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Stuck or burned out - please help...

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M

McPirate

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 12, 2013
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Complete newbee here - this site so far has been invaluable - any help would be much appreciated....

So I cold mixed - aiming for around 7.5 litres of metheglin in the first instance

Used:

4x1.5l (1.58gal)bottles spring water
6.5x 340g (4lb, 14oz) jars organic wildflower honey (2x with royal jelly, 0.5 'set' (I ran out....)
900ml (0.24gal) Cloudy apple juice - no sulphides
2x Lalvin EC118
1/2 tbsp yeast energiser (Fermaid K)
2 sticks cinnamon, smashed
1/2 tbsp fenugreek
5x drops willow tincture
1/2 tbsp hysop
1 tbsp poppy seed
1/2 tbsp cloves
1/2 tbsp whole cardamom
Pinch wormwood

Sterilized the hell out of everything. Mixed all the gently warmed honey in the apple juice and about a quarter of the water in the 10 litre glass carboy, added the rest of the water, shook well. Reconstituted the yeast in warm water, added this after 20 mins as well, along with the energiser. Put all the spices in a sterilised muslin bag, and added this. Shook the lot thoroughly.

Took a reading of the SG, spun the hydrometer to free bubbles etc - was 1.081 - was aiming for a medium sweet mead at around 14%, so this seemed right, but I could be wrong....

After a couple of hours, the thing went crazy like champagne, bubbling away very merrily. Elected not to test SG for first few days - shook 3x per day for first three days, then set aside.

Day 5 - all activity stops. Added tsp more energiser. Still nothing. No bubbling, nothing. Tested SG - now at 1.010.:o Is this even possible? How didi I burn out the sugar so quickly? Where did I go wrong? Can it be saved?

All help heartily appreciated....
 
Like you said it went crazy with the bubbling and yes it is more than possible, in fact it's very likely that the primary ferment is almost done.
 
What do you mean Wrong? You did a good SNA. 1.081-1.010 is about 9.3% and that final gravity is right in the medium sweet range.

Nothing to do now but stabilize and age. Well done.

Edit: it may have just slowed down a lot too, and end up finishing in a week or two at 1.000. In which case you will need to stabilize and back sweeten for a medium mead.
 
Chevette Girl said:
And you're using metric! Where are you from? ;D
Click to expand...

My Money's on Aussie, though there's scant few colloquialisms to give it away.
French spelling of litre definitely suggests British isles or Australia.

Also: Tuesday Evening Post, 10:30 Melbourne time, 7:30 Perth time.

So.. come on. Let us know! (Though if I'm right, we probably have to wait 4 hours for you to get home from work)
 
Ha! - I'm a Brit - but well narrowed down.... Posted Tuesday morning 11:22AM (sneakily from work)....

Thank you all very much for your help - the literature I looked at always seemed to suggest that bubbling would slow, but not stop for some weeks yet, and I had a bit of a minor panic....

Joe - Fenugreek is raw, I'm afraid - didn't think of toasting it.... but was aiming for it to compliment the other spices rather than overpower....

My intention is to rack, backsweeten and clarify in about a week or two, then age for a year or more....
 
McPirate said:
...Joe - Fenugreek is raw, I'm afraid - didn't think of toasting it.... but was aiming for it to compliment the other spices rather than overpower....
Click to expand...

Oh, I think not toasting it was a better choice. Toasted/roasted fenugreek is quite strong. That's why I was asking. I think that, in the proportions you mentioned, it'll make its presence known without the "punch in the face" quality.

My intention is to rack, backsweeten and clarify in about a week or two, then age for a year or more....
Click to expand...

I'll be quite interested in how this comes out.

I don't recall if it's been mentioned or not, but 1118 will ferment to 18%, nominally. Its also used for restarting stuck fermentations, so stabilizing is an absolute must.

Congratulations, Mazer, and good luck!
Joe
 
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