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Joe's Grape Mead Question

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NeilV

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 22, 2015
12
0
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As one of my first batches of mead, I started a Joe's Grape mead. I followed the recipe, except I multiplied everything by 6 (except the yeast, which I doubled). The fermentation process took a little longer to get rolling than the other 2 meads I've made. However, by day 3 it was rolling along with a very fast ferment and it kept going strong for about a week then tapered off to zero airlock activity.
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It has been 14 days since I started it. When I started, the gravity was about 1.09. (I had a hard time getting a precise reading, because I used a blender to aerate grape juice and it was frothy.) The airlock is not bubbling now. I checked the gravity today and it was 1.002. I understood that this should go to completely dry before I stabilize and back-sweeten. I thought that would mean a gravity of 1.000 or below.

Questions:

1. Is it likely that this is still fermenting a little and I just need to give it another week or so?

2. If not, is this stuck, and, if it is stuck, should I just not worry about it and a little less honey and grape juice when I back-sweeten it?

3. I have a one once package of dark American oak chips that I was thinking about steaming and throwing in the primary if I'm going to wait another week anyway. Does that sound like a good or bad idea?

FWIW, I took a taste, and, except for being a little too grapey and tingly from carbonation, this is going to taste good when aged a little while. Actually, I think it would be fine without backsweetening at all.

Thanks
 
1.002 is essentially completely dry. Your ferment is not stuck.

When you backsweeten, the ferment may restart unless you stabilize first with 1/8 teaspoon k-meta and 1/4 teaspoon k-sorbate.
 
You were correct. I waited another week, and the SG was 1.000. I stabilized and back-sweetened, and a week later it's already tasty. I will wait another week or so and then bottle.
 
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