Hi everyone, I'm new to mead-making, never had training or anything, but i sure read a lot.
I have started a +-5gallon batch with the following recipe:
BATCH
21 lbs of nohey
5.25 gallons of water
3 tea spoons of nutriments (from the whinemaking store)
1 Wyeast 4184 pacquet (yes, I know...)
5 Campden tablets (put in mush 24h before pitching starter)
STARTER
Smacked the pack... and left it swell overnight, oops.
Warmed 4 cups water
1 lbs (1,33 cup) of honey (overall, same gravity as primary fermenter batch)
Waited 48h.
Original gravity was 1,11, the airlock only started bubbling after 7 days and was always around 45 seconds to a minute between bubbles.
Right now, in 28 days, it got to 1,09 gravity, the liquid is stil fizzy and no off-taste or visible nastiness.
The temerature has been 70 F (21 C).
I didnt test the acidity, but it sure doesnt taste acidic
So... again, the cursed Wyeast 4184, it is not 100% stuck, but it is worryingly slow.
What I wonder is, should I re-pitch with the same yeast or a different, tougher strand (I bought Lalvin D-43).
If I do, in each case, should i rack it off the lies first?
Either ways, I would make a starter with fresh ingredients and gradually add mush to the actif starter.
Thanks, I need help before it lactoferments :-( had high hopes for the kid...
EDIT : the nutriments are sold byt the whinemaking store, no specs on it. I added them over 9 days, first in the mush, then each 3 days.
Side note : I tried making a 1 gallon batch of a different recipe (but same kind of honey) with Lalvin 1118 and no Campden and it stuck too... it even lactofermented before I decided to rack it and tastes of vinegar :-/
I have started a +-5gallon batch with the following recipe:
BATCH
21 lbs of nohey
5.25 gallons of water
3 tea spoons of nutriments (from the whinemaking store)
1 Wyeast 4184 pacquet (yes, I know...)
5 Campden tablets (put in mush 24h before pitching starter)
STARTER
Smacked the pack... and left it swell overnight, oops.
Warmed 4 cups water
1 lbs (1,33 cup) of honey (overall, same gravity as primary fermenter batch)
Waited 48h.
Original gravity was 1,11, the airlock only started bubbling after 7 days and was always around 45 seconds to a minute between bubbles.
Right now, in 28 days, it got to 1,09 gravity, the liquid is stil fizzy and no off-taste or visible nastiness.
The temerature has been 70 F (21 C).
I didnt test the acidity, but it sure doesnt taste acidic
So... again, the cursed Wyeast 4184, it is not 100% stuck, but it is worryingly slow.
What I wonder is, should I re-pitch with the same yeast or a different, tougher strand (I bought Lalvin D-43).
If I do, in each case, should i rack it off the lies first?
Either ways, I would make a starter with fresh ingredients and gradually add mush to the actif starter.
Thanks, I need help before it lactoferments :-( had high hopes for the kid...
EDIT : the nutriments are sold byt the whinemaking store, no specs on it. I added them over 9 days, first in the mush, then each 3 days.
Side note : I tried making a 1 gallon batch of a different recipe (but same kind of honey) with Lalvin 1118 and no Campden and it stuck too... it even lactofermented before I decided to rack it and tastes of vinegar :-/
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