Missed Target O.G. for my Sweet Mead....

Hey everyone,

Just finished making a Sweet Show Mead by following the recipe given in The Compleat MeadMaker. Everything went great and it is already bubbling after just one day.

Only one problem. My S.G. was 1.117 so I didn't reach my target S.G. of 1.120 - 1.130. I added just over 16 lbs. of honey, so there was plenty of honey for the target O.G. but for whatever reason in the end I had too much water in the 5 gal. carboy which ended up being quite full. Darn.

What would be the best way to make the mead more sweet for when it comes time to drink it? I'm just inbetween the O.G. for a Medium Show Mead and a Sweet Show Mead.

I thought about adding honey now but there just isn't enough room in the carboy.

Can I add more honey when I rack it? Or will it just add to the final alcohol content and not the sweetness? I dont mind a higher alcohol content I just want it to be as sweet as a true sweet mead when its time to drink.

I would rather not add potassium sorbate to stop fermentation so I can sweeten it with more honey.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[insanity]

Which Honey are you using? If it were me - I'd let it continue - but I'm lazy.

Another option might be to siphon off a pint of must and replace it with a pound or two of honey. Note: Put this must in an empty growler and you have a yeast starter for your next batch.

[Angus]

CrimsonMead,

I would let your Mead ferment through to completion, rack off the lees, cold stabilize, rack again, take the SG, then leave it for a few months to age. Test the SG again to ensure it has stopped fermenting, then when you are ready to bottle, backsweeten to taste using the same honey. Be careful not to aerate the Mead when mixing in the new honey.

To know how much honey to add, take a measured amount of Mead, and add measured amounts of honey until you reach the sweetness you are looking for. Then, you will know the ratio of honey to Mead to add to the 5 gallons.

This is, of course, if the end product before sweetening is not what you want. With your OG readings being so close to the one you were aiming for, you may find it is just right.

Angus

[seeGarzz]

Those OG numbers are really pretty close. If you don't have room to add the honey now I would follow Angus's suggestion. Let it ferment to completion and taste, it might be where you want it to be. Then adjust from there.

seeGarzz