JAO SG is so high questions???

[Squatchy]

So I made a mistake that I have read many do when they start. I didn't realize for this recipie to work you had to use Flieshman's yeast and I used different yeast in 2 gallon batches. I just read that will not work like the recipie says because it is yeast specific. So, I made a 2 gallon batch this afternoon exactly how the recipie says. I used 7 lbs of honey. After I had put everything in a plastic primary bucket I measured the SG and it was 1.15. I took some of the must out of the pail so as to not have too much foam on top to read in the hydromiter tube. I can't find where I read an expected starting SG number but I thought it was less. I wanted to add my must temp was 86 degrees. I'm not sure how to make temperature adjustments.

1) Is my SG close to the right number and if I had already added the oranges and Craisins would that have made the number higher?

2) What does a too high SG do,,, what are the effects taiste wise from putting too much stress on the yeast?

3) If staggered feeding is best why don't we do this method on this recipie?

4) Lastly, isn't a high SG hard on yeast and that's why we step feed?

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[fatbloke]

Clarify SG first. Pure honey is average 1.400, so you 1.5 a.k.a. 1.500 is likely impossible.

Have a Google for guidance if unsure.

You mention Orange etc, so it's likely JAO. Which apparently, should be 1.135 or thereabouts (but I wouldn't know as I've never bother measuring JAO, just followed the recipe and it turned out fine)......

 

[Squatchy]

Clarify SG first.

I meant OG when I said SG.

 

[kudapucat]

Yep that's ok.
Should finish around 1.050, which is fine, and well balanced, but a touch sweet for my taste.
If you agree with me, drop the honey content a tiny bit.
But no less than 1.120 IMHO.
YMMV.
KP.

 

[Squatchy]

Yep that's ok.
Should finish around 1.050,.

Hi I'm so brand new here I have never harvested a batch yet and I just measured my must for the first time as I just bought a Hydrometr to use on this very batch. All the other batches I have made so far I just tossed the stuff in as per the recipie. Can you please tell me how you figured where I would end up at?

Thanks

Ryan

 

[kudapucat]

Bread yeast usually drops 100 points.


That said, there's a magic number 135 that can be used to calculate an approximation.

14% / 135 = 0.104 point drop
18% / 135 = 0.133
10% / 135 = 0.074

This is only approximations.

 

[Chevette Girl]

Good questions, I can tell you've been doing some reading

1) I usually find my JAO's are around 1.135. If you're gettinig 1.150 with only 7 lb in 2 gallons, I'm guessing you left a lot of headspace. You can dilute it out a bit once the fermentaiton calms down. The craisins and orange shouldn't have much of an effect (although if you used dried cranberries instead of raisins, I'd suggest you go toss a handful of actual raisins in there, cranberries don't have all the nutrients grapes do). Rehydrating dried fruit will pull a little water out of the system and may add a little sugar, but the orange will add more water than sugar to the system.

2) You're right, it can stress out the yeast. If it's WAY too high, it can actually prevent the yeast from rehydrating by pulling water OUT of the yeast cells. Bread yeast is pretty hardy though, it should be able to handle it. Stressed yeast can express their irritation in several ways, very slow fermentation, stopping altogether, or making interesting smells and flavours.

3 and 4) This recipe is kind of the opposite of good winemaking techniques - we WANT the yeasties to crap out at a certain point so they leave us some sweetness, so we don't want to feed a JAO a lot of nutrients, we want to keep the yeast hungry. We're mean that way And bread yeast tolerates higher temperatures and initial gravities than wine yeasts, and it also tends to be pretty honest about whether it's died off or not. The disadvantage of bread yeast is that it doesn't have a very high alcohol tolerance, but that's why we're using it in this recipe. I think if you combined staggered nutrients along with step feeding for a JAO, you'd get a nice quick clean fermentation, but it would likely push the yeast beyond its usual tolerance, and a JAO that's not left sweet enough is pretty gross...