28 replies to this topic

[dungeonbrewer]

HiFirst mead ever..and well..nothing is happening. Made mead..pitched yeast at around 76 degrees. Smacked a pack of Wyeast for sweet mead the night before..the pack was very expanded. So I cant figure out why there is no foam or anything..not one bubble on top. (I have the mead in a clear better bottle) Temps under sink are reading 70 degrees now. I pitched the yeast 3 days ago. Is it ruined or can i add a pack of coopers dry yeast?? I have no other yeast around and the nearest LHBS is 3 hours away

[ScottS]

Before you do anything.....Is there airlock activity? Can you take a gravity reading?Gently pick up the carboy/bottle and swirl the contents around for 10-20 seconds. If fermentation has started, this should cause a whole bunch of CO2 to come out of solution. If you get no airlock activity at all even after doing this, then I'd worry.

[dungeonbrewer]

Before you do anything.....Is there airlock activity? Can you take a gravity reading?Gently pick up the carboy/bottle and swirl the contents around for 10-20 seconds. If fermentation has started, this should cause a whole bunch of CO2 to come out of solution. If you get no airlock activity at all even after doing this, then I'd worry.

I am already worried..I did that already and nothing. I knew I should have just stuck with beer..

[ScottS]

I am already worried..I did that already and nothing. I knew I should have just stuck with beer..

NOOOOO!!!! Mead is worth it. Trust me. :cheers:You did take a gravity reading? Did it drop at all from the OG?If you get no airlock activity after swirling, then you've either got a huge leak in your bucket or dead/extremely sluggish yeast. Sounds like the yeast to me, in which case I'd pitch more.Don't worry too much yet, it's definitely recoverable at this point.

[wengared]

If yeast is that far away and you,ve followed what scott has said, then i'd pitch a bread yeast (as in joe's ancient orange) and salvage what you have, nothing is ever lost until you dump it down the drain.

[wengared]

[quote name='ScottS' date='Apr 14 2009, 05:05 PM' post='19550']NOOOOO!!!! Mead is worth it. Trust me. +100, the hangovers are noteworthy, and as someone said legendary.

[Hightest]

The worst thing you can do is overreact. Stop for a minute and answer the questions Scott asked. Do nothing more until you answer the question and read his answers, and any follow-up questions...

[dungeonbrewer]

The worst thing you can do is overreact. Stop for a minute and answer the questions Scott asked. Do nothing more until you answer the question and read his answers, and any follow-up questions...

No..no readings at all. The instructions that came with this kit did not say anything about taking any gravity readings..but you are saying that it can still be saved just dumping in a little packet of bread yeast??

[ScottS]

Would you mind typing out what the instructions did say?

[dungeonbrewer]

Would you mind typing out what the instructions did say?

Heat water and dissolve honey and nutrient. In a kettle of at least 2.5 gallons, heat 1 gallon of good-quality drinking water to boiling. Remove the kettle from the burner to avoid scorching; add the honey and 5 teaspoons of yeast nutrient (do not add the whole package!). Stir to dissolve, and check the temperature of the honey-water mixture, now called the must - it should be at least 150 F. Allow the must to stand at this temperature for 10-20 minutes Sanitize fermenting equipment. While the must is resting, sanitize the fermenting equipment - fermenter, lid or stopper, fermentation lock, funnel, etc. Fill primary fermenter. Fill the sanitized fermenter with 3 gallons of cold water. Carefully pour the hot must into the primary fermenter. Top up the fermenter to 5 gallons with more cold water if needed, and stir with a sanitized spoon or paddle to mix. Pitch yeast. "Pitch" yeast into the fermenter when the temperature of the must is 80 F or lower (not warm to the touch). If using liquid yeast, sanitize the yeast packet and a pair of scissors; hold the yeast packet upright and make a small cut in the top to release pressure. Continue to cut off a corner of the packet, and carefully pour the yeast into the fermenter.Seal fermenter with air lock, etc. Fermentation temperature: Wine and mead yeast is very temperature-sensitive; meads ferment best between 65 to 75 F.

[ScottS]

The must was cool when you put the yeast in, right?I'd use that coopers before I'd use bread yeast, but I'm concerned that it's alcohol tolerance isn't high enough.What I'd do - throw in that coopers yeast. Make a starter if you can. Order 2 packages of wine yeast (Lalvin 71B-1122 or Lalvin D47) from whatever online place is closest to you. Throw those in when they arrive, after rehydrating them.

[dungeonbrewer]

The must was cool when you put the yeast in, right?I'd use that coopers before I'd use bread yeast, but I'm concerned that it's alcohol tolerance isn't high enough.What I'd do - throw in that coopers yeast. Make a starter if you can. Order 2 packages of wine yeast (Lalvin 71B-1122 or Lalvin D47) from whatever online place is closest to you. Throw those in when they arrive, after rehydrating them.

Yes, I took temp reading after stiring it while it was sitting in cold sink bath. Temp said 78-76 degrees.

[Wayne B]

One other question - you said that you smacked the activator pack the night before. How long was the pack standing, after you broke the inner nutrient pack, before you actually pitched the yeast?

[VolFan]

Could he not just order another pack or two from NB and pitch that? If he is in Illinois it should be there in a couple days. Something that takes a year to ferment would still seem salvageable at this point. Granted, I know nothing about mead making, but I would order some more before pitching bread yeast.Good luck.

Edited by VolFan, 14 April 2009 - 03:43 PM.

[Wayne B]

Could he not just order another pack or two from NB and pitch that? If he is in Illinois it should be there in a couple days. Something that takes a year to ferment would still seem salvageable at this point. Granted, I know nothing about mead making, but I would order some more before pitching bread yeast.Good luck.

I generally agree, but I'd like to know exactly what he did to see if we can figure out the cause of the problem before he pitches another pack -- and perhaps wastes another dose of yeast.BTW - I generally don't like the Sweet Mead yeast. Its performance is too erratic.

[BeesNBrews]

How much honey was used for the entire batch?I've had some of my best ferments from D47. I would also look to adding an energizer as well.Like the others, don't give up on it! Set it aside, then get some good yeast into it. If not already done, I would probably add sulfites if it is looking like the yeast will be a few days in arriving.

[ScottS]

BTW - I generally don't like the Sweet Mead yeast. Its performance is too erratic.

Definitely agreed here. If that's what they sent you in a kit, you're kind of stuck with it. But if you make mead again, come talk to us about how to make sweet mead. Don't use that yeast.

[Hightest]

...BTW - I generally don't like the Sweet Mead yeast. Its performance is too erratic.

Third that! And have stated on several other occasions. Moreover, I do not use any liquid-form yeast for making mead or wine.

[dungeonbrewer]

Definitely agreed here. If that's what they sent you in a kit, you're kind of stuck with it. But if you make mead again, come talk to us about how to make sweet mead. Don't use that yeast.

Ok, lets see.. smacked the pack at 9pm. Woke up and finished the mead process at around 9am. This kit had 12 lbs wildflower honey. Yea..no more kits for me..so I need a very basic recipe for a mead thats not too sweet and not dry..maybe even a little extra flavor??

[dungeonbrewer]

Another question..I will add additional yeast packs when they arrive..(I did add the coopers yeast and had airlock activity) now do I need to add additional yeast nutrients with the new yeast?