So I am not a total novice, but I have only done 3-4 meads.
I have done some ciders and fruits wines also, and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the fermentation process.
I had some som fruit and berries from our garden in the freezer that wanted to use in a small batch of mead, as this was very much an experiment, and honey is not cheap.
It is about 50% plum, 30% gooseberries and 20% redcurrant.
Trouble is it never started fermenting. Nothing at all. No bubbles. No activity. No smell of active yeast doing its thing.
I repitched the yeast 2 days after first pitch. And a bread yeast 2 days after that. Still nothing.
Then I had the idea to piggyback on a fresh fermentation, so I made about a liter of must in a sepeaerate bucket, at roughly half the SG, with only a tiny bit of nutrients added.
This thing was bubbling the very next day, and I poured about 100 ml / 3 oz of my original must into the active buck and BAM. Never saw another bubble.
The ratio was like 10% dead must with 90% active. DEAD!!! I did not see that coming at all.
What do I do now?
Recipe:
In a clean bucket:
- 1,5 kg plum w.o. stones from freezer
- 0,8 kg gooseberry from freezer
- 0,5 kg redcurrant from freezer
- 1 gram campden powder
- 6 grams enzyme
- 3,5 gram of calcium carbonate, to address the tartness of the berries. (Must tastes fresh, but not overly acidic)
- 0,5 L of water
After 1 week in a cool place I strained it into the fermenter and found the SG to be 1,042 naturally.
Then I added:
- 0,85 kg of honey (SG = 1,093)
- 1 pinch tannin powder
- half teaspoon nutrient (premixed pouch that I do not know the exact content of) https://www.hembryggeriet.se/jastnaring-super-for-25l-vin-cider-mjod-2741
Total volume 5,0 L.
Yeast pitch
1/4 packet Lalvin 71B (slightly old packet from last brew, stored in fridge)
2 days later the pitched the remain 1/4 packet.
2 days later I pitched fresh bread yeast.
The piggyback fermenter was also bread yeast, from the same pack, which sprung into action immidiately.
What am I missing? What is killing of yeast using just small amounts of must?
I have done some ciders and fruits wines also, and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the fermentation process.
I had some som fruit and berries from our garden in the freezer that wanted to use in a small batch of mead, as this was very much an experiment, and honey is not cheap.
It is about 50% plum, 30% gooseberries and 20% redcurrant.
Trouble is it never started fermenting. Nothing at all. No bubbles. No activity. No smell of active yeast doing its thing.
I repitched the yeast 2 days after first pitch. And a bread yeast 2 days after that. Still nothing.
Then I had the idea to piggyback on a fresh fermentation, so I made about a liter of must in a sepeaerate bucket, at roughly half the SG, with only a tiny bit of nutrients added.
This thing was bubbling the very next day, and I poured about 100 ml / 3 oz of my original must into the active buck and BAM. Never saw another bubble.
The ratio was like 10% dead must with 90% active. DEAD!!! I did not see that coming at all.
What do I do now?
Recipe:
In a clean bucket:
- 1,5 kg plum w.o. stones from freezer
- 0,8 kg gooseberry from freezer
- 0,5 kg redcurrant from freezer
- 1 gram campden powder
- 6 grams enzyme
- 3,5 gram of calcium carbonate, to address the tartness of the berries. (Must tastes fresh, but not overly acidic)
- 0,5 L of water
After 1 week in a cool place I strained it into the fermenter and found the SG to be 1,042 naturally.
Then I added:
- 0,85 kg of honey (SG = 1,093)
- 1 pinch tannin powder
- half teaspoon nutrient (premixed pouch that I do not know the exact content of) https://www.hembryggeriet.se/jastnaring-super-for-25l-vin-cider-mjod-2741
Total volume 5,0 L.
Yeast pitch
1/4 packet Lalvin 71B (slightly old packet from last brew, stored in fridge)
2 days later the pitched the remain 1/4 packet.
2 days later I pitched fresh bread yeast.
The piggyback fermenter was also bread yeast, from the same pack, which sprung into action immidiately.
What am I missing? What is killing of yeast using just small amounts of must?
