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First batch, First post

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Nidhoggr

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 1, 2012
15
0
0
Hey there! I just started my first batch on 9/30/2012. It's medium sweet batch.

  • 4 gallons of water
  • 15 pounds of honey
  • 2 packs of lavlin 1117
  • yeast energizer and nutrient

Pretty much the direct recipe off of a website. It seems to be fermenting nicely. The airlock has been bubbling as it should, I've aerated it a few times now. Smells sweet.

The only question I have as it is my first batch: Is it normal for it to have a sweet smell with a hint of yeast to it? It doesn't smell spoiled by any means.
 
There's a huge amount of variance in something like smell, it's also somewhat subjective. I'd say it doesn't sound abnormal.
 
The smells to be watching out for would be sulphur smells, if you start wondering who broke the rotten egg or where the rancid rhino farts are coming from, you may want to get some yeast nutrients and yeast energizer in there, or at least some boiled bread yeast to feed your yeasties. And which Lalvin yeast did you use, the K1V-1116 or the EC-1118?
 
Chevette Girl said:
The smells to be watching out for would be sulphur smells, if you start wondering who broke the rotten egg or where the rancid rhino farts are coming from, you may want to get some yeast nutrients and yeast energizer in there, or at least some boiled bread yeast to feed your yeasties. And which Lalvin yeast did you use, the K1V-1116 or the EC-1118?
Click to expand...
Well spotted, I was gonna pick up on that too !

The thing is Nidhoggr, that EC-1118 is a "proper" champagne yeast and is good if you want a batch that has the qualities of a "flat" champagne, whereas the K1-V1116 is a yeast that has some similar qualities, but retains more of the flavour and aroma from the original honey, as well as the "killer" factor where it will out compete wild (and some wine) yeasts.

Many of us have had the "you should use a champagne yeast" mantra from many home brew shops, whereas we've learned that the K1-V1116 makes a damn good traditional mead that ages beautifully.

I prefer it to all champagne yeasts......
 
...whereas I've made some pretty damn tasty things with champagne yeast too... <shrug> one of these days I'll get to the yeast comparaison test on the ever-lenthening to-brew list.
 
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