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hydrometer reading has not changed

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seansr81

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 28, 2012
6
0
0
After a week i took the hydrometer reading and it was the same as it was when i first started. during the week i airated it by swirling it i even seen bubbles coming out of the airlock. i have a felling the yeast is dead,,LOL. would it hurt if i switched it to another carboy and added a small packet of dry yeast? i am making a 3 gallon kit the yeast i originally used was WYEAST sweet mead yeast. when i pitched the yeast the pouch looked swollen enough. im kinda at a stand still here.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
I've had to do that the 3 times I've tried to use that yeast.......

Don't worry about changing carboys. Just aerate the hell out of it, then rehydrate a dry yeast as per the instructions and pitch it. I'd suggest something with teeth, like K1-V1116.
 

Nverinder716

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 14, 2012
11
0
0
Staunton, VA
Interesting that I should find this thread on the night I'm having the SAME problem. Only one difference: I'm using Wyeast's DRY mead/cider yeast (1 gallon batch, wildflower honey, juniper berries, pekoe tea as a base for the must). Fermentation took off like a shot, and just tapered off slowly until it came to a dead stop after about 32 days, beginning to clear after about 28. Plenty of lees in the bottom, all the signs of a good fermentation. Racked into the secondary tonight, and took a reading: 1.000 exactly. Water. I've painstakingly created honey flavored water with expensive ingredients. Any ideas on what might have gone wrong? I'm at a loss...:mad:
 

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
No. You're wrong.
What you have is a beverage with the same density as water.
Add light ethanol to water, the density decreases. Add sugar to that and it increases.

So you added sugar to water, fermented most all of it and the sugar/ethanol balance has stopped at 1.000.

This will probably be quite dry tasting.
Usually the lowest you can get is 0.990 but this is only with very high starting gravity.

Tell me, what was your starting gravity?
If its decreased, then you have alcohol, as sure as I am pissed from it so often!
 

Nverinder716

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 14, 2012
11
0
0
Staunton, VA
This is what posting in forums at 4 am will get you... I wasn't thinking clearly when I posted that last night!!! Being new at mead making, I'm fairly certain I misread the start gravity reading, but after looking over my notes, I'm pretty sure the S.G. was at 1.164. I was aiming for a dry mead, so if I understand you correctly I should have accomplished that at least. I meant to steal a sip of it today to get an idea of how "hot" it was, but was running late for work this morning!
 

Nverinder716

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 14, 2012
11
0
0
Staunton, VA
I double checked everything in my notes, and took a good look at my hydrometer to make sure of my reading, and I'm nearly positive that the S.G. was at 1.164!!! The gravity reading I took last night was right at 1.004. I used Wyeast 4632 Dry Mead/Cider Yeast Activator pack. I only used a 2 oz of the pack, which was a bit less than half, since the pack contained enough yeast for 5 gallons of must, and I made a 1 gallon batch. Wyeast Labs site says it'll handle up to 18%ABV, but the numerous online ABV calculators I've tried say that it's around 21% ABV... Maybe my S.G. was off? Either way, dry and STRONG!!! Pretty much exactly what I was going for!!!
 
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