First batch of mead- just making sure I'm on the right track.

[smkohler]

Well, a mead shop opened up nearby and I'm now on the path to making some myself. I've made wine for years, so I already had the equipment- just making sure I'm on the right track.

So after reading up on mead, I realized there are a lot of opinions and techniques, so I chose one and started. I prefer a sweeter mead so I started with 15 pounds of honey in 5 gallons, used D47 yeast and appropriate yeast nutrient and energizer. SG is right around 1.100.

Kept in the primary fermentor for about 3 weeks, in that time the SG wend down to around 1.038 and stayed there for the next week. If my calculations were done correctly, that is around 8% ABV. When tasting, it is still VERY sweet- so I thought maybe fermentation stalled or I screwed something up. I went ahead and racked into a 5 gal glass carboy and things were quiet at first, but after 2 weeks in the secondary the fermentation has greatly picked back up and is now really active.

So... did I screw something up or rack it too soon? Just let it roll for another month or so? Wish I had found this site sooner.

Thanks!
Steve

 

[EricHartman]

Welcome to gotmead Steve. Probably racked a little early but mead making is a forgiving hobby; so long as you don't neglect your yeast up front anyway. I'd let it do its thing. I'd have to look it up to be sure but I suspect the d47 will take your must to dry given ideal conditions. There is a ton of good info on the site and I've collected a healthy amount, for newcomers, in my links below. The modern mead making podcast is absolute gold.

 

[darigoni]

D47 can be finicky. You might have done better with one of the more robust yeasts, like EC-1118 or K1-V1116.

What temperature was your bucket at? D47 has a very narrow happy zone.

You could have tried stirring your mead, getting the yeast back in suspension, with the hope that it might take off again.

 

[smkohler]

Thank for the replies, all great suggestions for me to learn. The temp in the room is around 72, kept close to the floor so probably a bit cooler and out of the sun. Next go I'll try a different yeast and see if it is a little more straight forward. The thinking on my end, was the amount of honey should be enough to ferment to the upper potential of 12-14% alcohol with some residual sugars left. I'm enjoying the process, a lot more complex if you want it to be. The airlock is sending a bubble through it about 1 per second, if I smell the top of the airlock it has a very nice aroma.

 

[pdh]

So how did it turn out? I'm curious because I used to use D47 all the time, but I switched to K1V mostly because it does well at higher temperatures than D47, so I can brew all year and not just in the winter. K1V does seem happier in the lower 60's as opposed to the 70's, but it still works in the 70's whereas I've had problems with D47 above 70.

 

[Squatchy]

The only strain I know of that won't chew through 14 points of sugar is bread yeast. And that's only if you don't use modern protocols

 

[smkohler]

The fermentation finally stopped a while back and I racked into a new carboy. Finally SG reading puts the alcohol around 14.5%, now it is just sitting there clearing. I did try it when racking and there was a bit of a bitter taste, but I have not tried it in a month or so.