mind at ease. A lot of the concern I have about making bottle bombs will be alleviated after I've finished brewing the first batch I think. If I intend to bulk age the batch, it should be the same as if I were to bottle it right? Add my sulfites after racking, air lock it, make sure it's stable, then just seal it up and wait? I know I've heard a lot of people talking about using sorbate before bottling also, regardless of backsweetening.

Your guys' responses have been super helpful by the way!
Thanks again!

First Batch of Mead, Looking for Advice and Criticism

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