No Fermentation, new batch

[Jess]

This may not be the best approach. With proper aeration and appropriate pitch rates, beer wort should start fermenting within the first 24 hours. Mead musts often (probably more like always) benefit from some nutrient and oxygen additions during the first 24-72 hours. Properly rehydrated dry yeasts that we here usually use for meads will show signs of fermentation in as little as a few hours, and this point is a very common spot to add nutrients to help them build strong cell walls. Mead musts are very low in nutrients and you'll see quicker, healthier fermentations by properly managing them during the first few days.

I hear ya', Medsen but in time I learned the quirks of my preferred yeast. I use exclusively Wyeast Liquid Yeast "smack packs". A bit pricey but well worth the extra $$$. I have a heated cabinet in which I incubate my yeast packs and it stays at a constant 70F. Whenever I break (or smack) a pack of yeast and it blows up within a few hours, the ferment in the wort starts within a couple of hours. But on occasion I get a pack that just won't swell up even after twenty-four hours. Those are the batches that usually take a couple of days to get started. I just learned the nature of the beast that I was using and stopped worrying. I've yet to lose one single batch to stuck fermentation or lack of fermentation. Of course, I'm speaking about beer experiences here. But on my first mead, I broke open a Wyeast Champagne Yeast pack and it swole up like a football and I knew that it would take off like a rocket. And it did.

 

[Oskaar]

I hear ya', Medsen but in time I learned the quirks of my preferred yeast. I use exclusively Wyeast Liquid Yeast "smack packs". A bit pricey but well worth the extra $$$. I have a heated cabinet in which I incubate my yeast packs and it stays at a constant 70F. Whenever I break (or smack) a pack of yeast and it blows up within a few hours, the ferment in the wort starts within a couple of hours. But on occasion I get a pack that just won't swell up even after twenty-four hours. Those are the batches that usually take a couple of days to get started. I just learned the nature of the beast that I was using and stopped worrying. I've yet to lose one single batch to stuck fermentation or lack of fermentation. Of course, I'm speaking about beer experiences here. But on my first mead, I broke open a Wyeast Champagne Yeast pack and it swole up like a football and I knew that it would take off like a rocket. And it did.

Pretty much what Medsen and Akeuck are getting to here is that with a properly rehydrated batch of ADY (Active Dry Yeast) your results will also be predictably consistent, and since many of our folks are on a tight budget $$$ are also a strong consideration. Another factor that they're pointing out is batch management. Pitch and forget works fine, but managing the yeast once the batch is inoculated will yield a stronger, faster and more complete ferment than not managing it. You'll also have mead that matures more quickly and is drinkable sooner, along with a higher overall quality in my experience.

Cheers,

Oskaar

 

[afdoty]

You'll also have mead that matures more quickly and is drinkable sooner, along with a higher overall quality in my experience.

Cheers,

Oskaar

Indeed! After a couple years of the so-called "pitch and run" and a year (almost) of following protocols and proper batch management, I can say, without a doubt, these methods are superior! Knowing the nuances of your favorite yeast is important, but it's also important to consider how your yeast will work under a more controlled regime of management.