No nutrition mead test
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D the Catastrophist
Well-Known Member
There is a youtube channel called City Steading Brews and they made a video doing a comparison mead test: 1 batch no nutrients, one with yeast hulls.
The one with yeast hulls fermented a little lower (1.040 vs 1.034).
They did a blind taste test with 2 tasters of each and well they both were able to tell the two were different., they didn't agree on which they thought was which.
The flavors were so similiar they said if they tried one, and then tried the other one like an hour later they'd say they were the same and the only reason they could tell them apart is that they were actively trying to find differences.
Yeast Hulls Vs Nothing Added - Mead Test!
I haven't seen anyone else doing a side by side test but I will look around as I am curious.
Hell, I might try a test myself in a few months once my current batches are bottled and I have room.
The one with yeast hulls fermented a little lower (1.040 vs 1.034).
They did a blind taste test with 2 tasters of each and well they both were able to tell the two were different., they didn't agree on which they thought was which.
The flavors were so similiar they said if they tried one, and then tried the other one like an hour later they'd say they were the same and the only reason they could tell them apart is that they were actively trying to find differences.
Yeast Hulls Vs Nothing Added - Mead Test!
I haven't seen anyone else doing a side by side test but I will look around as I am curious.
Hell, I might try a test myself in a few months once my current batches are bottled and I have room.
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D the Catastrophist
Well-Known Member
Found another YouTube video comparing no nutrients to a commercial nutrient and a diy homemade nutrient. It was with just sugar, water and bread yeast, so not a mead but still a good, basic comparison. He didn't do a taste test but visually you could see a clear difference between the three, and both the store bought and diy fermented drier.
Yeast nutrient vs none vs homemade in mead
Yeast nutrient vs none vs homemade in mead
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D the Catastrophist
Well-Known Member
Stressed yeast=slower fermentation, so without nutrients your yeast will struggle and take longer, and potentially grind to a stop, especially at higher sg levels, which it appears you had if your sg is still 1.100.
What was your initial SG? What yeast did you use? How much yeast did you use? What are your temperatures?
If you don't have nutrients, a way to help is to just use more yeast, so say you made a 1 gallon batch, use the full packet vs 1/5 or 1/2 of the packet. Yeasties are cannibals and will eat their brethren who die off, acting as their own nutrient source.
If your fermentation has stalled, repitching the yeast using a little extra may be sufficient.
A few other ways I have seen, but not tried for adding nutrients without using a commercial nutrient: 1).1 Tbl bread yeast in 1/4 c water boiled to kill the yeast. 2). Grape nuts cereal. 3). 1 unpeeled banana plus 1/4 c cooked quick oats.
What was your initial SG? What yeast did you use? How much yeast did you use? What are your temperatures?
If you don't have nutrients, a way to help is to just use more yeast, so say you made a 1 gallon batch, use the full packet vs 1/5 or 1/2 of the packet. Yeasties are cannibals and will eat their brethren who die off, acting as their own nutrient source.
If your fermentation has stalled, repitching the yeast using a little extra may be sufficient.
A few other ways I have seen, but not tried for adding nutrients without using a commercial nutrient: 1).1 Tbl bread yeast in 1/4 c water boiled to kill the yeast. 2). Grape nuts cereal. 3). 1 unpeeled banana plus 1/4 c cooked quick oats.
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Finally got to watch it. I hoped they would do TOSNA or such protocol, not just adding 1 tsp in the beginning. My properly fed yeast can go dry in about 2 weeks....
It did answer my time question... it took them 3-4 months to reach FG.
bernardsmith
Well-Known Member
In the history of mead making, honey production tended to be rather more hob nailed than today, so the whole natural hive was often part of the honey that would be extracted and that would include wax and bees knees and pollen and other things. When honey was being mixed with water for the fermentation to begin, they would boil the must to allow for the extraction of wax and other detritus but some of the junk would remain and that "junk" may have offered some nutrition that our more industrially extracted honey does not have. That aside, if there is fermentable sugar and if yeast have access to that sugar, nutrition rich or not that yeast will ferment the sugars. It just may take months and not years and can sometimes take years and not months.. but ferment that sugar the yeast will. And that mead will be good to drink? Not necessarily. We prefer the spoilage the yeast make when it is to our protocols and not simply to the needs of the yeast. Unless, you absolutely know what you are doing and you are absolutely prepared for the results, I would add nutrient.
