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Adding more honey?

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Ahks

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 7, 2011
7
0
0
Motown Suburbia
Hi, came across reddit.com/r/mead, got curious, went shopping...

In my excitement to get the project and possible future hobby rolling full steam ahead I may have only dumped half the honey into my must...

I searched around for my specific questions but using the term "honey" in any search regarding mead is difficult to say the least.

Recipe, etc before my question...
Used JAO as a guide but deviated dramatically as I can't follow instructions to save my life, ask my girlfriend

1 gallon batch.
1 jug of spring water
half a bag of ocean spray "cherry" craisins
half a box of raisins
bread yeast (non quick rise)
2lbs of honey (i think... I knew that I needed 3.5ish lbs and the grocery store only has 2lb bottles on the shelf, but i could have swore i got a 4lb bottle and just dumped it all in there)

I did this on the cheap with VERY well rinsed, bleach sterilized hardware.

I added yeast evening of the 5th of November (4days ago), I could still see plenty of activity when I checked on it this morning..

Questions:
If I did only put 2lbs in at the start, what would the effect be on the final product as stands?

If I did only put 2lbs in at the start, what would be the effect on the end product of adding another pound an a half or 2 pounds now? I would have to rack it off into a new fermentor as this jug doesn't have the space for it.

If I did only put 2lbs in at the start, what would the effect be on the final product if I backsweeten with honey after fermentation ceases?

If I did 4lbs in at the start, what would be the effect of adding another 1.5-2lbs?

To give you an idea of what I would most enjoy the outcome of this project to be? I don't like "hot" booze. I prefer a sweeter drink. For example, the only wine I enjoy at all is cheap Moscato's... :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance for any help :)

edit: I just picked up a hydrometer from a LHBS today and haven't taken ANY readings.
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Hi, Ahks! Welcome to "Gotmead!"

First thing I'd suggest that you do is to read the Newbee Guide to making mead, which is something you can get to via the link over on the left side of this page. It will provide you with all you need to know about getting your next batch started.

Now on to this batch. If you truly added only 1/2 of the honey that your recipe called for, then your mead will finish dry (i.e. with no residual sugar) and at about 1/2 the amount of alcohol that the original recipe was targeted for. That may result in a rather thin tasting mead, but some of those light alcohol meads (otherwise known as "hydromels") can be drinkable very soon after fermentation. However, if you want to get the recipe back to what it was originally supposed to be, you can go ahead and add the rest of the honey now. Take care to stir it in to make sure the honey dissolves, but stir slowly since the built up CO2 in solution could cause a foamy eruption if you stir too aggressively. Also, although it is OK to add honey to a partially fermented low gravity must like this one, that will cause some stress on your yeast which could result in slowing down the fermentation, or could result in some harsh flavors that may take a while to age out of the resulting mead. For more information on this, search the forum using our search tool, for the term "step feeding" (you don't need the quotes).

Good luck with this batch, and glad you've found the hobby!
 
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