New guy with meadmaking process question

[TAKeyser]

yes and no on this one.

it depends a bit on the setup, whats used in re hydration and whats in the must.
the main thing is to not add DAP until after the lag time. on the other hand adding nutrients at the start can be very good as it allows healthy yeast build up.

with some of my yeasts it comes with nutrient pre mixed so you do not have a choice but to have it at the start.

He rehydrated with GoFerm so he has nutrients up front for healthy yeast buildup and he is using a mix of Fermaid-K, which has DAP in it, along with straight DAP for his later additions.

 

[CrazyRuskii]

Wait until the Lag Period is over before you add the Fermaid and D.A.P.

Good to know, thanks man.

When tasting weekly during the 1 month on oak, be prepared to rack off of the oak.

Yeah, I've been reading that once it hits how you like it, get it off the oak stat because it will take a while to mellow out with age.

Привет русский сумасшедший

Здравствуйте!

It seems to me that your time line is pretty more shorter than mine. Try to be patient, apart from the 1/3 sugar break - in my case it usually occurs at the 5th day - nothing is written on stones.

All the time lines I have down are more or less just to let me know around how long each time to wait. Of course none of it is set in stone, and I need to follow the meads own schedule

He rehydrated with GoFerm so he has nutrients up front for healthy yeast buildup and he is using a mix of Fermaid-K, which has DAP in it, along with straight DAP for his later additions.

*Going to, haha. I want to be certain I completely understand what I am doing before I dump a bunch of money worth of honey, fruit, and chemicals together and create some god awful abomination of a beverage ;D

 

[CrazyRuskii]

Alright guys, this is my final draft. Can someone please look it over to make sure all steps are in order and quantities are correct? I'm shooting for 14% ABV and around 1.015 SG before backsweetening.


Step 1: Add 3lbs honey, cinnamon stick, handful dried blueberries to 1 gallon water in bucket, and then shake. A lot.
Step 2: Take hydrometer reading OG.
Step 3: Add 1g Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast to warm water per directions on package with 1.25g Go-Ferm.
Step 4: Add yeast to must, shake, airlock, and let sit.

Step 5: Wait until must start foaming.
Step 6: Mix 2g Fermaid K and 1g D.A.P in warm water.
Step 7: Let out CO2, add to must, and then shake.

Step 8: Aerate every day until 1/3 sugar break is reached.

Step 9: Once the 1/3 sugar break hits, repeat step 6 and 7.

Step 10: Taking hydrometer readings once a week until fermentation looks complete.

Step 11: Rack must off lees/fruit/sludge into first glass carboy.
Step 12: Add Potassium metabisulfite. Shake.
Step 13: Wait 10 min.
Step 14: Add Potassium sorbate. Shake.
Step 15: Wait one week.

Step 16: Siphon off some must into a glass mason jar. Place in fridge to make room for blueberries.
Step 17: Add 2lbs. slightly crushed blueberries.
Step 18: Wait one month.

Step 19: Rack must off blueberries into second glass carboy.
Step 20: Add ~15 oak cubes.
Step 21: Top off carboy with must from mason jar.
Step 22: Taste every week until desired oak flavor is added.

(The following is only necessary if sweetening is needed.)

Step 23: Rack must off oak into first carboy.
Step 24: Backsweeten, then shake.
Step 25: Wait one week.

(The following is only necessary if clearing is needed.)

Step 26: Add bentonite if necessary.
Step 27: Wait about one week until it is clear.

Step 28: Take hydrometer reading FG.
Step 29: Bottle!

 

[TAKeyser]

Personally I would just use the whole 5gram packet of yeast rehydrated in 6 grams of Go-Ferm. It's a 90 cent guarantee that you will develop a healthy yeast colony.

Be sure to push the cap of blueberries down everyday so they all stay moist.

Other than that it looks pretty good.

 

[CrazyRuskii]

Personally I would just use the whole 5gram packet of yeast rehydrated in 6 grams of Go-Ferm. It's a 90 cent guarantee that you will develop a healthy yeast colony.

Got it. I was not sure if using too much yeast/Go-Ferm would be an issue.

Be sure to push the cap of blueberries down every day so they all stay moist.

Yep. Didn't think to add it to the list, but I did read all about that in the NewBee Guide.

Other than that it looks pretty good.

Awesome ;D Can't wait for the last of my stuff to get in so I can finally put all this book lernin' to use!