Guidelines for use of Potassium compounds for pH control

[Cobrac]

@Cobrac -- Thanks for the comments. Consistent with your suggestion, I have been constructing my own water for mead fermentation for a few years. My approach follows whatever authoritative books or scientific articles I could find that directly and credibly address the question: What minerals are required to keep yeast happy? And to keep beer/mead drinkers happy? Many of these sources are listed above.

The minerals serve two basic purposes: (1) they provide nutrients, and (2) they buffer / modify pH. And these minerals must be added within certain constraints. One constraint is that the minerals should not interfere with healthy yeast metabolism. For example, sodium competes with hydrogen for transport out of the yeast cell, so too much sodium makes it difficult for the yeast cell to maintain an optimal internal pH. And of course, the minerals are added with boundary conditions to ensure that they not adversely impact taste. For example, abundant chloride might be OK per se combined with normal Ca, Na, and/or K could create a salty taste. Similarly, potassium per se seems ok in large amounts but can produce a salty flavor in the presence of excess chlorine. Similarly, ample zinc can encourage yeast metabolism but then can create a metallic taste. And it's not just taste. Ample magnesium is good for yeast metabolism but too much can have a laxative effect.

Bottom line: Fermenters ignore minerals at their peril. Distilled or RO water has no minerals, so if such water is used then supplements seem necessary. On the other hand, tap water or even purchased spring water will have minerals but maybe the wrong ones or the wrong amounts. As noted, my own well water has too much sodium and too much chloride to be optimal.

Also, while honey itself has some minerals, it does not have enough to ensure a healthy fermentation.

FWIW, I'd be very happy to discuss this topic. But I don't think I can do it here. My simple question in the OP, which asked whether there are reasons not to add potassium, elicited a close-minded response. Like me, you view water management as a potential "next level" in mead making. I was told categorically that adding minerals is passé -- everything you might ever need is already included in Fermaid O. But I want to know what I am doing and why.

I think to approach this topic the right way I believe one has separate this into sensoric and yeast needs. They don’t correlate is my knowledge and experience. But our sensory perception is far harder to keep happy. yeast doesn’t require much minerals and salts at all. And just to keep happy yeast won’t give you very much taste or profiled meads. However even if yeast don’t “demand” much minerals they can still added up to quite high levels without going to stall. Water all around the globe is very much different and all places get fermentation going and with different outcomes. So it is maybe time to explore different outcomes with different water. To manipulate meads properly we also have to take account for other factors as well. But by studying water properties maybe it’s possible to get some better understanding for certain outcomes of flavor. Basic thing is to use our own sense, does the water taste well in both room temp and cold. It’s probably a good water for beverages , but to get that extra fine tuning/tweaking maybe it’s a good idea to study the properties of the water.

What have you got to know ow so far of different salts and minerals? Any specific tryouts and side-by-side tests?

 

[Squatchy]

Well that's good news.

Using RO because you drink it is a very casual approach. RO has no minerals, right? Zero. We know that yeast does best with substantial potassium, a decent amount of phosphorus and magnesium, some calcium, a little zinc, and so on. I have no idea what "mineral water" contains but I would strongly advise you not to continue to use RO without supplementing it. The short answer to your final question is: Minerals.

Using coffee because you drink it is, again, a very casual approach. Re nitrogen, one of the things that @Squatchy and I agree on is that Fermaid O is a good product. My only gripe is that I wish I knew exactly what's in it. I would suggest that you use it exclusively as your source of N. Coffee contains N but I have no idea how much. If you're content to be casual about it, you might also toss a hamburger into your must; it has nitrogen too. I think you'd be better of with an approach that is more precise.

I'm not going to make detailed recommendations here because I don't want to get into a food fight with other members who disagree. Maybe I'll answer a PM.

One last note: An active fermentation does not ensure a good-tasting product. I can assure you that your yeast can bubble for weeks and still produce a mead that tastes like medicine or smells like rotten eggs. You want your yeast to be very very happy. Figure out exactly how to make them happy.

The Fermaid O is dead yeast cells. It's in the book. All of everything is in the book. I have had handfuls of people who were either struggling to make anything decent to drink. And others who never made a mead in their lives. Both groups followed my teachings and were very happy with the results. And many won their first awards in completion. And now more than a few own meaderies. And have continued to use what I have taught them. Lastly, no mead is finished once the fermentation is over. Even trads require so fine tweaking to maximize what you have made. That, too, is in the podcast. Can you benefit from structuring water? Maybe. But I don't think you can even start doing that until you fully grasp what is already known. You would first need to be able to make great mead. Especially traditional. Then, do many side-by-side comparisons. And the more delicate a week may be. The more defined someone's palet would need to be to be able to employ it successfully in newer meads. Gains do not quickly come to mead makers and even less to readers. You have to earn your knowledge in the old-fashioned way.

 

[mhal408]

The Fermaid O is dead yeast cells. It's in the book. All of everything is in the book. I have had handfuls of people who were either struggling to make anything decent to drink. And others who never made a mead in their lives. Both groups followed my teachings and were very happy with the results. And many won their first awards in completion. And now more than a few own meaderies. And have continued to use what I have taught them. Lastly, no mead is finished once the fermentation is over. Even trads require so fine tweaking to maximize what you have made. That, too, is in the podcast. Can you benefit from structuring water? Maybe. But I don't think you can even start doing that until you fully grasp what is already known. You would first need to be able to make great mead. Especially traditional. Then, do many side-by-side comparisons. And the more delicate a week may be. The more defined someone's palet would need to be to be able to employ it successfully in newer meads. Gains do not quickly come to mead makers and even less to readers. You have to earn your knowledge in the old-fashioned way.

Oh yeah no wonder fermaidO smells like yeast to me, it absorb room humidity very fast too, it gets clumpy once it gets out of its package. Very high humidity and temperature where i live. Do you reckon climate has big impact on making mead?

 

[Squatchy]

Oh yeah no wonder fermaidO smells like yeast to me, it absorb room humidity very fast too, it gets clumpy once it gets out of its package. Very high humidity and temperature where i live. Do you reckon climate has big impact on making mead?

I don't thing it will make a difference