Question about campden and Mead

[happymondays]

Hi all,

I have just been and got 3kg of clover and 3kg wild flower to attempt my first mead's,

1. My question is that in one of the tutorials it mentions adding campden tablet to the honey and hot water in Primary and adding tannin, mix, transfer to DJ with nutrient and citric acid, then add yeast.
I have looked at a recipe in a book I have and it also mentions adding campden in the primary, transferring to DJ and yeast directly after.
Will the campden prevent the yeast from starting, or should this be left for 24 hrs before pitching the yeast?

I also bought Lalvin ICV D47 yeast and some Tronozymol, I was going to make 2 gallons of each and have never used the packet yeast before or the TL nutrient,

I know I should re-hydrate the yeast in warm water, should I add the full packet to 2 gallons (its a 5g packet)?

How much Tronozymol should I use for 2 gallon's?

Sorry to ask so many questions just not too sure thanks in advance,
Scott......

[lockwood1956]

Hi Scott

The campden tablet is to sanitise the must, to suppress any unwanted wild yeasts or spoilage organisms, you wait 24 hours normally before pitching the yeast, and making a yeast starter is the best way to go.

use the whole pkt of yeast, they are designed for 5 to 23 litre batches, but better to make a full blown starter with it, you can then use half for the first batch, and fire the other half up with more sugar and use it again and again, so in theory, 1pkt of yeast could last you a year, and be used in many batches.

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=908

the Tronozymol is 1 tsp per gallon (dont exceed the dose)


hope this helps
regards
Bob

[happymondays]

Hi Scott

The campden tablet is to sanitise the must, to suppress any unwanted wild yeasts or spoilage organisms, you wait 24 hours normally before pitching the yeast, and making a yeast starter is the best way to go.

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=908

the Tronozymol is 1 tsp per gallon (dont exceed the dose)


hope this helps
regards
Bob

Thanks Bob just what I needed to hear, will do!

[StockeyDAW]

Hi all,

I have just been and got 3kg of clover and 3kg wild flower to attempt my first mead's,

1. My question is that in one of the tutorials it mentions adding campden tablet to the honey and hot water in Primary and adding tannin, mix, transfer to DJ with nutrient and citric acid, then add yeast.
I have looked at a recipe in a book I have and it also mentions adding campden in the primary, transferring to DJ and yeast directly after.
Will the campden prevent the yeast from starting, or should this be left for 24 hrs before pitching the yeast?

I also bought Lalvin ICV D47 yeast and some Tronozymol, I was going to make 2 gallons of each and have never used the packet yeast before or the TL nutrient,

I know I should re-hydrate the yeast in warm water, should I add the full packet to 2 gallons (its a 5g packet)?

How much Tronozymol should I use for 2 gallon's?

Sorry to ask so many questions just not too sure thanks in advance,
Scott......

I like to use potassium metabisulfite as opposed to sodium metabisulfite (less sodium much better, some areas do not sell sodium metabisulfite). If you use to much of this it can harm the mead or wine so be careful with this. Many people make a meta solution by using 100 grams of potassium metabisulfite in 1 liter of water or you can make a 2.5% solution with 25 grams of meta in 1 liter of water. Campden tablets contain approximately 50-55 ppm, they are more expensive have to be crushed and mixed in cool water before adding to the mead or wine. For the making of grape or fruit wines the recommended suggestions for meta addition are:

none before the start of fermentation
10-15 ppm at completion of fermentation (just prior to degassing and fining)
20-25ppm to the bulk wine prior to bottling.

For Campden tablets
2 crushed per gallon at the completion of fermentation just prior to degas and fining
1/2 crushed campden tablet per imperial gallon when racking and at bottling time.

Now for mead I have been using a slightly different scheme. If you use frozen fruit or fresh fruit add two campden approx 100ppm over the fruit before thawing then because of the generally lower pH I use about 1/2 the amount used for the grape or fresh fruit wines ie: 1 campden crushed per imperial gallon after fermentation and 1/4 campden tablets per imperial gallon at racking and at bottling time.

Foth the yeast nutrient I use one teaspoon per gallon before the start of fermentation and then another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon per gallon at approximately day four after the fermentation starts, you want to build up the yeast for the slower part of the secondary fermentation to prevent a stuck fermentation. I also use yeast energizer as per instructions on the package.

For the yeast the whole packet for one or two gallons -- I use two packages for 5 gallons. Yes for sure rehydrate 104F for 15 minutes then slowly pour into the mead - do not stir. Hope this helps Daw Cheers good luck with it -- well chosen honey

[happymondays]

For the yeast nutrient I use one teaspoon per gallon before the start of fermentation and then another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon per gallon at approximately day four after the fermentation starts, you want to build up the yeast for the slower part of the secondary fermentation to prevent a stuck fermentation. I also use yeast energizer as per instructions on the package.

Hi Daw,

Thanks for the info, one of the reasons I asked about the nutrient was on the packet of Tronozymol it states :-

For dry table wines use 1 to 2 teaspoons per Gal

For sweet wines use 2 to 3 teaspoons per Gal

For High Alcohol use up to 5 teaspoons per Gal

So what would a mead fall under,

my mead is at SG is 1.090, I used 3kg of honey to 2 Gallons and one pint for topping up.

That sounds good about adding nutrient around day four.

Thanks again DAW, I might have some more questions about making a Strawberry Melomel in time!

p.s. the Mead Making calculator site is pretty good couldn't fathom out the calculator but the rest is interesting,

regards Scott....

[lockwood1956]

Careful with using too much tronozymol as off flavours can develop, its powerful stuff so less is more......

[happymondays]

Careful with using too much tronozymol as off flavours can develop, its powerful stuff so less is more......

OK Bob consider it done!

[StockeyDAW]

I agree - the yeast nutrient I use here may be somewhat different than what you have. Definitely go with what Bob has suggested. I would however still give it a little nudge with small extra addition after approximately day 4 of the fermentation because of the deficiency in nitrogen and other foods that the yeast like to chew on. Cheers Daw

[fatbloke]

Careful with using too much tronozymol as off flavours can develop, its powerful stuff so less is more......

Does that just apply to Tronozymol Bob or all yeast nutrients ?

Only I ask as I've still got some Gervins Minavit to use up, as well as a small tube of Wyeast brewing nutrient (though that says about 1 tsp to 5 gallons - so I invariably use it at about either 0.125 or 0.25 tsp per gallon).

regards

JtFB

p.s. and yes the local HBS has stopped doing the Minavit and now stocks Tronozymol, which is probably what I'll have to get when I run out, hence the question.

[StockeyDAW]

Does that just apply to Tronozymol Bob or all yeast nutrients ?

Only I ask as I've still got some Gervins Minavit to use up, as well as a small tube of Wyeast brewing nutrient (though that says about 1 tsp to 5 gallons - so I invariably use it at about either 0.125 or 0.25 tsp per gallon).

regards

JtFB

p.s. and yes the local HBS has stopped doing the Minavit and now stocks Tronozymol, which is probably what I'll have to get when I run out, hence the question.

FB and Bob - below is a link from Got Mead that pertains exactly to the addition of nutrients. In my process I use a yeast nutrient from RJ Spagnols that includes Vitamin B complex, Yeast Hulls, Magnesium Sulphate and Diammonium Phosphate (DAP). I use this at 1 teaspoon per imperial gallon and I mix it in the mead must approx 12 hours before pitching the yeast. I also have from a grape winery straight DAP crystals if I see a need for increased use a stuck problem. This straight DAP looks like a chunk of sugar or salt that has come in contact with steam or water.

I use the yeast energizer at 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
which have very similar additions as the yeast nutrient but is to stimulate the yeast fermentation. This is added as a boost at around day 4.

These suggestions are from my success; there are suggestions to include these nutrients and energizers to a mead must at double the concentrations used in the grape wine industry. I do not use quite that much. With the products that I use I have no noted any adverse flavor concerns. I imagin that each particular nutrient or energizer contains different levels of the additives and likely other particular additives that are particular to that brand name? Cheers My opinion Daw

http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=423&Itemid=13