Fermentation Worries

[Keichewer]

Ok. This is my first post and my second attempt at brewing. The first was a wine and was succesfull. It foamed as it should. For this second batch I tried making 1 gallon of a peach melomel. I used white labs sweet mead yeast (270? I think) when I got home I put it in the fridge for a few hours so that it would stay cool. When I went to get it a few hours before (to warm it up) it was slushed over. I called White Labs and they said everything should be fine. I added my yeast at 1:00 am, and 24 hours later... I have no foam. I am wondering if I should be concerned and just chuck the batch asap. or wait one or two more days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated especially since I'm sure you've read something like this before, and that I know that you're all very busy people.

Sincerely, Sterling.

 

[jppostKW]

Ok. This is my first post and my second attempt at brewing. The first was a wine and was succesfull. It foamed as it should. For this second batch I tried making 1 gallon of a peach melomel. I used white labs sweet mead yeast (270? I think) when I got home I put it in the fridge for a few hours so that it would stay cool. When I went to get it a few hours before (to warm it up) it was slushed over. I called White Labs and they said everything should be fine. I added my yeast at 1:00 am, and 24 hours later... I have no foam. I am wondering if I should be concerned and just chuck the batch asap. or wait one or two more days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated especially since I'm sure you've read something like this before, and that I know that you're all very busy people.

Sincerely, Sterling.

I am not a wine maker but fermentation is pretty uniform across the board. different yeasts have different habits and looks during fermentation, the only true test is a hyrdrometer. I would let it ride for the what the expected ferm time is Never throw out a batch time heals lots of things

 

[scinerd3000]

as jp said- let it ride. It takes quite alot to kill yeast and odds are you just shocked them a bit with the cold temperature. If it didint fully freeze than odds are you didint lyse all the cells and it should be good to go- just a bit slower out of the gate. Give it 72 hours and take a hydrometer reading if you still dont see anything. If its the same as when you started than odds are that you killed the yeast and need to get more. If thats the case and you sanitized everything well you shouldnt have any problems. Meads are also a bit slower due to the high gravity and low nutrients of the honey. good luck

 

[Keichewer]

Ok this is super good news. I was honestly worried about the honey, because it was so thick, (bring my SG up a little bit) so I should still mix it everyday for the primary then? I've also heard about the 3 -3 rule. Three weeks in primary and three in secondary. Will this hold true? and if so should I still mix it everday for those three weeks?

Sorry. Lots of questions. Hahahah. I guess the best teacher is experience. I will ride this out for sure.

 

[scinerd3000]

Ok this is super good news. I was honestly worried about the honey, because it was so thick, (bring my SG up a little bit) so I should still mix it everyday for the primary then? I've also heard about the 3 -3 rule. Three weeks in primary and three in secondary. Will this hold true? and if so should I still mix it everday for those three weeks?

Sorry. Lots of questions. Hahahah. I guess the best teacher is experience. I will ride this out for sure.

there is no rule...its going to be done when the gravity says its done. I usually do a month in primary and then straight to bottling bucket. I will only secondary if i add fruit or dryhop. For this mead, when the gravity drops down to about 1/3 of what it is you will want to add yeast nutrients so that it will keep fermenting. Maybe someone who does alot of meads can chime in but they take a bit more work than beers