I decided to make a bochet the other night so I boiled 11 lbs. of honey for 2.5 hours until it turned dark, dark brown (virtually black) then dissolved it in enough spring water to total 3 gallons. Specific gravity was 1.112 and pH was 3.4 so I assumed those were good starting figures. I added 3 crushed Campden tablets and let it sit for a day.
I then hydrated some Lalvin EC-1118 as the packet instructed, which was different than my usual method (in fact, this is my first time using Lalvin yeasts). Ordinarily, when I prepare a starter I follow the instructions from Jon Iverson's winemaking book, which calls for a larger amount of water, followed by some diluted must. In any case, the yeast woke up and started foaming so I added it to the primary.
It is now 24 hours later and there is absolutely zero activity in the airlock. There are no visible signs of life in the must, either. Could the fact that this is burnt honey be hindering fermentation, sort of like the way smoked meat prevents microbial activity?
I recall the only other mead I made (a hibiscus mead) was a sluggish one too. That began with some Red Star Pasteur Champagne that seemed to slow to a stop so I threw in some extra Premier Cuvée that I had on hand. It picked up for a day or two, then disappeared. Half a year later it tastes great and definitely has a decent amount of alcohol, though I haven't measured the gravity yet.
I then hydrated some Lalvin EC-1118 as the packet instructed, which was different than my usual method (in fact, this is my first time using Lalvin yeasts). Ordinarily, when I prepare a starter I follow the instructions from Jon Iverson's winemaking book, which calls for a larger amount of water, followed by some diluted must. In any case, the yeast woke up and started foaming so I added it to the primary.
It is now 24 hours later and there is absolutely zero activity in the airlock. There are no visible signs of life in the must, either. Could the fact that this is burnt honey be hindering fermentation, sort of like the way smoked meat prevents microbial activity?
I recall the only other mead I made (a hibiscus mead) was a sluggish one too. That began with some Red Star Pasteur Champagne that seemed to slow to a stop so I threw in some extra Premier Cuvée that I had on hand. It picked up for a day or two, then disappeared. Half a year later it tastes great and definitely has a decent amount of alcohol, though I haven't measured the gravity yet.