I used a pretty standard recipes to make my first mead. 16.5lbs honey for 6 gallons of mead. The only mistake I made was I used distilled water... not sure what that will do. Initial sp was 1.105 on July 30th, on August 7th it was 1.060 (5.64% alc). Am I doing it right?
My first mead... I think I am on track
- Thread starter vernwvu
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bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
Hi Vernwvu - and welcome.
Honey has no nutrients that the yeast can use. And yeast need a whole raft of nutrients so most seasoned mead makers won't touch distilled water unless it is to calibrate their refractometers or hydrometers. Best to use spring water AND add nutrient. Still not too late to add Fermaid O or K (though I am not sure if you use the latter whether you should add DAP at this point). If you don't have easy access to wine or beer nutrient you could boil some bread yeast (say a tablespoonful, in a 1/2 cup of water and add that to the must when it has cooled to room temperature: dead yeast cells will provide many of the missing nutrients.
Honey has no nutrients that the yeast can use. And yeast need a whole raft of nutrients so most seasoned mead makers won't touch distilled water unless it is to calibrate their refractometers or hydrometers. Best to use spring water AND add nutrient. Still not too late to add Fermaid O or K (though I am not sure if you use the latter whether you should add DAP at this point). If you don't have easy access to wine or beer nutrient you could boil some bread yeast (say a tablespoonful, in a 1/2 cup of water and add that to the must when it has cooled to room temperature: dead yeast cells will provide many of the missing nutrients.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
IMO, better than using a clock or calendar to determine when you add nutrients you should use your hydrometer - and so if you are using this protocol (TOSNA) you are in fact adding the nutrient as the yeast deplete the available sugar at 1/3 depletion, at 1/3 again, and at 1/3 again (so, if SG was 1.105 then first addition is at 1.070, second is at 1.046 and third is at 1.030 approx. Adding nutrient when the yeast are unlikely to take up some of the nitrogen, for example, can lead to off flavors., however I generally add all the nutrient at the very start.
vernwvu:
Take your gravity number 1.105 drop the decimal so 1105 X 0.3= 773.5 so take that like this 1.077 then 1077 x 0.3=323.1 so 1.032. Not the best math for accurate numbers but you get the idea. Remember too that with every addition the yeast will ramp up activity and thus your mead will heat up too don't add if your must is at 80degs or you can have a bad taste thru stressed out yeast.
Hope this helps.
Take your gravity number 1.105 drop the decimal so 1105 X 0.3= 773.5 so take that like this 1.077 then 1077 x 0.3=323.1 so 1.032. Not the best math for accurate numbers but you get the idea. Remember too that with every addition the yeast will ramp up activity and thus your mead will heat up too don't add if your must is at 80degs or you can have a bad taste thru stressed out yeast.
Hope this helps.
