Step feeding - swirl or not? Add nutrients?

[Sol_Om_On]

Hello all!

I'n brewing my first mead with D47 and I want to step feed it. Now I have some questions for you all:

1. Do you swirl/shake the mead after feeding it with honey for oxygenation and release of CO2 or do you just drop they honey in and leave it?

2. Do you add extra nutrients (fermaid k and dap) at every feeding?

3. Do you feed with just honey or a honey-water-mixture?

Thanks!

 

[TandemTails]

What OG are you aiming for that you think step feeding is necessary?

I've used D47 several times (with the highest OG being 1.110) and I just dumped all the honey in at the beginning. I aerated the heck out of it before pitching the yeast and then I did a SNA procedure where you add 1/4 of a nutrient/energizer blend at yeast pitch, 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs. Each time I fed the nutrient/energizers I would aerate/degas (in addition to 2x a day for the first few days of fermentation).

 

[Arpolis]

personally I don't really step feed honey to a yeasts ABV limit. I actually like my meads in the 9% - 12% ABV range and so always have to let it ferment dry and stabilize and back sweeten the finished product.

But if you want to get a higher ABV while having a sweeter mead then make sure you are measuring correctly and not adding too much honey. Watch the gravity daily and when it hits 1.010 take a cup or two of must and mix with honey measured out to bring your gravity up to 1.020 when you mix it in. And yes you need to swirl or gently stir well so when you check your gravity again you know you have a proper reading. Repeat the process until the gravity does not fall over a 6 day period.

If you have already done stepped nutrient additions or a full nutrient upfront addition you can add more at each honey addition but only if you are not exceeding about 2tsp per gallon worth of nutrients/energizer. No need to go over that. Not for d47 at least.