Pineapple Melomel overshot the mark! Add more honey?

10 days ago, I started a Pineapple Melomel using the following recipe, which I gleaned from the Brewboard site (http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=11201), making a few adaptations along the way. Here's the recipe I used:

Pineapple Melomel (6-1/2 gallons)
22# Wildflower Honey
3 pineapples (6 pounds of pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in small chunks)
2 packets of Lalvin 71B-1122 Champagne yeast (projected 14% ABV)
4-1/2 gallons filtered water
6-1/2 tsp of DAP/Nutrient
4-1/2 tsp of Energizer/Fermaid-K

Original SG.: 1.125
Target SG: 1.018 to 1.025
pH: 3.87

I followed an aeration and nutrient regime I worked out with Chevette Girl, akueck and others in this thread: http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19409

Basically, I added 1/2 the Energizer/Fermaid-K at pitch, added 1/2 the DAP/Nutrient at the end of the lag phase and then mixed the remainder of the nutrients/energizers and dosed the must with it during aeration for the first three days of primary fermentation.

The fermentation has been a vigorous one. Initially, because of the addition of the fruit, the pH dropped from 3.87 to 2.96 by the third day; I added 2 tsp of calcium carbonate to bring it back to about 3.7.

It is now 10 days later and I noted a severe drop in activity (based upon the bubbles in the airlock); in fact, it is almost zero. Being concerned and not having checked its SG and pH for about 4 days, I pulled a sample to check it and found that:

SG: 1.000 <----- !!!!
pH: 3.8

It appears to have fermented to complete dryness! This is not what I wanted (or expected from the 71B-1122 yeast). I wanted a final gravity of about 1.020; obviously, I'm about 20 points below that.

My first impulse was to mix another quart or two of honey into a small amount of water and then gently stir it into the must to give the yeast something to eat and to pump the SG up to the medium/medium-sweet target point I wanted. But I thought better (or worse) of it and decided that it would be best to consult others before letting my uncommon sense run away with me. I feel some sense of urgency; after all, my friends (the yeasts) are in there starving and, therefore, subject to stress ...

I tasted it; it doesn't taste bad; it is dry but not unpleasantly so and it has that slightly medicinal taste that pretty much every batch of 71B-1122 I've made has had before aging, but the taste is not bad at all.

So my immediate question is "What, if anything, can I do to recover the SG in the must without ruining it?" Is adding more honey a viable option here? If not, is back-sweetening my only other option?

My longer-term and more profound question (to the degree that I am capable of profundity) is: "How can I better calculate my original gravity?"

We assume that a good fermentation will drop the SG of a must by about 100 points (from 1.124 to 1.024, for example) and establish our original gravity accordingly but this rule of thumb does not take into account the varying amounts of ABV produced by different yeasts. I've been pondering what a better formula might be and I have some ideas that I'll post to this thread later; right now it's the beginning of a very busy workday and I'm already running late. (Actually, it is not unlikely that others have worked this out and I just don't know it yet ... so please tell me.)

Any words of wisdom or advice as to how I can raise the gravity (and sweetness) of this mead (or any other words of wisdom) will be gratefully read and carefully considered!

Thanks to All!

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful replies; I very much appreciate them.

There ought to be a way to factor in the yeast's characteristics into the equation.

It occurred to me that one could use the yeast manufacturer's alcohol tolerance level (14% in the case of 71B-1122) in conjunction with the specific gravity to calculate this. For example, the 14% that 71B-1122 uses represents about .108 in terms of SG. Therefore, if one wanted a sweet mead, one would add another .012 to .020 to this to get a target original gravity of 1.120 to 1.128.

Having said that (and presuming that the logic is ... well ... logical), the over-production of alcohol you have both pointed out seems to be a fact here. My initial mead-making efforts (before I found GotMead.com I worked solely from Ken Schramm's book) seemed to produce very predictable results, in terms of SG and alcohol. I'm inclined to think that part of the difference is the regime of nutrition and aeration I've learned here. I'm considering factoring that in, in future batches by adding another 10 points or so to my original gravity when using this feeding/aeration regime. What do you think?

I like your approach, triarchy, of using 'stop-and-back-sweeten', though I don't like using yeast-killing chemicals (or any unnecessary chemicals) in my meads. Also I want this one to be sparkling, so I'd like to leave them in there, rather than kill them all off and then add more of them. Open to anyone's thoughts on this ...

Rather a pressing question on my mind is 'should I rack now?' to get the mead off the yeast before it becomes stressed? 10 days seems awfully early, but ...

Again, thanks very much for sharing!

Another Question or Two ... and Many Thanks!

After the last time I posted, I waited and measured yeast activity; it continued to bubble every couple of minutes and its SG remained at 1.000 ... So yesterday I racked it into a carboy. It tasted 'hot' and somewhat medicinal but I expect (and fervently hope) that this will level out over time. It didn't taste much like pineapple but the area sure smelled like pineapple! I read a number of postings on brewblogs by people who have made pineapple melomels; most of them said that the must was 'undrinkable' or 'terrible' until it had aged. Then it became anything from wonderful to ambrosial ... I hope mine will follow the latter path.

Having now racked this mead, should I (in your opinions) stabilize it now or should I allow it to take its course in the secondary? Or does it matter? I've never stabilized a mead before; any words of wisdom?

Another question ... how long can one leave a must on the lees, especially in the primary fermentation? The NewBee Guide advises racking at about 2 bubbles/minute, while the yeast is still fairly active. On the other hand, Ken Schramm's book says 'once all activity has ceased'.

I realize that there are a number of variables, here, including the honey, the yeast, the kind of mead, etc., but is there some rule of thumb about how quickly one should (or how slowly one could) get the mead off of the lees? Or how soon the lees will decompose, imparting off-flavors (or worse) to the mead?

Not long ago, I got a chunk of frozen pineapple out of the freezer and tasted it followed by a thin sliver of ginger root; it was AMAZING! If this melomel turns out OK, I'm going to divide it into three 2-gallon carboys and try adding a hint of ginger to one of them and, perhaps, vanilla to another.

This morning, I read back through this thread and I'd just like to express my gratitude to you all for sharing your knowledge and experience. I really appreciate it.

Have a Wonderful Day!

A Follow-up - In the Spirit of Scientific Inquiry (among other things)

It is now about 6 weeks since I started the Pineapple Melomel that prompted this thread. I thought it would be useful to follow up on the status of that mead and report a little additional experimentation.

Last time I reported, the must had gone from 1.124 to 1.000 in 11 days, using the nutrient regime worked out with Chevette Girl, akuek and others. Per TAKeyser's advice, I let it sit for another 4 or 5 days and, as it remained at 1.000, I racked it to a glass carboy and let it sit for 5 weeks; then I racked it again about a week ago. It is now aging. I tasted it and, though it tastes a bit 'hot', it has a wonderful aroma and after-taste and I shall be surprised if it doesn't turn out very well (albeit drier than I planned). I'll report back later.

In fact, it tasted so good that I felt impelled to make another one, attempting to compensate for the yeast's 'overshooting the mark' last time. This time, I followed the same recipe given above with a couple of modifications. The recipe is:

Recipe - Pineapple Melomel (6-1/2 gallons)
27# Pumpkin Blossom Honey
7 pineapples, peeled, cored and cut in very small chunks
2 packets of Lalvin 71B-1122 Champagne yeast (projected 14% ABV)
5 gallons filtered water
6-1/2 tsp of DAP/Nutrient
5 tsp of Energizer/Fermaid-K

The nutrient regime was:
1) 2-1/4 tsp Energizer/Fermaid-K at pitch
2) 3-1/4 tsp DAP/Nutrient at the end of lag phase
3) 6 tsp of mixed DAP/Energizer, administered 1 tsp per aeration (twice/day) while punching down the fruit cap

Original SG: 1.140
Original pH: 3.92

You can see that I increased both the honey and the pineapple significantly. I raised the original gravity to 1.140 to try to compensate for the yeast's having consumed ALL of the sugars in the first batch and I added more pineapples because ... well ... they're so GOOD!

They had a sale on Maui Gold Extra-Sweet pineapples at my local food co-op and, by coincidence, I was wearing a shirt I picked up in Maui last time I was there. I volunteer, at my co-op, and while working there that day, a couple from Oahu walked in, recognized the shirt and we chatted. They helped me pick out the best pineapples in the place. For those who want to try this recipe but don't know the inside scoop on choosing pineapples, here are some guidelines:
1) The pineapple should feel slightly soft around the base
2) The base should smell of pineapple somewhat
3) You should be able to pull out one of the inside leaves (of the crown) with a gentle pull
4) There should not be any black spots or soft spots (which indicate bruises)

I pitched the current must two days ago (4-25-2012) in the evening and waited anxiously. The yeast went WILD! This is easily the strongest fermentation I have ever seen. By morning, (Day 1, Aeration 1) the activity was so constant that, using an S-shaped airlock, bubble count could only be estimated. Noted that, aerating and feeding twice a day per the regime worked out earlier, the CO2 production was so great that the flow of CO2 was almost uninterrupted in the lock. At the first feeding/aeration (9:30am) the pH had dropped to 3.4 and gravity had dropped 40 points, from 1.140 to 1.100

At the second feeding/aeration (10:30pm), the pH had dropped to 3.02; used 4 tsp of Calcium Carbonate to bring it back to 3.84. Specific gravity had dropped another 35 points, from 1.100, in the morning, to 1.065 last night.

In other words, this must has gone through the 1/3 sugar break and the 2/3 sugar break in about 24 hours. This may not be unusual but I have never seen it before. And, at the rate it is currently going, I shan't be surprised if this mead, too, goes to a fairly low final gravity. I'm glad I added the extra honey!

This morning (Day 2, aeration 1), the must measures:
Current Gravity: 1.054
Current pH: 3.72

I guess I'm wondering if there is such a thing as an overly-aggressive nutrient regime. Or if the alcohol production figures for yeasts are even more nebulous than I imagined. Or if I should even worry about things like this. If this one goes low, I may find myself drifting towards triarchy's persuasion; regarding the stated ABV as a minimum and back-sweetening as necessary.

I will report the final gravity of this mead in this thread to help others using this recipe to gauge the yeast's consumption of sugars and, perhaps, compensate accordingly.

At any rate, it smells and tastes heavenly and, barring the unforeseen, I know I shall be a happy camper with this mead ... even if I'm not camping!

NOTE: I can see that I've kind of drifted from 'troubleshooting thread' to a virtual mead-log, here. Perhaps I should start another 'Mead Log' thread for this but it seemed so closely connected that I felt impelled to do this as an addition; if I'm violating forum etiquette, let me know.

Chevette Girl said:

Well, apparently the yeasties LOVED your pineapple selection I don't think I've had a fermentation that fast but I'm pretty sure AToE has reported the odd 24-hour fermentation.

Although given that this yeast is only rated for 14%, I wouldn't be surprised to see it slowing down in the near future... But what a great start! ;D

Click to expand...

Thanks for that encouraging word. I think you're right and that it's the pineapple they are going mad for. I was really pleased with the activity but wasn't sure I should be, if you take my meaning. It is still cranking away so fast that bubbles don't really have time to form before they are gone; any faster and it would just be a stream of gas!

I'll keep monitoring, though, and report back periodically. Again, thanks!

Thanks, also, for the signature tag-line; some very good (and very apt) perspective.

This evening (Day 2, aeration 2), the must measures:
Current Gravity: 1.036
Current pH: 3.86

The yeast is partying hearty without pause; within 5 minutes of degassing, feeding and aerating, I had over 456 bubbles/minute (standard S-shaped airlock). Within 15 minutes, the bubbles were no longer countable.

The Specific Gravity has gone:

Pitch Day (overnight) - 1.140 to 1.100
Day 1 - 1.100 to 1.052
Day 2 - 1.052 to 1.036

Good Night, All!

One More Question - About Aeration

As you predicted, Chevette Girl, the fermentation has collapsed (relatively speaking). It's now down from 450 bubbles/minute to about 120 bbls/min.

This evening (Day 3, aeration 2), the must measures:
Current Gravity: 1.022
Current pH: 4.13

The Specific Gravity history looks like this:
Pitch Day (overnight) - 1.140 to 1.100
Day 1 - 1.100 to 1.052
Day 2 - 1.052 to 1.036
Day 3 - 1.036 to 1.022

As I mentioned, today is Day 3 from the pitch. I've been following the regime that Chevette Girl, akuek and others helped me work out, (see link above) combined with the NewBees guide that recommends feeding the fermentation for the first 3 days. The idea, as I understand it, is that aeration should take place during the reproductive phase and that NO oxygen should be allowed, after that, in order to prevent sherry-like and other off-flavors.

This fermentation has gone incredibly quickly. As I was giving the mead its last aeration (naturally - I always think of things like this once the plane's wheels have left the ground) the following question occurred to me. The three day period may be meaningless, in a situation where most of the action occurs in the first three days. This raises the question; is there some other criterion that I can use to determine when to stop aerating in situations such as this?

The LAST thing I want to do is take this awesome-looking pineapple mead and make pineapple sherry out of it! I hope to heck I haven't done so already!

Thanks to all for any perspective you can shed on this question!

A little more research has not entirely cleared this question up for me. Some recipes call for aerating until the 1/3rd sugar break; others for the 1/2 sugar break; others for 3-5 days. Clearly, though, this one caught me off-guard and I may have ruined it on that account. My mead-making form will henceforth include a warning not to aerate after the 1/2 sugar-break has been reached. Or should it? What is a sensible stopping point in your opinions?

Naturally, I'm kind of freaked thinking that I may have just succeeded in making 6 gallons of pineapple sherry. I'm trying hard to stick to Chevette Girl's tag line (Charlie Papazian's "don't worry about your mead") but it's 'hard, cruel hard' when you've put all this love and attention into making a heavenly mead only to find you've botched it. Or may have botched it ...

Have you ever over-aerated before? How forgiving is the mead in this situation? I have basically aerated twice a day (oxygen for 3 minutes each time) for two days into the fermentation phase.

It still smells good and you can imagine that I am treating it with great care, now; not sloshing or allowing any oxygen contact if I can help it and gently pressing the fruit cap down into the must to moisten it when 'punching down' the cap (not stirring or sloshing). In the long run, of course, I'll find out. I guess I just want to know if I should start another batch and do it RIGHT, this time.

Thank you all for your advice on this and the many other questions I've asked!

P.S. - the current mead (or sherry) is now bubbling at about 60 bubbles/minute; about 1/2 of what it was last night; it was 450 or so three nights ago!