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Lazy Yeast

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Ha, I suppose that's true. They're still pumping away. The top was pushing the other day actually. Gassy little guys aren't they?
Within the fermenter there is definitely a sharp citrusy smell. Is this normal at this stage or is this a carry over of the acids from the start? Basically, should I be concerned about this right now?
SG is at 1.070 down from 1.100
 
Hey all, it's currently at about 1.035 and seems to lose .010 a day. Just wondering what FG I should watch for or when abouts to rack it. Thanks again.
 
Rack it once the gravity stabilizes for a few days straight. When that will be is anyone's guess. I usually use D47, so I can take the lazy route: wait 2-3 weeks from fermentation start, then rack. If your yeast is ok for leaving the must on it for some time, mayhap you can be lazy too!
 
AngryViking said:
I then pitched a second pack of yeast in, dry, per the shop owner and bought a hydrometer against his advice.
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AngryViking said:
Obviously however well meaning I'm not listening to the homebrew guy again.
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Advising you against repitching, repitching dry, or purchasing a hydrometer? If your homebrew guy tried to dissuade you from buying a hydrometer, I'd be looking for a better homebrew guy too!

Glad to hear your must is finally doing something. The campden tablets, though not required, probably aren't responsible, the effect should have been gone by 24 hours, I'd be betting on the acidity too, although I've made that same mistake myself and still got fermentation eventually. And I've even had to wait a few days for things to get going when I had a must that should have had no problems to surmount!
 
UPDATE: It's been stuck at 1.030 since Dec 29. I've been out of the province for a couple days, but last checked it on Dec 31 and it was 1.030 then as well. Seems a bit high for an FG to me or should I accept this and rack?
 
<perks up> Province? :)

I've had EC-1118 stick around there before on a must it should have taken dry, try nuking some bread yeast in water and pouring it in when it's cool.
 
Yes, I was in the Island for NYE.
Is the bread yeast plan to kill off the yeast or is this to reactivate it? Pretty new to this.
 
The bread yeast is a way to feed the wine yeast that's safe to add late in fermentation. Sometimes it'll perk up and get the job finished.
 
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Alrighty. Well I went with the bread yeast. Hope this takes off.
Should it not, is there any problem with a 1.030 mead other than it would be a bit on the sweet side?
 
A JAO wine stops around there, so there's some evidence that that level of sweetness is completely acceptable if you like it. The only thing "wrong" is that it could randomly kick up again for no apparent reason if you don't stabilize it. If it tastes good that way, it's fine, if it doesn't kick up again with this recent attempt and you find it tastes too sweet, you could try making another batch in a similar manner (perhaps refining your techniques a little, I'd start with not adding any acid) and hoping IT goes dry, then blending the two... or drink it cut with soda water or something. Really, there is no wrong way to hande it as long as it tastes good, just unsafe things that could happen if it kicks back up in the bottle.

Although given that this started at 1.100 and finished at 1.030, it's not going to have the alcohol content to be a long-term aged brew, it's just shy of 10%. That said, I've had an 8% wine that has stayed good for years... so as always, your mileage may vary. Sugar content also seems to be in your favour when it comes to resisting negative aging effects... at least in my experience.

Re-reading your brewlog, I'm suspecting Golddiggie and Medsen are right and your pH may have been on the low side to start but as fermentation happened it went down even more and is now too low for the yeast and if you can get your hands on some potassium carbonate (or calcium carbonate if you can't get the potassium stuff), a few teaspoons of that might well help.
 
Alright, well I'll give it another day on account of the bread yeast. To stop it do I just use a campden tab?
 
Campden tab (sulphites) will stun the yeast, adding potassium sorbate will keep any that wake up from breeding again, you kind of want the one-two punch to be safe.
 
AngryViking said:
Alright, well I'll give it another day on account of the bread yeast. To stop it do I just use a campden tab?
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Don't mistake the difference between stabilising to prevent fermentation restarting and trying too stop an active fermentation. Stabilising is easy once you've had a number of consistent and identical reading. Stopping an active ferment can prove quite hard. Invariably you have to cold crash for a week or two before racking off sediment and onto the stabilising chems......
 
But in this case, AngryViking would be stabilizing a stalled-out mead, which is already stopped. And I really think the problem here would be the pH anyway... but you can't trust that to hold it still either.
 
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