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Apple pie mead questions

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kyleyandell

NewBee
Registered Member
May 10, 2013
3
0
0
Hello this is my first time making mead and I decides to try out apple pie. I have a 1 gallon carboy with 3lbs of honey and slightly leas than 1 gallon of apple cider, I also put 50 raisins and 2 tablespoons Brown sugar. My question is, it there too much sugar for the yeast?

My second question is; I shook my carboy with must inside and uncorked to place the airlock on, as I uncorked the must exploded out the top, I lost about a cup of fluid. I added some more yeast and and a tsp of energizer. Is my mead ruined?
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Ruined ? No.

As for the rest of your question ? A bit hard to judge or advise as there's no yeast listed.

So if you post a full list of all ingredients, what you've done with them and details of any measurements or readings taken, I'm sure one of us will be happy to point you in the right direction......

Welcome to tbe forums....
 

kyleyandell

NewBee
Registered Member
May 10, 2013
3
0
0
1 gallon apple cider, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 50 rainsins, 6 grannysmith apples(sliced), 3 lbs clover honey, 1 package (5 grams) ret star montrachet wine yeast. I put all ingredients into the carboy, pitched the yeast and let it sit one day, I noticed that there was a layer on the bottom of something so I decided to shake it. That'd when it blew up. I then decided to add half a pack of yeast more and a teaspoon of energizer along with 1/2 a cup of cider
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
The short answer is Yes, there may be too much sugar.

Apple juice usually has a gravity of around 1.045. Adding 3 pounds of honey to a gallon of must will produce around 100 gravity points so your starting gravity was probably around 1.145. Montrachet generally doesn't like starting that high and as a result, it will probably poop out early - so it may not ferment to its full 13% ABV (even with the apples which tend to supercharge the yeast). If it does get to 13% you'll still be left with a final gravity of around 1.045. That will be on the syrupy-sweet end of the spectrum. If you like really sweet wines, then you are OK.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
53
48
Ottawa, ON
No, your mead's not ruined because it exploded... And we've learned never to shake a closed container of must after pitching the yeast, whether it looks like it's doing anything or not :)

Although the explosion does suggest that SOMETHING's going on... my recommendation would be to dilute it with water or apple cider, maybe 1/4 gallon of water or 1/3 the total volume if you use cider according to the mead calculator, if my assumptions are correct that adding a full gallon of cider to 3 lb of honey gives you around 1.2-1.3 gallons.

And if you're trying to get it to go with a wine yeast, perhaps also some microwaved bread yeast if you can't get your hands on commercial nutrients or energizer.

If you want to use another wine yeast at the concentration you've got, I'd recommend looking up "acclimated starter". Although if you use bread yeast to ferment like Thawk suggests, I wouldn't bother using a starter, just chuck it in and cross your fingers like a JAO :)
 

spectre

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 4, 2013
21
0
0
Western Norway
I see you are making a applepie mead. I have one thing you can try, something that work for me. Add a piece of whole cinnamon, tie a fishing line to it so you can fish it out when the time is right.

When is the time right? Well, that is for you to taste. You are only trying to impart a subtle cinnamon warmth to it, not a defined taste, more of a mouthfeel.

Just a tip, take a small sample if your main batch and experiment. That is what makes this hobby great :D
 
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