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Dry mead (like tosna) too slow?

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winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
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Here's my log:

This will be a dry Mead, only 5.5 kg sugar, or 12.1 lbs. Using D47 yeast, and generic nutrient and energizer.* (No goferm or fermaid available ATM)

I'm using TOSNA calculations, but regular energizer for goferm, and reg nutrient for fermaid.

Dec 10
Softened honey in warm water (around 40C), skimmed off the foam, added to primary.
Added 1tsp tannins.*
OG is only 1.066. I expected higher, but it does have 12 lbs, so I'll stick with the recipe.

Rehydrated yeast with 6g energizer. I only had 1 package of D47. Tempered it slowly over 10 min.
I've pitched the yeast.*


Dec12

It's been steady at 62F! *This morning, due to a cold night it hit 61. There was a decent amount of foam, covering 30-40% of the surface.


I just gave it a generous dose of nutrient. *The scale doesn't seem to like measuring less than 10g, but taking the plate off it looked like I had 7 grams!?*


I'll go light on the other nutrient feedings.


Dec 13

Around 1/2 tsp nutrient this time. Very little foam today.

Aerated morning & evening (by stirring back and forth for a minute)


Dec 14
About 3/4 tsp nutrient today. Aerated morning/evening. Still only a small amount of foam.

Hydrometer reading said 1.062

Dec 15-16,
I've been busy, only aerated 1/day. Very little foaming.


Help! Any ideas!?
I know Mead can be slow, but I've tried to follow the meadmaderight recipe. I don't mind being patient, but most of my other brews have just blazed forward in comparison to this one (not all were meads).
I should have had 10g of yeast - but I thought with a decent reyhdration (at 104) the yeast would still multiply well.
Maybe too much nutrient shocked it? I don't think my scale is working well.
Or should I have added energizer with the 24/48/72hr nutrient feedings? Should i add chopped raisins for potassium, etc?

The pic shows the surface on day 3 or 4. It hasn't improved.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/n8hv5pcktakwstn/AABj2uf1N_8p_piHHyDD5gqea

**update - I realized I've been calculating for 5 gallons (as per tosna), but the mead is actually about 5.8G - so I may add another kilo of honey. How can I keep track of all the gravity changes? is there a handy calc for that?
 

Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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So when you hydrated did you have the energizer in it initially? If you did that's a very bad idea. DAP is toxic to yeast during the rehydration period. Were your temps the same (yeast slurry -vs- must), if not that could have killed a good portion of your yeast. Did you see visable "proof" of active yeast in the slurry before you pitched?

Read here in this how to rehydrate a yeast. If you don't have Goferm (and you don't) just use tap water.

Raisins are not nutrients! Where did you learn that from???

Your honey addition would have added about 65 more points on your hydrometer.

Lastly ,,, welcome to the forum.
 

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
23
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0
DAP is toxic during rehydration!?

I think you hit it. ok. So I'll get some more D47, and pitch again, this time just with tap water, nothing else. Unless there's something I could add to help it?
the same.

I know I tempered it, I slowly added must to slurry for awhile until they were exactly the same. I don't know that I was expecting a visible proof... but I have made a slurry before for ginger beer, and I waited and did notice it fermenting in the bowl. I'll try waiting longer to see that before pitching.

If I re-pitch fresh now, anything else I should keep in mind? I've already been adding nutrients, so I"m assuming at this point I do NOT want to add any more nutrients (till 1/3 sugar break, when I'll add the final nutrient portion)?

Thanks for the welcome!
My first mead was basic 1118, and I've got a JOAM sitting around too...
 

caduseus

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Aug 20, 2016
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Cincinnati
DAP is toxic during rehydration!?

I think you hit it. ok. So I'll get some more D47, and pitch again, this time just with tap water, nothing else. Unless there's something I could add to help it?
the same.

I know I tempered it, I slowly added must to slurry for awhile until they were exactly the same. I don't know that I was expecting a visible proof... but I have made a slurry before for ginger beer, and I waited and did notice it fermenting in the bowl. I'll try waiting longer to see that before pitching.

If I re-pitch fresh now, anything else I should keep in mind? I've already been adding nutrients, so I"m assuming at this point I do NOT want to add any more nutrients (till 1/3 sugar break, when I'll add the final nutrient portion)?

Thanks for the welcome!
My first mead was basic 1118, and I've got a JOAM sitting around too...

You can't do true TOSNA or TiOSNA unless you use fermaid-k or fermaid-O which I don't see mentioned anywhere
 

zpeckler

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 7, 2014
519
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0
Newark, De
DAP is toxic during rehydration!?

Yeah. There's a product called GoFerm that's a nutrient specifically designed to be used during rehydration. I highly recommend it.

Unless you're using GoFerm you shouldn't use any other nutrient during rehydration. Just the 104°F tap water. When you rehydrate be sure to start with water that warm, but not over 110°F. Wait 15 min, then start the tempering process.
 

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
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ok.

Got more D47. 1 packet should be able to catch it up? Or should I do a full 2 packets this time?

I'm going to re-hydrate with tap water then, 104. then I'll temper, add to the must, and observe.
 

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
23
0
0
I know raisins aren't nutrients - but the do contain potassium, etc. Things yeast needs. Why else are they used so often in JOAM and many other ferments?

I can't say too much from experience - apparently bee pollen is a great source of nutrients - I've used it, but I haven't done enough meads with alternative nutrient sources, or NO nutrients at all to compare.

What I do know is my very first mead is still aging, and I believe i just used bee pollen, ec-1118...not much else, though I don't recall the exact recipe. It's still again at 4-5 months now and already tastes incredible.
 

Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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They are used in JOAM's and All Natural BOMMS.

But I dare you to make a mead with any real gravity and wine yeast and just use raisins. Perfect start to a nightmare. :)

I know lots who would argue they don't really work in the above either.
 
Last edited:

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
23
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0
real gravity!

Now we're talking. So that's basically what Tosna is good at - powering through the heavy 12-15% musts?

I'll have to order some Goferm and FermaidO from amazon soon, I just haven't been able to get it around here at all.

I was thinking of trying a BOMM, but I can't find the Wyeast in canada yet either.

Any other recommendations for a good strong mead recipe ? I believe I used 3.5 lbs of honey for my first gallon, and it has just the right amount of sweetness left. (I like dry too though)
 

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Nov 3, 2014
5,542
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Denver
I was thinking of trying a BOMM, but I can't find the Wyeast in canada yet either.

With the most modern protocol, any mead is ready to drink just as fast as a BOMM is.
 

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
23
0
0
I rehydrated another packet of D47 last night, 104, 20min, temper it with must (and I stirred up the must a lot before pouring it in).

Not a lot more activity this morning, but I'll be patient.
 

winter_hunt

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 15, 2016
23
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0
This one got quite oaky after I oaked it and let sit for 1-2 months last year... Then a lot of the oak mellowed out.

I bottled/drank half, put the rest in a 11.5L carboy.

Decided to use up my sour cherries from last summer (neighbors tree), so I thawed, boiled, squeezed the juices out, added sugar to rebalance the ABV, and some wyeast 1388 slurry I had kicking around and it's slowly bubbling again!

Not fast... But hey this silly thing is a year old already, why should I complain about another few months!??



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