Started a batch of traditional back in November 2020. The fermentation seems to have been stuck for quite some time, no matter what I do (and I've tried quite a lot).
Initial Recipe:
3 lbs local wildflower honey
2 pkg. Red Star Premier Blanc Yeast
LD Carlson "Yeast Nutrient" (from beer brewing)
11/25/20 Made yeast starter with ~16 oz boiled, cooled water and 1-2 Tbsp honey. Capped and shook vigorously. Uncapped and sprinkled yeast on top. Allowed to hydrate 10 min. Capped and shook again. Loosened cap and left at room temp overnight. Evidence of yeast activity from kraeusen forming.
11/26/2020 Sanitized 3 G carboy & triple-rinsed. Poured 1 G of bottled, purified water into carboy. Added 3 lbs honey and shook vigorously to dissolve. Added 2nd gallon of water, capped and shook very well. Saved sample to measure gravity. Pitched yeast starter into carboy. Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient. Fitted carboy with blow-off tube and left at room temp (63-66 F), wrapped in towel.
OG = 1.043 (borrowed, calibrated refractometer) and 1.037 (borrowed hydrometer)
11/27/2020 Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient and agitated briefly to mix.
11/28/2020 Mead looked very white - almost as if it were a bacterial infection. Moved carboy to basement and fitted with airlock.
11/30/2020 Panicked about cool basement temp and moved carboy back up to kitchen, near heater.
12/1/2020 Bubbles coming from airlock.
12/3/2020 Bubbles slowed to 1 X per 15-20 seconds
12/27/2020 Moved carboy to garage to cold crash for a month. Temp 35-45 F.
1/24/2021 Moved carboy from garage to basement and racked to second carboy. Slight haze still in must, but much clearer. About 1/2" layer of yeast sediment in bottom of carboy. Mixed to make uniform in second carboy, then split between two, 1G glass jugs. Added 3-4" of toasted French oak curl to one jug; left the other plain. Fitted air locks on jugs.
S.G. = 1.015 (new, calibrated refractometer). Tasted smooth, very slightly sweet. Hints of citrus.
1/30/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.017. Plain = 1.014 pH 3.0 on both. Added ~1/8 teaspoon Yeast Nutrient to each jug.
2/5/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.015. Plain = 1.015. Taste was similar in each. Maybe a slight bit tarter than last month.
Made new yeast nutrient by microwaving baker's yeast and cooling. Added about 1/4 teaspoon to each jug.
3/1/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.015. Plain = 1.015
Taste was fine on both. Not much different in oaked sample.
Poured each jug into a sanitized 3 G carboy (removed oak from "oaked" sample). Sprinkled ~ 1/2 packet of Lalvin EC-1118 on top of each. Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient. Let yeast hydrate then shook each carboy very well and fitted airlock. Kept at 63 - 66 F
3/7/2021 No evidence of fermentation. Moved must back to jugs, by pouring through funnel, which oxygenated must.
S.G. Oaked = 1.017 Plain = 1.016 Taste was good on both, but not much different.
4/12/2021 S.G. Oaked = 1.017 Plain = 1.016
Taste was fine on both. Very smooth & neutral. Slight vanilla aroma on oaked and maybe slight tart. Plain had very faint sweetness.
So basically there's been no change in the SG in 3 months. It tastes and smells fine, it's just not reading dry. My plan had been to ferment to an SG of around 1.000 then add a bit of corn sugar or honey to condition, and bottle into beer bottles.
Am I done fermenting? Why is my SG still above 1.000? Is there anyway to get a sparkling mead at this point, or should I just put it into wine bottles and call it a "success?" The taste is fine, it's just not what I was going for. Any other ideas on what to do with this.
Thanks!
Initial Recipe:
3 lbs local wildflower honey
2 pkg. Red Star Premier Blanc Yeast
LD Carlson "Yeast Nutrient" (from beer brewing)
11/25/20 Made yeast starter with ~16 oz boiled, cooled water and 1-2 Tbsp honey. Capped and shook vigorously. Uncapped and sprinkled yeast on top. Allowed to hydrate 10 min. Capped and shook again. Loosened cap and left at room temp overnight. Evidence of yeast activity from kraeusen forming.
11/26/2020 Sanitized 3 G carboy & triple-rinsed. Poured 1 G of bottled, purified water into carboy. Added 3 lbs honey and shook vigorously to dissolve. Added 2nd gallon of water, capped and shook very well. Saved sample to measure gravity. Pitched yeast starter into carboy. Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient. Fitted carboy with blow-off tube and left at room temp (63-66 F), wrapped in towel.
OG = 1.043 (borrowed, calibrated refractometer) and 1.037 (borrowed hydrometer)
11/27/2020 Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient and agitated briefly to mix.
11/28/2020 Mead looked very white - almost as if it were a bacterial infection. Moved carboy to basement and fitted with airlock.
11/30/2020 Panicked about cool basement temp and moved carboy back up to kitchen, near heater.
12/1/2020 Bubbles coming from airlock.
12/3/2020 Bubbles slowed to 1 X per 15-20 seconds
12/27/2020 Moved carboy to garage to cold crash for a month. Temp 35-45 F.
1/24/2021 Moved carboy from garage to basement and racked to second carboy. Slight haze still in must, but much clearer. About 1/2" layer of yeast sediment in bottom of carboy. Mixed to make uniform in second carboy, then split between two, 1G glass jugs. Added 3-4" of toasted French oak curl to one jug; left the other plain. Fitted air locks on jugs.
S.G. = 1.015 (new, calibrated refractometer). Tasted smooth, very slightly sweet. Hints of citrus.
1/30/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.017. Plain = 1.014 pH 3.0 on both. Added ~1/8 teaspoon Yeast Nutrient to each jug.
2/5/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.015. Plain = 1.015. Taste was similar in each. Maybe a slight bit tarter than last month.
Made new yeast nutrient by microwaving baker's yeast and cooling. Added about 1/4 teaspoon to each jug.
3/1/2021 Measured S.G. Oaked = 1.015. Plain = 1.015
Taste was fine on both. Not much different in oaked sample.
Poured each jug into a sanitized 3 G carboy (removed oak from "oaked" sample). Sprinkled ~ 1/2 packet of Lalvin EC-1118 on top of each. Added 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient. Let yeast hydrate then shook each carboy very well and fitted airlock. Kept at 63 - 66 F
3/7/2021 No evidence of fermentation. Moved must back to jugs, by pouring through funnel, which oxygenated must.
S.G. Oaked = 1.017 Plain = 1.016 Taste was good on both, but not much different.
4/12/2021 S.G. Oaked = 1.017 Plain = 1.016
Taste was fine on both. Very smooth & neutral. Slight vanilla aroma on oaked and maybe slight tart. Plain had very faint sweetness.
So basically there's been no change in the SG in 3 months. It tastes and smells fine, it's just not reading dry. My plan had been to ferment to an SG of around 1.000 then add a bit of corn sugar or honey to condition, and bottle into beer bottles.
Am I done fermenting? Why is my SG still above 1.000? Is there anyway to get a sparkling mead at this point, or should I just put it into wine bottles and call it a "success?" The taste is fine, it's just not what I was going for. Any other ideas on what to do with this.
Thanks!