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strange smell & no alhohol content

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K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
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Hello everybody ;D, ive been trying to make mead for quite a long time now, and i dont know what im doing wrong. First i tried to make a metheglin, with these ingredients:•
3 gallons, water
• 5 pounds, honey
• 1/3 cup, jasmine tea
• 1/2 teaspoon, ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons, cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon, ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon, ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon, ground nutmeg
• yeast (Byosal Hs, its an italian wine yeast)

that one had a very strange smell, and apsolutly no alchohol in it after 6 weeks. then i tried all that but without the spices (just the water and yeast), anda after 8 weeks, it had a nice sweet smell, but no alcohol
(sorry if my english is bad)
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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The OC
Welcome to the forums Kersme.

Looks to me like you're kind of light on the honey (I'd go at least nine pounds of honey), and I'd skip the tea in the future until you have a handle on the fermentation dynamics of the yeast you're using. Unfortunately I don't have experience with the Byosal HS wine yeast. Do you have a technical sheet or can you provide a link on that yeast for us?

I know that there is another type of yeast (Byosal) that comes in a two part smack pack that has nutrient in one pack and yeast in another. I think yours may be similar to that. I would recommend using nutrient if you're not seeing any activity, as well as following the directions for using the yeast that are on the packaging.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Hey Kersme,

It looks like that link is for paying or registered customers only (of which I am not ;D ) can you copy and post that technical sheet here please. Also, where are you located geographically, is that near Beograd?

Oskaar
 
K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
15
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I live in the centar of beograd, heres the technical sheet: SELECTED YEASTS AND FERMENTATION STARTER


GENERAL FEATURES
Individual doses for 1 hL of must or wine.
Each dose consists of two separate sealed sachets containing dried selected UVAFERM CM yeast and SUPERVIT fermentation booster.

APPLICATIONS
The combination of UVAFERM CM selected yeasts and SUPERVIT fermentation starter allows the easy and complete fermentation of all must types.
BYOSAL is particularly valuable for treating small masses of wine. The pre-measured 1 hL doses avoid product wastage and ensure accurate results.
Store BYOSAL at low temperatures.

DOSAGE
One twin sachet per 1 hectoliter of must.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
Disperse the content of the twin sachet in a little warm water (30-35°C), blend and wait for 15-20 minutes before adding to the must.


PACKAGING AND STORAGE
30 g sachets
Keep the product in a fresh, dry, well-ventilated area.


kersme
 
H

hedgehog

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 8, 2005
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Kersme,
Could you describe the strange smell a bit more?? The jasmine tea might be the culprit, either by itself or by interacting with the spices.
And with no insult intended, how do you know there was no alcohol in the mead/must? Do you have a way to take specific gravity measurements or readings? If there was a slight amount of yeast activity and very small amounts of alcohol ~1%, it would be tough to tell. Especially if the alcohol is hiding under the strange smell.
hedgehog
 
K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
15
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0
hedgehog, even if there was a a small amount of alcohol, i'd like it to have a bit more, so any advice on how to gain that?
 
Dan McFeeley

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
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Could you tell us what your starting gravity was? What was it after the eight weeks? How was the fermentation activity?
 
K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
15
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cant tell you that, sorry, but i dont have the equipment for that, and i cant find anything in belgrade for that.
 
Z

Zem

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 14, 2005
1,396
1
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Mead making can be alot simpler with just a little equipment (DAP or Superfood, hydrometer), have you looked online? I dont know what shipping to belgrade is, but it might be more affordable than needing to go out of town.

good luck!

oh yeah, and welcome!

~Wolfie
 
H

hedgehog

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 8, 2005
258
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47
Kersme,
As for getting more alcohol, the easiest way is to get the yeasts to make it for you. And at the moment, I am mildly confused as to why your yeasts aren't buisy making alcohol. According to the mead calculator, using 5lbs of honey in a 3 gallon batch could yield up to 8.15% Alcohol by Volume. Everything I have found on the web about the yeast you are using indicates it should be ok, and the nutrient should help.
Could you tell us a little more about how you prepared your mead and if you heated anything? If you are fermenting this mead in an open setup or if its in a closed container?
 
K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
15
0
0
the bubbles have started ;D ;D ;D i just moved to carboy to get get something from behind it and it started ;D
 
M

mouko_yamamoto

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 21, 2005
218
1
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(I'm asking an experienced meadmaker here): Wouldn't that mean that the yeasties were going, and the CO2 was just knocked off?
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
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34
The OC
Kersme,

If you live in Beograd, I cannot imagine that there are no winmakers and winemaking supply shops around you. Find a winemaker or winemaking supply shop and get a hydrometer you are going to need it for future batches.

Also, as mouko mentioned, CO2 bubbles probably indicate fermentation. Are you seeing any airlock activity? If not, check your seal because the CO2 produced by those bubbles is escaping if it is not popping. If you're going to make mead or wine, you need certain equipment as mentioned below. If you don't get it you will end up screwing up a batch sooner or later and wasting money that you spent on the ingredients.

Oskaar
 
K

kersme

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 1, 2006
15
0
0
well a bubble comes up in the airlock every 8-12 minutes. as for a shop with winemaking supplies, i have been trying to find one since last october, i can only find yeast in belgrade. i'll order a hydrometer over the net. 1 more question, is it possible to put to much yeat in? because it has developed a bit of a yeasty smell...
 
D

djordje_m

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 10, 2006
10
0
0
48
hedgehog said:
Kersme,
As for getting more alcohol, the easiest way is to get the yeasts to make it for you. And at the moment, I am mildly confused as to why your yeasts aren't buisy making alcohol. According to the mead calculator, using 5lbs of honey in a 3 gallon batch could yield up to 8.15% Alcohol by Volume. Everything I have found on the web about the yeast you are using indicates it should be ok, and the nutrient should help.
Could you tell us a little more about how you prepared your mead and if you heated anything? If you are fermenting this mead in an open setup or if its in a closed container?
Click to expand...

Where can I find such calculator?
 
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