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First Ferment Questions

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Jonnyroquette

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2019
8
0
0
This is my first post and first ferment. I'm making 2 - 1 gallon batches of very basic mead, one dry and one sweet. I'm using lalvin IVC-D47 and it's supposed to have a 12 to 14% ABV tolarance. So using the calculator, I figure the dryer one should die off at about 1.005 - .998 and the sweeter one should die off at about 1.010 - 1.020...I've got everything mixed and will be ready to pitch tomorrow morning. Am I on the right track?

Starter
1 c Water
2.5 Tbsp Honey
½ packet of yeast - Lalvin IVC - D47
⅛ tsp yeast nutrient

Sanitize
Boil water
Stir in honey
Cool to 65°
Stir in yeast and nutrient
Let sit for 12 hours

Mead

Dry
Sg 1.103 - Target
1.3 kg / 2lb 14.2 oz honey
About 3 qt 3 oz water

Sweet
SG 1.112 - Target
1.417 kg / 3lb 2oz Honey
About 3 qt Water

Sanitize
Bring 2qt water and honey up to 150°-175°
Hold there for 15 to 20 minutes
Skim off the foam (not much there)
Cool to room temp (68° - 70°)
Move to fermenter
Pitch starter
Whisk to aerate
Cap and airlock
 

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Nov 3, 2014
5,542
261
83
Denver
That yeast will eat both of the gravities bone dry. Also. Don't add anything in your rehydration if you're not going to start with Go-ferm. The just use chlorine free water. Your nutrients have DAP in them. Dap is toxic at the place you want to use it, so please don't. Wait until the yeast has been wet for a few minutes before you add anything. I wouldn't use any food until the yeast has moved out of the lag phase first.

use it at all
 

Jonnyroquette

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2019
8
0
0
Got it, I'll rehydrate another packet. I can use the nutrient at a later stage, if it's needed? Can I stabilize the sweeter fermentation at the desired gravity, is there a better yeast to use, or backsweeten?
 
D

Devin Petry-Johnson

Guest
Guest
Got it, I'll rehydrate another packet. I can use the nutrient at a later stage, if it's needed? Can I stabilize the sweeter fermentation at the desired gravity, is there a better yeast to use, or backsweeten?

Welcome to the forums.

The yeast you have is fine. You will probably want to add the nutrient once fermentation is going because there are no nutrients in the honey. Yes, it's best to stabilize to reduce the chances of the fermentation restarting at a later time. It can be beneficial even for the dry mead because the sulfites will help prevent against oxidation. It's not recommended to try to stop an active fermentation at a desired gravity because it might not be successful, but you can try. I think it's better to plan for the yeast to stop on their own (because they have eaten all the sugars or because they have reached their top alcohol limit) and then stabilize and sweeten if needed.

I hope that helps. Cheers.
 

Jonnyroquette

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2019
8
0
0
Update:

Its now been 33 days since pitch. After my first post, Read up on nutrients, DAP, Goferm , and tosna. I'm not sure how I missed that in my weeks of reading previous to starting my batches, so thanks for the save :) Everything has gone great so far, I'm nearing the end of primary. I've listened to the Podcast and especially the 4 part of making modern mead with Ryan. I rehydrated with GoFerm, followed tosna and been taking gravitys every 5 to 7 days (mostly because its my first batch and I wanted to see the progress first hand.) Here is where I am now...

The "Dry" batch has been at 1.010 for 5 days now. There is a decent layer of lees at the bottom though I have been rousing and degasing daily since I stopped aerating. Its been tasting great so far but last night i noticed an offenseive flavor up front. I can't tell if it's sulpher or just a immature taste. It has kind of a hot alcohol feel as well. Either way I stired the hell out of it until it couldn't release any more co2.

The "Sweet" batch is at 1.020 and has continued to drop but has the same strange upfront flavor as described above. though less so because the honey takes over pretty quickly, I'm guessing because of the higher residual sugars.

Should I rack the "Dry" batch and rouse the fine lees,or should I leave it in primary and continue to rouse the gross lees for a while longer.

Sent from my SM-T387AA using Tapatalk
 

Jonnyroquette

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2019
8
0
0
I need a little advice... I'm on day 33 of this fermentation. After my last post I read up on nutrition, goferm and tosna. Pitched the yeast and followed tosna on both gallons. I tasted them regularly throughout fermentation, it's been pretty slow and steady, and they've always had a pleasant flavor. Now, today I roused and degased, stole a 2ml taste and it seemed off. I stirred like crazy, until it wouldn't foam any more and then some. Tasted again, much better. I think I might have an SO problem?

The lower Gravity batch is at 1.010 (13.06 abv) and has been for 5 days now.

The higher gravity one is at 1.020 (12.82 abv) and seems to be still dropping by 0.010(ish) a week.

I've kept the must temp at 63-65 the whole time.

Should I rack it off of the gross lees and let it finish up in secondary? Or, just keep degasing it really well until it finishes?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Nov 3, 2014
5,542
261
83
Denver
If you rack it off the biomass, you're removing most of your soldiers and will have a had time winning the war. You can't add the YAN too late in the fermentor it won't get assimilated. At what point did you start feeding it? Gravity? Describe the "off flavor" as the sugar disappears it can become sour or tart or even acidic. I'm not so sure that's what you're tasting.
 

Jonnyroquette

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2019
8
0
0
For the lower Gravity batch (OG 1.109) I added 3.25g of goferm at rehydration and 1.7 g of fermaid k and 3.2 g of DAP TOTAL in 4 doses. Day 1,2 and 3 and at 1/3 break which happened at day 6

For the higher Gravity one (OG 1.118), it was 3.25g of goferm at rehydration and 1.9 g of fermaid k and 3.6 g of DAP TOTAL in 4 doses. On the same schedule as above except the 1/3 break came on day 7.

Current ph is right above 3.0 for both.

The flavor is kind of a hot alcohol mixed with a slight bitterness.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
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