Hello there! I have a few years' experience making beer, but this is my first time making mead. I have two questions -- one about a very fast fermentation, the other about how long to keep the fruit in the primary.
Recipe:
15.43 lbs wildflower honey
5 gallons water
25 lbs peaches
1 tsp. Fermaid K
2 tsp. Yeast Energizer (mixture of DAP and yeast hulls/vitamins)
2.5 tsp. pectic enzyme
Wyeast Sweet Mead 4184
The peaches were frozen, then thawed and squished by hand in 2.5 gallons water + pectic enzyme in a large nylon mesh bag. I cracked the pits and included the pieces and kernels to add flavour, aroma, and hopefully some tannins. Then added the honey, remainder of water, and the first quantity of nutrients, and pitched the yeast. Everything was the temperature of my basement, which stays around 18C/65F. I have been punching down the fruit and aerating 2 or 3 times a day since doing this on Sunday afternoon. OG was around 1.095, unfortunately I forgot to write it down so I don't remember exactly, just that it read 12% potential alcohol.
I combined the Fermaid K and energizer and planned to follow the nutrient schedule from this article, which is
This morning was the third nutrient addition. I took a gravity reading afterwards, and it has plummeted to 1.053 already, which is well past the 1/3 sugar break. This was the first time I tested it since pitching, never expecting it would ferment so swiftly. My first question is, should I now forego the fourth nutrient addition?
I've read some posts here about the flavour and sugar content of lighter fruits like peaches being fully extracted after about two weeks. My second question is, is it a good idea to remove the fruit bag around that time, or rather will it harm anything to leave them in until racking to a secondary?
Thanks for reading. It smells intensely peachy and delicious so far.
Recipe:
15.43 lbs wildflower honey
5 gallons water
25 lbs peaches
1 tsp. Fermaid K
2 tsp. Yeast Energizer (mixture of DAP and yeast hulls/vitamins)
2.5 tsp. pectic enzyme
Wyeast Sweet Mead 4184
The peaches were frozen, then thawed and squished by hand in 2.5 gallons water + pectic enzyme in a large nylon mesh bag. I cracked the pits and included the pieces and kernels to add flavour, aroma, and hopefully some tannins. Then added the honey, remainder of water, and the first quantity of nutrients, and pitched the yeast. Everything was the temperature of my basement, which stays around 18C/65F. I have been punching down the fruit and aerating 2 or 3 times a day since doing this on Sunday afternoon. OG was around 1.095, unfortunately I forgot to write it down so I don't remember exactly, just that it read 12% potential alcohol.
I combined the Fermaid K and energizer and planned to follow the nutrient schedule from this article, which is
- 1/4 with the yeast
- 1/4 24 hours after lag phase
- 1/4 48 hours after lag phase
- 1/4 at the one-third sugar break.
This morning was the third nutrient addition. I took a gravity reading afterwards, and it has plummeted to 1.053 already, which is well past the 1/3 sugar break. This was the first time I tested it since pitching, never expecting it would ferment so swiftly. My first question is, should I now forego the fourth nutrient addition?
I've read some posts here about the flavour and sugar content of lighter fruits like peaches being fully extracted after about two weeks. My second question is, is it a good idea to remove the fruit bag around that time, or rather will it harm anything to leave them in until racking to a secondary?
Thanks for reading. It smells intensely peachy and delicious so far.
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