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"Depending on good/bad conditions, yeast may blow past published tolerance or stop before it's hit. I see the latter a lot because I keep my yeast happy!"

Wouldn't it be the former?
 
Excellent article! Keep up the good work, others really appreciate it I am sure, as I do!
I do have one question. You add the last nutrients at 2/3 sugar depletion, but most reading I have done indicates that yeast cannot assimilate nutrients after 1/2 sugar depletion? I know your meads work (I have made a number of BOMM, from one gallon to six gallons) but have tried the last addition on several and no last addition (only after lag and at 1/3 sugar depletion) on several others, with no discernible difference. Care to comment? I have been curious since I first read and tried the BOMM protocol.
 
brentG said:
"Depending on good/bad conditions, yeast may blow past published tolerance or stop before it's hit. I see the latter a lot because I keep my yeast happy!"

Wouldn't it be the former?
Click to expand...

Depends on how you look at it. The first scenario would have been a better way to put. Oh well. Something is always bound to go wrong!


Better brewing through science!
 
edblanford said:
... You add the last nutrients at 2/3 sugar depletion, but most reading I have done indicates that yeast cannot assimilate nutrients after 1/2 sugar depletion?...
Click to expand...

The studies that suggest this were done in wine in the absence of K2CO3. As you know, mead is a different beast altogether. While I don't have any scientific data, empirically, I've found the last few gravity points to go very slowly without the last nutrient addition. This is even more true if you decide to step feed after it hits 1.000!


Better brewing through science!
 
Thanks all! I plan to write at least 3 more. Any suggestions?


Better brewing through science!
 
Thanks for writing this!

Thoughts on stuff I'd like to see elaborated, based on my own interests and stuff I see asked here a lot:

* Alternative nutrients (dried fruit, bee pollen, etc.)
* Step-feeding
* Making a starter
* Carbonation of meads, both dry and sweet (though admittedly the beer makers probably have this one down for dry)
 
McJeff said:
Good read TY! Do you not taking a starting PH before adding potassium or do you justautomatically add it?
Click to expand...

I just add it. It doesn't matter what the pH is. You still need to buffer because fermentation drives the pH down.


Better brewing through science!
 
loveofrose said:
I just add it. It doesn't matter what the pH is. You still need to buffer because fermentation drives the pH down.


Better brewing through science!
Click to expand...

Interesting! I've got a few batches I'm goin to start this weekend I'll add it to my process if my local hbs has some.

Is that 1/4 tsp per gallon or only 1/4 tsp?
 
1/4 tsp per gallon. I double it in really tart melomels or cysers.


Better brewing through science!
 
I second the alternative nutrients. I think there's a natural, "chemical free" interest out there. I went to a meadery last weekend and the owner was talking about a Whole Foods that wanted his meads but without chemicals, so there's definitely an audience.
I remember reading your thread on an all natural BOMM. That would make for a sweet article.
 
LOR, loved the article, nicely done!

I also second the idea about writing an organic recipe. I haven't had the time to experiment with it myself (my only attempt last year yielded a very yeasty, bitter tasting mead that I thought was due to using too much Fermaid O, even a couple months sitting in secondary). If there is a best practice, I would like to know. And, is it incompatible with the BOMM method?
 
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