DAP amounts

[beekind]

I've been waiting for awhile to post this question, because I needed to have time for a possible lengthy discussion from the masters. Okay, so here goes:

How do you figure the amount of DAP for a particular mead recipe?

Obviously, it has much to do with the yeast type, S.G., and any other nitrogen sources that are in the recipe. Probably only three of the thirty or so batches that I've made have I actually used a recipe from someone else; everything else is something that I've made up. When I've created my own recipes, I've been trying to find a similar recipe [here] that some of the very experienced have created and then, I've just used those same DAP amounts.

My normal mode is, I check my must for sulphur smells, and pitch a bit more DAP if it is smelly; if no smell, I leave it alone (every batch gets some at the different phases up to the 1/3 break).

When I create a new recipe that is similar to a previous recipe, I just follow what I wrote down in my notes.

But, what's the science? Are you guys basing everything from your experience, or is there a formula floating around out there that I've missed?

 

[YogiBearMead726]

Try doing a search for "YAN" or "YAN content", with quotation marks, and I think you should find an answer in one the resulting threads. There are a lot of good threads here, we just need to search a little harder sometimes to find what we're looking for. As Medsen has told me (more than once...), the search tool is your friend.

Basically the amount you add is based on a target ppm of accessible nitrogen for the yeast, knowing what a given amount of DAP, Fermaid K, etc add to a known volume.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dan McFeeley]

You can also try browsing through the brewlogs, and the patron recipes. You might find some tips here and there on adjusting DAP amounts.

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[Medsen Fey]

There is some science to it.

Wayneb's outline for using nutrients is the best I've seen. Searching around more for nutrients, and nitrogen requirements will find more threads (you may want to limit to titles). There are a lot of threads discussing different aspects of this.

 

[beekind]

oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This has been a difficult area for me. So, many times I've read snippets of the info. without seeing it so well spelled out. This is the equation that I've been looking for.

I now have the info from Wayne saved (with ammendments by Medsen) into my notes.

Thank you, SOOO much!
my yeasties thank you, too!