Risks of bottling

[Geoo]

This is a good group here on this board...

Yeah.. I cant apologize enough for venting my frustration. I went back and read myself and the other comments and I was horribly out of line. I hope everyone, especially Oskaar, will just ingore it and forgive my outburst.

I'm just thinking out loud here, mostly, but since I used Lalvin 71B-1122 and the tolerance is 14% but I am estimating my must at 12.5 roughly then it shouldnt be done fermenting. Would that be correct?

Its all very difficult for me, doing the calculations since my first mistake was not taking an OG. But that is what the information tells me.

Geoo

 

[lostnbronx]

I did learn something today though. I learned how to use that "Mead Making Calculator" and my pyment is about 12.5% abv. But I am not sure what my yeast tolerate and I cant find it on the Wyest website. You would think they would make that obvious.

Geoo,

Do you mean the Flash Pyment? If so, remember that you won't get 12.5% out of it, because you'll be shutting it down before it fully ferments all the sugars -- this is important for ballance and structure. And if you're not referring to the Flash Pyment, then...um...

Never mind.

Seriously though, no one who's responded so far has meant anything more than what they've said regarding the Search Function. NOBODY wants you to leave, or is trying to put you "in your place" or anything else like that. The reason people kind of harp on it is because of the confusion of having two Search buttons on the Forum page. This has caused lots of confusion in the past, with people using it to search for Forum posts, and getting everything but; which is to say, they used the wrong Search button for the info they were after. (David raisies his hand sheepishly.)

It's kind of a standard response now -- but maybe saying it once was enough (it wasn't for me, but then I'm sssslllloooowwww...)

-David

 

[Geoo]

Do you mean the Flash Pyment?

No, this is my regular pyment that has been going along for about 5 months. Sorry, didnt mean to confuse you. It has had any airlock activity in months so I am just trying to figure out where its at.

Geoo

 

[Brewbear]

Hey Geoo,
I believe that a small amount of frustration is part of getting into any hobby, at least until you get more comfortable and gain some knowledge. I started 5 months ago and for the first month kept wondering why in the H&% was I getting all the weird stuff when searching :-X I was using the wrong search function. I think i echo the others on the forum in telling you that you are welcome here, and ask away!!!!
Now for the problem at hand, K-sorbate will prevent a re-start of the fermentation but will not stop it. Knowing the recipe used helps troubeshooting problems but I'm assuming (and assumption is the mother of all f*77-ups) that you used the calculator in arriving to the PABV of 14%. At this point you have 2 choices: 1) make another pyment using the same ingredients but a different yeast (say K1-V, the beast of yeasts)and mix the two batches when they are done. 2) Try to restart fermentation using K1-V in a starter that was very well oxygenated. Keep in mind that this way you will have to monitor SG very closely and dilligently (at least 2 times a day). When you reach the desired SG (and taste ;D) refrigerate the batch for at least 3 days (a week is better)-that'll be cold stabilization - and then rack onto K-metabisulphite and K-sorbate. The metabi should kill any yeasties too stubborn to go to sleep and the sorbate will prevent re-starts. BTW, the same goes for the very dry batch, cold stabilize, rack onto the 2 K's wait a week or so and then backsweeten.
It seems that a lot of stuck batches are caused by lack of oxygen at the start of the fermentation (as per Dave Logsdon of Wyeast during the interview at basic brewing radio podcast) so shake the starter for a good 4 minutes (actually the must you'll be adding the rehydrated yeast to) and pray!!!! :-\

Best of luck,
Ted

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Better off than me, I still cant use that damn calculator, hahah...

Yeh Mynx, but your cat drools... doesn't that make up for it? I don't have a drooling cat. I feel so deprived... ;D ;D ;D

 

[Mynx]

Better off than me, I still cant use that damn calculator, hahah...

Yeh Mynx, but your cat drools... doesn't that make up for it? I don't have a drooling cat. I feel so deprived... ;D ;D ;D

Want mine?

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Hey all,

EVERY aspect of meadmaking has alternatives (heat/no heat, store bought/specialty/clover/wildflower/orange blossom, tannins/no tannins, plastic/glass, nutrients/yeast hulls/raisins/no nutrients, aerobic/anerobic(sp?) fermentation, yeast selections, high ABV/low ABV, chemicals/cold shock/aging/filtering, clarifying agents/cold storage/eggs, fruits/juices/syrups and in primary/secondary/post-ferment, French/American/light/medium/heavy/chips/cubes oak, grolsch/champagne/beer/new/used bottles, cap/cork/synthetic/screwtop, and a million other choices to be made. A newcomer comes into a forum like this and is almost certainly going to get overwhelmed. But the truth is that every newcomer making a mead, especially if they choose not to do something like Ancient Orange, has to make many of these selections PRIOR to starting their batch.

There is a LOT of info to be sorted through and the search tool (while useful) only adds to the information overload. I waited an entire year to start my first mead until after I had had a chance to sit down with a master brewer one-on-one and go through what I needed to do step-by-step until I felt comfortable that I could do it correctly. I believe that very few here didn't feel somewhat overwhelmed when we started.

I look through the threads and notice that a lot of newcomers are looking for the same thing, for someone to basically take them by the hand and lead them through the steps and concerns they have over THEIR first batch. It doesn't matter if someone else (or even ten someone elses) has made the same Gooferfruit Mead, each new person will start a thread in one section or another for their batch and their questions. I believe that we owe it to every newcomer to take the time and show the patience to allow them to reask the same old questions that have been asked 50 times before because this is THEIR first batch and it is important that we nurture them by answering THEIR question, not that someone answered someone else's identical question previously. I think it is wonderful that we generally do this on Gotmead.

We have all been there. Stuck batches. Wrong FG's. Funny things floating on the surface. We all tread somewhat fearfully until we get a bit of confidence built up. If nothing else, it is our job in this forum to help every person wanting to make mead to build the confidence to do it successfully. Right?

Peace,
Pewter

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

Mynx,

Nice of you to offer but my daughter already has a white, furballed, bug-eyed yapper that doesn't like cats. Maybe you could make a catdrool mead? Yum yum....

With a cringe and a grin,
Pewter

 

[memento]

...Gooferfruit Mead...

I think that'll be my next batch!

 

[Geoo]

The Honeymood Mead that I spoke of really took a turn for the better. I noticed today that there was alot of lees on the bottom and it had really cleared. So I racked it into a clean carboy and took a hydrometer reading. Its at 1.042 from 1.050 which tells me that it was a great think that I didnt bottle it earlier. I really would have expected both the Honeymoon Mead and the Barat's Concord Pyment to have stopped fermenting by now. But now I understand better what it is supposed to look like once it does REALLY clear.

On a great note I got in Ken Shramms book today and I am looking forward to reading some of it tomorrow at work.

Geoo

 

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

1.042 is still a bit sweet. You might want to leave it go for a while longer and see if you still have some fermentation occurring that might knock it down a bit more.

Good luck,
Pewter