Am i stalled or has fermentation just run it's course?

ohiobr · Oct 30, 2010

1 gallon batch:
3lbs of raw clover honey
1 white peach
1tsp of yeast nutrient
spring water
Lalvin 71B-1122
Kept between 70-60* F
SG at the start was 1.1 (don't have current one but will tomorrow when i rack)

It bubbled good and strong for 2 weeks then started slowing down. Today (25 days after pitch) I checked it, there were no more bubbles and the water in the airlock had evened out in both chambers.

akueck · Oct 30, 2010

Hi and Welcome!

Once you take your SG reading, you'll know if it's stuck or not. Two weeks is certainly time enough to ferment to completion, given the right conditions.

Brad Dahlhofer · Oct 30, 2010

Sounds like it might be done, but let your hydrometer be your guide. 71B will easily go to 14-15% ABV. We typically get a full fermentation within 2 weeks at the meadery. Sounds like your on your way to some great mead.

Cheers,

ohiobr · Oct 30, 2010

Racking done

abv at 14% ;D

It's very dry and has a strong yeast smell.

I expect the yeast smell to go away but will it sweeten up at all or is that something I'm going to have to do when bottling?

fatbloke · Oct 30, 2010

ohiobr said:
Racking done

abv at 14% ;D

It's very dry and has a strong yeast smell.

I expect the yeast smell to go away but will it sweeten up at all or is that something I'm going to have to do when bottling?

Often a dry(ish) taste will fade some, but you'd need to check prior to doing anything else with it.

You may find that the yeast taste you mention either fades of actually throws another sediment.

The flavour might change considerably during ageing but if you're sort of planning on back sweetening anyway, it would normally be done before bottling - which is usually the last thing to be done..... apart from the ageing of course.....

regards

fatbloke

AToE · Oct 30, 2010

I find that the impression of sweetness does indeed often come back after 8 or 10 months. Backsweeting is a fine option though if a half a year from now you still find it too dry for your tastes. If you do this, you'll have to stabilize the mead with suphite and sorbate to ensure that fermentation doesn't start up again and give you bottle bombs. Do some searching for stabilizing advice on this forum and you'll find lots. You'll want to stabilize, wait a day or two (I believe) then backsweeten to taste, then wait a couple weeks of making sure the SG doesn't move after backsweetening.

epetkus · Oct 31, 2010

I'll echo AToE's comments.

Sweetness (or the impression of it), does indeed reassert itself around 10 months, so if you want a sweeter mead, I suggest waiting until then.

Eric

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Am i stalled or has fermentation just run it's course?

ohiobr

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akueck

Certified Mead Mentor

Brad Dahlhofer

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ohiobr

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fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....

AToE

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epetkus

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