• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

Superfood, Wyeast Nutrients, Fermaid-k and yeast

Barrel Char Wood Products

robsauce

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 31, 2009
12
0
0
Seeing as I'm a newb, I'll post this in the newb forum. Hopefully I don't get flamed for it being in the incorrect forum. :p

I don't have an exact recipe decided yet but have been searching various Cherry Melomel recipes for my first mead attempt (other than a mangled JOAM I have on the go - thats a different story :p). In reading various posts and recipes I've seen most recipes and experts recommend staggering Fermaid-K and DAP at the lag phase, the 1/3 and 1/2 sugar breaks (I really like hightests honey spreadsheet as it breaks everything down nicely for SNA based on your ingredients, OG etc.). Now, my main problem is finding fermaid-k and go-ferm as they are not available at any LHBS, nor anywhere in Canada for that matter(unless someone can show me differently). However I do have Wyeast nutrient blend that I purchased for making beer previously and one of my LHBS has a generic yeast super food available. Would either of these make suitable substitutions for the Fermaid-K? If I do use one of the above mentioned products would it still be necessary to use DAP. I guess my main problem is the majority of the posts, info, write-ups, etc. for staggered nutrient additions seem to specifically use Fermaid-k and DAP exclusively and I'm worried about making a substitution and screwing something up. Finding the DAP isn't an issue as its readily available.

Now I have found many online shops in the states such as morewine.com which sell go-ferm and fermaid-k but for $10 in product I'm going to pay $30 in shipping. I'm wondering if one of the nutrients available to me would be suitable thus saving myself 3-4x the cost of the products? And if so, does anyone have any recommendations on how to stagger the nutrient/energizer when not using Fermaid-k?

Also, using go-ferm during yeast rehydration is often recommended but how necessary is it? If the info helps: once again I'm mostly limited to 1116 and 1118 as yeast types as I can't find anything else at any nearby LHBS.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
You can use other nutrients without making a mess of things, but Fermaid K, and the other Lallemand products are reliable, consistent, and tailored for their yeast. The fact that most folks here use them, despite very different styles and approaches, speaks volumes about how well they work.

There is a useful thread with links Here comparing various nutrients. According to this Fermaid-K has about 39% more Nitrogen per equal weight, so you need to bump up the amount of Superfood to reach the equivalent nitrogen dose. Superfood Plus contains slightly more nitrogen than Fermaid K. Where DAP is called for, it will still be needed. I'm not sure about the Wyeast nutrient and its contents.

I hope that helps.

Medsen
 

ndbrewlady

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 18, 2008
171
1
0
59
Burlington, ND
BTW, you can buy fermaid K at Austin Homebrew, their shipping is only 6.99, you have to wait longer to get it but cheap. More wine when you spend 59 or over has free shipping (course you wait longer). Being in North Dakota I have to ship a bit and compare prices all over. ;)
 

robsauce

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 31, 2009
12
0
0
Austin homebrew :eek: I'll have to check them out and see if that $6.99 applies to us Canadians.

Do many people order yeast online and get it shipped? If so how does it do via shipping as most yeast is supposed to be kept refrigerated.
 

ndbrewlady

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 18, 2008
171
1
0
59
Burlington, ND
Nope UPS rates to Canada, might want to look at Midwest since they are in Minneapolis might not be that bad. Never shipped to Canada. I have had some yeast shipped that came with ice packs.
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Northern Brewer is also up in Minnesota. Might be worth doing some comparison shopping.

Active dry yeasts don't usually suffer much from the relatively brief time spent in transit, unless the weather is exceptionally hot. The liquid packs and vials that I've gotten from mail order usually come with a small cold-pak, as ndbrewlady has also seen.
 
B

Bryan Karns

Guest
Guest
Hello all.
I've been lurking on the forums for awhile and have finally got to the point of starting my first batch of mead. Gonna go traditional for now with some orange juice (small amount first about 4 oz) in secondary.

1.5G batch
Spring water
4lb 5oz of honey
D47 yeast (dry)
Sg goal of 1.010 abv

The only thing holding me back right now is that I was going to SNA with fermaid O.
Unfortunately Fermaid O and Fermaid K are unavailable at my LHBS. So I ended up with Superfood Plus for my yeast nutrient through fermentation. How should I dose this for SNA? And how much. I dont want to have a crappy first batch because I dosed wrong.

Label on Superfood Plus reads as follows:

"Yeast Nutrient for 20 gallons Juice or 200 LBS Grapes
Use: 1/2 tsp. Per gallon juice or 10 lbs grapes
(Contains: Superfood, Plus extra DAP & Supervit"
 

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
Welcome to the forums, Bryan
Check the nutrients. For what i read they should be a brown powder with white cristals. If its so, its ok, and similar to Fermaid K (which is what most people use here)
Dont follow the advice on the label. For that volume and ammount of honey some people use around 2.5 tsp. Add one at 24h, 48h and half at 72h, more or less. But some people use some ammount and some others. You should, at least for next batches do some search about TiOSNA (by TiOSNA you should add 3-4 grams, in case you can measure that weight) or Fermaid K.
With that recipe you will need more honey to get a FG of 1.010. Make sure to rehidrate the yeast properly! And if you have not done it yet, read the newbee guide of gotmead page.
Good luck with your mead
By the way, instead of reviving a 2009 thread next time start a new one :p
 
B

Bryan Karns

Guest
Guest
It is tan in color but i see no crystals in it.
So i am gathering that i should just pretend it is fermaid k for dosing via TIOSNA?
Oh and i tried starting a new thread but i wasnt allowed:(
 

Dadux

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2016
725
3
18
Spain, Europe
Yeah i got the SG/FG, no problem.
Your nutrient has a bit more DAP so its lower quality than fermaid K but not bad. If you can at some point grab fermaid O or K, but its ok using superfood plus so use that first. I myself use the wyeast nutrient and asume its like fermaid K
For nost things assume its fermaid K and you will be ok. But with nutrients the safest thing is to tweak them yourself to what you feel is right. Use TiOSNA as a starting point but dont be afraid to develop your own SNA.
About the thread, you must be, unless you didnt verify your account or something. You got to enter one of the subforums (example "General Recipe Discussion" then click on the "post new thread" button). Some subforums you cant enter because you are not a Patron but others you can. If that does not work, email an admin i guess...
 
B

Bryan Karns

Guest
Guest
Awsome. Thanks for the help. Will start batch soon. Just got some local raw orange honey that tastes awsome. At 30.50 for 6 lbs seemed fairly priced. I look forward to posting more questions when batch has begun. Changing SG to 1.115 for a FG of 1.010. Says around 5g of honey for 1.5g of must. I'll add till at target. Again thanks for input.
 
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns