so i did my homework and dug around, and i am planning to make my first attempt on brewing mead, here is the list of everything i have so far:
pasteur champagne blanc yeast 1 packet
sodium percarbonate cleaner
Vinoferm NutriVit
5 litre PET jug
Hydrometer 1.000-1.200 scale
Hydrometer .950-1.050 scale
2 airlocks
4 litre glass carboy
silicone tubing (for siphoning)
650ml longan flower honey (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
yeast details:
my recipe plan:
target starting sg : 1.095
longan flower honey : 650ml (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
water until 3 litres
1 gram pasteur champagne blanc yeast
3 grams NutriVit
target finish sg: <1.005
question 1 : from what i read this will end up as a dry mead with around 12% Alc v/v am i correct?
since i prefer my drinks sweet and a bit stronger i came up with this idea
alternate plan
target starting sg : ~1.130
longan flower honey : 650ml (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
table sugar 300 grams
water until 3 litres
1 gram pasteur champagne blanc yeast
3 grams NutriVit
target finish sg: 1.020
so i will end up with some sweet mead with around 14.5% alc v/v
question 2: will it be ok to use sugar to get my desired results? i have read that it might dilute the taste but the honey i am using has a very strong aroma, might help to mellow the aroma a bit. and would the starting sg be too high for the yeast to ferment properly? can't add more honey since that's all i have right now, and the apiary is sold out of this honey, would need to wait a few months to get more. maybe a smaller batch?
question 3: from what i read NutriVit is a mix of all nutrients needed for yeast, but it doesn't contain yeast hulls like what i see in fermaid-k and this is what i can find near me, i read that i can substitute this by boiling up some yeast in water and adding that as nutrient what do you guys think about this?
question 4: if i can use boiled yeast to supplement as yeast nutrient, how much will i need?
question 5: alot of tutorials i see add more nutrients at every 1/3 sugar break, but NutriVit instructions say to add to the must before yeast is added, i guess its best to follow the manufacturers suggestion? or maybe i just add the dead yeasts if it will work?
question 6: what is the primary indication that primary fermentation has finished and it's time to rack the mead off the lees? i have read around but i am not very sure since the information i found is pretty inconsistent, some even don't rack at all, so i request insight from the experts here
question 7: is there anything that i missed or anything else that i might need?
any suggestions and advice is welcome, i want to learn as much as possible so i can have a good result on my first try.
and thanks beforehand to all the experts here giving advice and insight to newbees like us getting into the hobby ;D
pasteur champagne blanc yeast 1 packet
sodium percarbonate cleaner
Vinoferm NutriVit
5 litre PET jug
Hydrometer 1.000-1.200 scale
Hydrometer .950-1.050 scale
2 airlocks
4 litre glass carboy
silicone tubing (for siphoning)
650ml longan flower honey (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
yeast details:
my recipe plan:
target starting sg : 1.095
longan flower honey : 650ml (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
water until 3 litres
1 gram pasteur champagne blanc yeast
3 grams NutriVit
target finish sg: <1.005
question 1 : from what i read this will end up as a dry mead with around 12% Alc v/v am i correct?
since i prefer my drinks sweet and a bit stronger i came up with this idea
alternate plan
target starting sg : ~1.130
longan flower honey : 650ml (approx .9 kg or 2 lbs)
table sugar 300 grams
water until 3 litres
1 gram pasteur champagne blanc yeast
3 grams NutriVit
target finish sg: 1.020
so i will end up with some sweet mead with around 14.5% alc v/v
question 2: will it be ok to use sugar to get my desired results? i have read that it might dilute the taste but the honey i am using has a very strong aroma, might help to mellow the aroma a bit. and would the starting sg be too high for the yeast to ferment properly? can't add more honey since that's all i have right now, and the apiary is sold out of this honey, would need to wait a few months to get more. maybe a smaller batch?
question 3: from what i read NutriVit is a mix of all nutrients needed for yeast, but it doesn't contain yeast hulls like what i see in fermaid-k and this is what i can find near me, i read that i can substitute this by boiling up some yeast in water and adding that as nutrient what do you guys think about this?
question 4: if i can use boiled yeast to supplement as yeast nutrient, how much will i need?
question 5: alot of tutorials i see add more nutrients at every 1/3 sugar break, but NutriVit instructions say to add to the must before yeast is added, i guess its best to follow the manufacturers suggestion? or maybe i just add the dead yeasts if it will work?
question 6: what is the primary indication that primary fermentation has finished and it's time to rack the mead off the lees? i have read around but i am not very sure since the information i found is pretty inconsistent, some even don't rack at all, so i request insight from the experts here
question 7: is there anything that i missed or anything else that i might need?
any suggestions and advice is welcome, i want to learn as much as possible so i can have a good result on my first try.
and thanks beforehand to all the experts here giving advice and insight to newbees like us getting into the hobby ;D
