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Triple scale confusion about my Triple scale hydrometer!

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M

Meadaroo

NewBee
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Apr 12, 2011
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Hello Everyone

So I need some help understanding my hydrometer.

Assuming I want to make a one gallon batch of traditional mead using Bluegum honey.

I'll be using Mangrove Jack's M05 mead yeast which most sites claim to have an 18% alcohol tolerance level.

I will aim to start with an OG reading of 1.150.

Based on the above data, can anybody tell me where my final SG will end up?

Many Thanks
 
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
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Jan 5, 2016
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If you use good practices, rehidrate, add nutrients and all the FG will be around 1.015-1.010.
I have used mo5 to ferment from 1.125 to 0.990 so at least 135 points will be fermented
 
M

Meadaroo

NewBee
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Apr 12, 2011
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Awesome Dadux! That's super helpful cos it will give me an idea of what to aim for in terms of sweetness.

My Triple.scale hydrometer tells me where to start in terms of mead style but it does not factor in type of yeast used.

So your experience with M05 really helps.
 
Dadux

Dadux

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Jan 5, 2016
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Meadaroo said:
Awesome Dadux! That's super helpful cos it will give me an idea of what to aim for in terms of sweetness.

My Triple.scale hydrometer tells me where to start in terms of mead style but it does not factor in type of yeast used.

So your experience with M05 really helps.
Click to expand...

Sure. But keep in mind two things. If you start at a high SG like 1.150 you want to be super careful because it will cause osmotic stress to the yeast so rehidrate good and you might want to think about starting at 1.110 and then add the rest of the honey mid ferment. Or you can start at 1.150 but as i said be careful. Its also likely you will get more than 135 points fermented if you do things good because it can probably get to 19-20% ABV. Mine stopped at 135 points cause there was literally no more sugars.
Anyway, for me its a great yeast. So i think you'll end pleased. Ferment at low temperatures (15-18°C) for best results.
 
C

caduseus

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Aug 20, 2016
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Meadaroo said:
Awesome Dadux! That's super helpful cos it will give me an idea of what to aim for in terms of sweetness.

My Triple.scale hydrometer tells me where to start in terms of mead style but it does not factor in type of yeast used.

So your experience with M05 really helps.
Click to expand...

Because of osmotic stress above 1.1, I would start fermentation at 1.1 and add the equivalen of an extra 0.04 SG once it gets at or below 1.07
 
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bernardsmith

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You will be using about 4.25 lbs (almost 2 kg of per 4 liters) of honey for this batch... Why so much? Are you aiming to test the tolerance of the yeast or to make a pleasant mead to sip (or quaff). If you really want to make a mead at about 18% ABV you do need to be careful about the production of off flavors and fusel alcohols. Such a mead may take a considerable amount of time before it is drinkable. A lower ABV mead - one that you might drink like a beer or cider - may take only weeks to make and may be less subject to the problems that higher ABV mead are susceptible to...
 
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
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Jan 5, 2016
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bernardsmith said:
You will be using about 4.25 lbs (almost 2 kg of per 4 liters) of honey for this batch... Why so much? Are you aiming to test the tolerance of the yeast or to make a pleasant mead to sip (or quaff). If you really want to make a mead at about 18% ABV you do need to be careful about the production of off flavors and fusel alcohols. Such a mead may take a considerable amount of time before it is drinkable. A lower ABV mead - one that you might drink like a beer or cider - may take only weeks to make and may be less subject to the problems that higher ABV mead are susceptible to...
Click to expand...

Thats just personal preference. I like my meads to have a high ABV. Between 14-18. And i have done 135 points with M05 which is 17.2% (by gotmead calc) and really had not much off flavours nor problems. It took the yeast 15 days. Only the high ABV at the start takes a bit to mellow but if you dont mind it its ok. Some people do like alcohol flavour as long as its not overwhelming. For others, its a flaw.
While many people enjoy medium ABV and/or dry mead it does not mean you only can do that. Do what you enjoy most. Thats it.
That being said you probably want to end a bit sweet (1.005 at least altough thats personal preference) for such a high ABV.

Apart from thar be careful with your nutrient schedule. If you are using DAP or K or anything with DAP remember its not assimilated when you reach 9% ABV. So make sure to add all you need before that point. And i found the yeast to be fast at the start. So probably adding all before the first 3, days (guesstimate here, but not much later than 1.090 if you start at 1.150). Apart from that, rehidrate for 15-20minutes, atemperate, aereate and degass, all that.
 
Last edited:
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
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Spain, Europe
And a couple more tips i forgot: M05 has great floculattion. shake/stir once a day or every two days for some weeks after the ferment is over, until you are gonna rack (let it settle a week before racking and you'll get a super compact yeast cake), and it will leave you a cristal clean mead pretty fast (last one i did, ended in the dessert range, i racked after 45 days since pitch. after another 15 days in secondary it was crystal clear).
Also if you are going for high ABV a thing i do for the nutrients, since i use wyeast nutrient which has DAP, is doing the last nutrient addition when its at 1/2 through the ferment, but with boiled yeast instead. that provides organic nitrogen since only that type can be assimilated past 9% ABV. TBH i didnt do a comparison beween doing this and not doing this, i just do it with any mead that goes past 16%, but i dont get any yeast off flavours.
And if you are using TOSNA/TiOSNA, keep in mind its a low nitrogen requirement strain.
 
M

Meadaroo

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 12, 2011
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South Africa
Hey thanks for all the help you guys.

I will certainly not be starting out at such a high gravity reading based on your feedback here but I do worry about M05 taking the must to the point of dryness.

I enjoy sweet to semi sweet meads so I will look at backsweetening if I need too.
 
Dadux

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
Meadaroo said:
Hey thanks for all the help you guys.

I will certainly not be starting out at such a high gravity reading based on your feedback here but I do worry about M05 taking the must to the point of dryness.

I enjoy sweet to semi sweet meads so I will look at backsweetening if I need too.
Click to expand...

I doubt it will get dry. probably around 1.010 tops, i'd say.
 
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