Long Ferment

[Nautical Mead]

Howdy Folks!

After a year of hoping for the best, I have declared my first batch a total failure and have decided to try again.

Very Basic Recipe:

21 lbs of Mesquite Blossom Honey

Red Star Cd B yeast

LD Carlson Yeast Energizer

LD Carlson Yeast Nutrient

Five Gallons of water

I pitched the yeast in a half gallon starter solution 24 hours before adding it to the must.

Starting Parameters are - 6.5 gallons of must, 1.100 specific gravity and a pH of 6.0.

For the first week, I had what I would call a robust fermentation, seeing one bubble per second. After seven days, it slowed to approximately one bubble every four seconds, and has continued at this rate for 16 straight days. Today, my curiosity got the best of me and I popped the top to have a look-see.

No real change in the pH. Specific gravity is now 1.050. Tastes great, but still way too sweet. Also, I left the sample sitting in a cup for about five minutes and many tiny bubbles formed on the inside of the cup, so I guess I have a goodly amount of dissolved CO2.

So my question is, do I just need to take a chill pill or what? Am I courting disaster by leaving it on the lees this long? Do I need to take any action about the CO2?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

Troy

 

[skunkboy]

Red Star Cotes des Blanc yeast? Just verifying, don't use their yeast very often...

I think that is a slow fermenter, what temp are you running this at?

 

[Nautical Mead]

Hi Skunkboy!

Thanks for the reply. The must is at 67 degrees, F. It is sitting on a ceramic tile floor inside a space that is kept above 70 most of the time.

Is that too cold?

Thanks, again,
Troy

 

[fatbloke]

No 70 is fine but I'd question that pH big time.......

If it wasnt between 3.0 and 4.0 somewhere id be amazed.....

Plus while the nutrient and energiser are fine, how much did you use ? It should have been something like 5 tsp energiser and maybe 2 to 2.5 tsp of nutrients - and thats not knowing how much nitrogen the LDC stuff provides.......