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Cannot understand the maths!

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kchaystack

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 26, 2013
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0
Lansing, MI
Vikings didn't have a hydrometer. As long as it is bubbling and not smelling like rotting eggs, you are fine.

It will be more difficult to tell what your alcohol % is, but you have all your volumes so we can figure it out.

You really want the hydrometer to tell you when it is done. And that will be a few more days.
 

cosmogirl

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 5, 2013
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Belfast Northern Ireland
I think I will try and call over to a home brew shop and buy a hydrometer tomorrow. Though I feel sort of redundant! The yeast is doing all the work. I pretty much just have to stand back and watch.
How will I know when the yeast have finished their thing? I figured that it would eventually stop bubbling. With the hydrometer, am I looking for a reading of 1.000 or am I still confused?

I did pour some boiling water on to another sachet of bread yeast and let it cool. I then poured that in and stirred it all a bit. I don't really know if it will do any good (or harm) but I don't want my yeast pets getting hungry!
 

kchaystack

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 26, 2013
174
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Lansing, MI
The best way to know it is done is to take several SG readings over a couple weeks and make sure the SG does not move. Reading of .990 also indicates that all the sugar has been consumed. BUt if more sugar is added after that it could kick up again.

The boiled yeast are a source of nutrition. Next time I would let them boil for a bit to make sure all the bread yeast is dead, but I doubt it will hurt. Lets see if the Guru's ChevetteGirl and FatBloke agree...

:)
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,443
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Ottawa, ON
You said maths, not math.
Also your English was good, you use metric, I guessed maybe UK because you spell liter the US way and not the French (litre) like we do.

Maths was a dead giveaway... I missed the litre/liter thing though, good catch! :)

And Cosmogirl, the non-hydrometer way to guess that it's done is when there is no more bubbling and it starts to clear. But don't trust it. Them yeasties can be pretty stealthy.

And yeah, kchaystack, I'd boil the yeast for a bit to make sure the cells are popped, I don't know that scalding it will do the trick, I like to use about 2 tsp bread yeast in about 1/4 cup water and nuke it in the microwave till I need to add more water so I can pour it in. A handful of raisins won't hurt either.
 

cosmogirl

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 5, 2013
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Belfast Northern Ireland
Hmm I'm worried now that I did harm the batch with extra bread yeast. I assumed that boiling water would kill it pretty quickly. Is there any chance that the extra yeast I added can do harm? I feel a bit I maternal towards my yeast now! I want them happy and healthy. I did add in thirty raisins or so at the start along with the orange segments.
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
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Apr 27, 2010
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I don't think the scalded bread yeast will hurt anything. It's probably dead, just not necessarily lysed (popped).
 

cosmogirl

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 5, 2013
22
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Belfast Northern Ireland
Ok so this batch of joes ancient orange is still bubbling like crazy. It is about as fizzy as a soft drink! I am assuming that is a good thing. I haven't racked it and I am afraid to open it up to take a hydrometer reading. I'm a bit paranoid about contamination as that ruined a similar batch I attempted years ago.

There is sediment at the bottom. I don't know how much is normal but it looks like loads to me! Should I consider racking or just let the yeast work away? The sediment doesn't look pleasant but there is still loads of activity from the yeast
 

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
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Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
Vikings didn't have a hydrometer. As long as it is bubbling and not smelling like rotting eggs, you are fine.

It will be more difficult to tell what your alcohol % is, but you have all your volumes so we can figure it out.

You really want the hydrometer to tell you when it is done. And that will be a few more days.

Neither did they have any confidence of how it would come out.
They just made mead, and got drunk, no matter the taste.
A hydrometer is not necessary, unless you wish to have some control over the product you're making.
 

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
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Ottawa, ON
Neither did they have any confidence of how it would come out.
They just made mead, and got drunk, no matter the taste.
A hydrometer is not necessary, unless you wish to have some control over the product you're making.

They also likely didn't actually bottle the stuff in airtight bottles and so wouldn't worry about bottle bombs, which is my main reason for wanting a hydrometer...

And Cosmogirl, I ugually expect an inch to two inches of lees in a JAO so don't sweat it.
 
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