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Do I need to repitch my yeast

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manta

manta

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 2, 2023
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1
usa
Alright so I have started my first batch of mead. I am making a cranberry jasmine mead. I have ready it can be tough to use cranberries in mead because they affect the fermentation process. Started this batch on 4-4-23 and have just racked into a second fermentation vessel. I am worried the batch is no longer fermenting. I do not see much bubbles in the mead or in the airlock. So I am wondering if I should pitch more yeast or give it a day or two. I know it may be hard to tell through pictures alone, however I couldn’t upload I video.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

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Recipe:

5lbs wildflower honey
1gal spring water
1tsp nutrients
2.5oz dried cranberries
16g jasmine tea leaves
1 5g pack redstar premier blanc yeast
 
You need to use a hydrometer to really determine if your ferment is still active. If you don't have one, they are readily available at a local brewing shop (if you have one local) or on amazon

Here's a cheap one on amazon:


Bubbles are not the way to tell if you still have an active fermentation. You take a reading with your hydrometer and wait a day or two and then take another reading. If it goes down, you're still fermenting, if it stays the same over a week or two, you are probably done. Also, if it reads 0 or close to zero, you are also probably done.

It's always good practice to use a hydrometer at the very start of a ferment, so you have a better idea of when the yeast has eaten all the sugar. But also don't forget to taste it. Your taste buds will tell you if the must is still sweet.

Also, that yeast is a hungry hungry hippo and has high alcohol potential, so if you had the fermenter in a warm location, it may very well be done. Use your nose and taste buds!
 
Ok sweet. thank you so much!!

My very first hydrometer reading came out really high. It was basically at the bottom of the hydrometer. I took it as it was saying 60? Today when I racked it the reading was 1.100. So there is definitely fermentation going on. Or at least there was prior to me racking it. So I will let it go for a week or two more and see if the hydrometer reading changes.
 

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mannye said:
You need to use a hydrometer to really determine if your ferment is still active. If you don't have one, they are readily available at a local brewing shop (if you have one local) or on amazon

Here's a cheap one on amazon:


Bubbles are not the way to tell if you still have an active fermentation. You take a reading with your hydrometer and wait a day or two and then take another reading. If it goes down, you're still fermenting, if it stays the same over a week or two, you are probably done. Also, if it reads 0 or close to zero, you are also probably done.

It's always good practice to use a hydrometer at the very start of a ferment, so you have a better idea of when the yeast has eaten all the sugar. But also don't forget to taste it. Your taste buds will tell you if the must is still sweet.

Also, that yeast is a hungry hungry hippo and has high alcohol potential, so if you had the fermenter in a warm location, it may very well be done. Use your nose and taste buds!
Click to expand...
Also how would I use the 60 hydrometer reading in calculating abv later?
And my house is almost always 65-70F
I do not have a thermometer for liquids. So I do not know the actual temp of the mead. When I touch the glass jug it is colder than my hand. But not freezing. I assume that it’s close to the 60-65 F range. What would be a good thermometer for liquid temping?
 
There are some charts you can use to figure it out, and at 5 lbs per gallon, you're looking at around 14% or maybe even more if it goes all the way dry. Next time, try keeping the honey amount in one gallon to 3.5 pounds. The Red Star can go pretty high, like to 18% so you might be OK.

Did you try a little when you racked it? How does it smell?

Let it go for another week and see if the level falls, if it does, relax and keep watching it. If not, try aerating and adding a little more water (8 or 10 ounces) and see if that will kick start it back up. If you still have too much residual sugar, then as a last resort, repitch.

I think you're gonna be OK though, but that mead will take a long time to age.
 
Ok thank you I will look into the charts for sure.

next time I will cut back on the lbs of honey. I have done some research that said the red start could go pretty high in abv. So I wanted to make sure I had enough to not have to back-sweeten on the first try. Lil afraid of doing that wrong and having a fat mess. Or messing up. But I prolly over did it. 😅

i did take a sample to see if the gravity changed or not. It started at 60, and is now 1.100. it smells like the other meads I’ve tried.

At first I thought I caught a chemical smell mixed with the sweet smell. But either I was wrong or it’s dissipated. And it tasted fine, I couldn’t taste much jasmine or cranberry though. No harsh alcohol taste either so that’s a good sign.
 
If you have another gallon jug sitting around, make a batch of JAOM. It will be ready way sooner than this batch and finishes sweet. Best part is you don't need any special yeasts or other ingredients.

Here is the recipe as written by Joe Mattioli

Joe's Ancient Orange Mead Recipe​

​

INGREDIENTS​

​

INSTRUCTIONS​

Makes 1 gallon of mead.
  1. Use a clean 1 gallon carboy.
  2. Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy.
  3. Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- its ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)#
  4. Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water. (Need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy.)
  5. Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.
  6. When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast Mead Yeast - see above>. (No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not - the yeast can fight for their own territory.)
  7. Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's. Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me.) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to smell every once in a while.

​

Recipe Notes​

Racking --- Don't you dare

additional feeding --- NO NO NO

More stirring or shaking -- You're not listening, don't touch

After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that - You are not so important after all).
Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready.


You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away).


If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated. If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be if you followed the recipe, then enjoy your mead.
 
Ok I will try that out!
I like joes humor.

How long should I age? I was thinking an extra two-three months? Is that not gonna be enough?
 
It really depends on how it tastes, but my guess is that first batch is going to be very high in alcohol and will taste "hot" OR the yeast will be overcome before it can metabolize all the honey and you will have a sweet result. Maybe too sweet, maybe just right. It's very difficult to tell. But yeah, chances are that mead is going to probably need a long time to calm down once it finishes. At least a year. But you could be pleasantly surprised.

It's only been fermenting for two weeks, and unlike the initial vigorous action, the second half of the ferment can often take another two weeks or more and it's a lot less active. But your hydrometer reading indicates a lot more sugar to ferment. My worry is that the initial load was way too high because you were way off the scale even! But don't panic, obviously that Red Star monster yeast didn't care about the high gravity and went to work. You might have left it in primary a little longer, but that's probably fine as well. I would need several notebooks to list all my mistakes when I first started. You only get better at this by doing it.
 
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