Over fed mead.

[GrillMonkey]

I've made mead using the "A simple mead tutorial step by step - It ain't hard!" recipe but I used an AP yeast and it's died, I believe, due to not have enough alcohol tollerance. This has left me with a mean that is showing a gravity of 1.021 which is far too sweet for me.

What's my best way forward? I was thinking I could either try a restart with a high alcohol yeast for start another gallon and make sure that ferments down to dry and then blend the two.

Whilst I believe the second option of blending two together is probably the right way forward I was wanting to make "Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange and spice Mead" in time for Chistmas. Could these two be blended together and have a good result?

[benarnold]

I've made mead using the "A simple mead tutorial step by step - It ain't hard!" recipe but I used an AP yeast and it's died, I believe, due to not have enough alcohol tollerance. This has left me with a mean that is showing a gravity of 1.021 which is far too sweet for me. ...

Hi GrillMonkey. Exactly the same thing happened to me, I used 4lbs of honey and had an initial SG of 1.116! It's stopped at 1.011 as I think Wilko's cheap-o yeast has kicked the bucket (or DJ I suppose)

It's been sitting in my wine cupboard for three months now whilst I work my way round to trying to fix it. I gave it a half-hearted pinch of nutrient and 1/2 tsp yeast a month or so ago to induce it to start fermenting again, and I thought I'd had some luck as it started bubbling slowly - every 30 seconds or so. But I took a reading after a week and it was still at 1.011.

I made a JAOM last October for Christmas but I found it wasn't really drinkable until recently. The cloves were much too harsh for me when I tried it just after bottling, but I opened a bottle whilst my parents were visiting a few weeks ago and it was lovely. I found the JAOM to be a slightly sweet mead still, even though it finished at 0.996 (that's considered dry right?). I'd be wary of mixing it with anything else that's very sweet.

[fatbloke]

Last time my mead died on me, I ended up doing a restart.

I can't remember whether I used K1V-1116 (tolerance of about the 16% mark) or EC-1118 (a "champagne" yeast of about 18% tolerance).

Ha! that reminds me, I must check to see what it's at now

As for making JAO ?, if you tried it but made it with wine yeast, then it shouldn't be anywhere near as sweet as it can be when made with bread yeast.

A "middling" yeast is what I've used recently (Lalvins 71B) in the identical batches (except the yeast) made to test/check the difference.

I did make one of my first batches of JAO with a) EC-1118 and b) too many cloves. It did turn out very dry and very "clovey". I had to leave it for about a year for it to mellow enough. Then it was ok, if a little dry for my taste.

Mead is very weird though, my first ever batch tasted disgusting when it was first finished and I was completely stunned how OK it was when it had aged for about a year. In fact I was pleased enough with it, to donate my last bottle of it to Rich on sunday afternoon.

Just my 2 pence worth!

regards

JtFB

p.s. Oh and if you think that's bad, gravity-wise, then you should read my "mini-review" of the 4 commercial meads I got and the results. Dessert mead is the phrase that came to mind. All of them were vvv sweet.

p.p.s. and if restarts are tried, you might need to oxygenate a little - my preferred method (idea pinched from someone else) is to sanitise my liquiser, put half to a pint in it and give it a whizz. It's then added back into the rest - and has, so far, aerated it enough to help the yeast along with no adverse effect to the mead (and don't forget a small amount of nutrients).

[benarnold]

Thanks John,

I think I'm going to find some time to give my stuck mead some proper TLC and try to restart it. I like the liquidiser trick!

p.s. Oh and if you think that's bad, gravity-wise, then you should read my "mini-review" of the 4 commercial meads I got and the results. Dessert mead is the phrase that came to mind. All of them were vvv sweet.

I remember reading that when you posted it, I'm going to go and have another look.

Do you know what the gravity of the JAO was that you found too dry? I'd like to see what the correlation between SG and sweetness is, though I guess it's a bit subjective.

[GrillMonkey]

Just read about your comercial meads. Very high gravity!!

I'm too late now to restart, last night I racked, degased and added a campden tablet. I think I'll make a mead that will ferment down to dry with some high alcohol/desert yeast I have. My current mead is at about 13% abv so if I do a new one with a total gravity of 1.115 (fed as before) and blend the two I should have 2 gallons of 14.5% abv and a final gravity of 1.010ish.

I'll post the results when it's all finally finished

[fatbloke]

Just read about your comercial meads. Very high gravity!!

I'm too late now to restart, last night I racked, degased and added a campden tablet. I think I'll make a mead that will ferment down to dry with some high alcohol/desert yeast I have. My current mead is at about 13% abv so if I do a new one with a total gravity of 1.115 (fed as before) and blend the two I should have 2 gallons of 14.5% abv and a final gravity of 1.010ish.

I'll post the results when it's all finally finished

Well you can always "reinforce it". Just add some cheap vodka.

Because all you'd be doing is doing that naturally if you restarted the ferment.

Yes it might reduce the body a bit, but that can be corrected so maybe knock it down to 1.005 with some voddy and then bulk age it.

regards

JtFB