Nutrient substitutions?

It would help if you post your recipe, especially what yeast you plan on using.

Cheers,

Oskaar

I bet I know some things Oskaar is going to point out *cheesy grin*. This looks like a beer-brewer's mead recipe (because of the Irish Moss), and from what I have read here on the forums, the moss isn't really necessary (but please someone point out if I am wrong - still a newbie here). And the other thing is that you don't need to boil your must, unless you are trying to replicate a historical mead - the scum that usually comes to the surface as you do it is some of the stuff the yeast feeds on. Dan can tell you the name of the person who did the research on this.

The purple sage confuses me, too.

Chopped dried fruit is often added for nutrients, but I couldn't begin to suggest how much.

MacLupine said:

One of the only things I'm really confused by, is what the purple sage is supposed to achieve.

Click to expand...

I found the purpose of the Purple Sage - Wrathwilde

The Earth quakes and the Heavens rattle; the beasts of nature flock together and the nations of men flook apart; volcanoes usher up heat while elsewhere water becomes ice and melts; and then on other days it just rains.

Indeed do many things come to pass.

The Purple Sage will walk among us again.

When the third lord of the new frontier is in her seventeenth year, the Purple Sage will descend back upon the earth to redeem the faithful.

So it is written in the annuls of Mu, and in the secret diaries of Lao Tzu.

Keep this prophesy always close to your heart, and build a sacred shrine to the Purple Sage, and you shall be redeemed

Mac, Dude!

I'm going to suggest that you step back from this recipe and reconsider your approach. In no kind of way will 71B ferment to 25 percent no matter how much feeding you do. When using 71B I'd recommend using Fermaid K which is designed specifically designed for Lallemand/Lalvin yeasts.

I'd suggest you read up on Dmntd's peanut butter mead recipe and get some advice from him on using peanut butter. Scout pointed out some other relevant items including heating your must, which isn't necessary.

If you don't know what the purpose of the purple sage is, it's better to leave it out. Where did you get the idea for the purple sage? No need for it, and no reason for it in the starter.

It's not a good idea in my opinion to leave your must sit overnight untreated (treated with sulfites) because you're giving spoilage organisms a chance to get a foothold in your must. If you must use heat, it's better to allow the must to cool to a sufficient temperature to pitch your yeast.

I don't know where you got the idea for all of what you plan on doing to this mead, but I think you really need to take a giant step back and rethink your approach and recipe. Obviously you'll proceed as you deem appropriate, and that's fine, but I would not be optimistic about the outcome of the recipe as posted.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

My first recipe was from The Complete Joy of Hombrewing and included the Irish Moss (see Antipodal Mead). It is supposed to be a clearing agent, but as of today, the Mead is still very murky. I will never use it again (based on advice given here by the more experienced) but will use chilling, racking, and a clarifier if needed.

Angus