Slow mead starter - dare I use it?

[Sol_Om_On]

Hello all!

Yesterday I tried making my first ever mead starter after reading up a bit. I'm planning on making a 2 gallon/7,5 liters mead with lalvin d47. I wanted to learn making a starter instead of pitching several packages of yeast.

So yesterday I made a starter out of 5 dl of honey and 1,5 liters water for a total of 2 liters. I added 1/4 teaspoon fermaid k and 1/8 teaspoon DAP. I shaked it a lot to mix and oxygenate. I let the rehydrated yeast cool to 23 degrees celcius and then pitched it in the 18,5 celcius water honey mixture, which gave a temperature difference of 4,5 degrees celcius/8,1 degrees fahrenheit. I did not take a gravity reading, perhaps a mistake there.

As I read that d47 wants a brewing temperature of 15-20 degrees celcius I put in a dark place at 17 celcius in my home. 24 hours later it has woken up, but slowly, perhaps a bubble out of the airlock every 45 seconds and very little krausen (it had a lot of headspace if that makes any difference).

Dare I use this starter after 24 or perhaps 48 hours? What can I have done wrong?

Thank you for your help!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1455450871.729279.jpg

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Sol Om On. Why would you pitch several packages of D47 if you are making a 2 gallon batch? One package is good for any volume from 1 gallon to about 6..
Brewers like starters because of the risk of lacto-fermentations that can take off before the yeast begins to ferment but in honey that risk seems small (no lactic culture in or around grain because there is no grain) and dry yeast tends to have virtually no lag time... So I guess my other question is what is the benefit for a starter when making wine and not brewing beer?

 

[Sol_Om_On]

From the little I've heard more than a package is necessary because of the high gravity, which can tend to otherwise kill the yeast. But I'm a newbie and that can be an incorrect understanding on my side.

 

[FrodeM]

A very high starting gravity is not recomended as it does stress the yeast.

Alternatively, if you aim for residual sweetness, you can start with a gravity around 1.100, then add more honey later after much of the sugar is fermented away.

Ofcourse mead does not have to be as sweet as most comercial meads! It really depends on your taste. Personally I like mine semi-dry.

 

[Sol_Om_On]

Thank you for your reply.

Does anyone have something to comment concerning my starter? What can I have done wrong?

 

[Maylar]

That's 1 pound (US) of honey in 1.5 ltr of water? That's a lot. Did you measure SG of that?

 

[Arpolis]

The honey to water ratio for a starter is high imo. I usually do like 2 cups of water and a tsp of honey with appropriate go-ferm or other nutrients.

However your starter is doing just fine. Mead in general has very little krausen in general. Especially in starters. I think your starter will do just fine and can be used with no ill effect.

If you want a high abv mead or a sweet mead without stabilizing. Basically reaching the abv limit and having residual sweetness. The step your honey additions. Start lower in the 1.080 - 1.100 range and acted it drops to 1.010 then add additional honey to your desired level 1.020 - 1.030 depending on wanting a sweet or desert mead. And continue that process until gravity stops falling.

 

[Sol_Om_On]

Arpolis - thanks! The starter seemed to wake up yesterday but now it actually seems dead. At least not much activity. I started a new thread do ask how others do it