Did I accidently kill my yeast in my mead?

[Neviawen]

Hi Guys,
Quick question: I was in the kitchen this morning and had 3lb of clover honey sitting around so decided to whip up a new batch of mead. I was multi-tasking while cooking, chasing the kids, unloading/reloading the dishwasher, etc., and I accidentally added a crushed campden tablet to the must. I don't know why I did because I usually wait 24 hrs but I was doing 8 other things and did it w/out thinking. Did that just kill the yeast I added?

 

[g8keeper]

yeah....it probably did, but all is not lost.....stir it in really good, cover it loosely so the gases can escape, wait 24 hours, pitch new yeast.....you can keep an eye on it as well in the next 24 hours, and by some miraculous act of God, if there happens to be activity, then you got lucky and PERHAPS may not have to add new yeast...

 

[Neviawen]

Thanks. Is there such a thing as adding too much yeast? If I add more tomorrow if there is no activity then could I over-yeast it?
Sorry if that is a dumb question. I'm pretty new to the hobby.
Thanks,
Katie

 

[g8keeper]

Thanks. Is there such a thing as adding too much yeast? If I add more tomorrow if there is no activity then could I over-yeast it?
Sorry if that is a dumb question. I'm pretty new to the hobby.
Thanks,
Katie

no, not unless you maybe are far into a fermentation...more yeast, if they are all viable and active, just means that they have to work less to multiply to really get your fermentation going....the more "active" yeast there are, the sooner the fermentation gets going and the easier it is for the yeast to work....

 

[mmadmikes1]

In the future, You never need to add K-Meta(campden) to Mead must. Honey has natural antibiotics.

 

[mobilecabinworks]

In the future, You never need to add K-Meta(campden) to Mead must. Honey has natural antibiotics.

Actually honey is a haven for wild yeasts and can even contain Clostridium botulinum (which is why you shouldn't feed honey to infants due to their underdeveloped immune system) but they are in a state of dormancy due to the low moisture content ( <18%). So when you dilute the honey in water to make mead you are giving them the potential to ferment. That's why honey harvested too early will ferment in the jar (by too early I mean before the bees have a chance to full dehydrate it). This is why it is ABSOLUTELY important to pitch a large amount of health yeast. This will out compete the wild yeasts for food.
Cheers!

 

[mmadmikes1]

Make the batch up, dont wait 24 hours. Just pitch a good starter and away you go. No K Meta/ Campden needed

 

[offdagrid]

Thats how I do it!

Make the batch up, dont wait 24 hours. Just pitch a good starter and away you go. No K Meta/ Campden needed
.

 

[betnwar]

I just did the same thing. I was using a recipe that called for two tablets per gallon. I was making a half and of course I went and put both in. I got the recipe from a fairly popular book (its sold and promoted highly in all my local stores) but is this camden always a bad thing?

 

[fatbloke]

I just did the same thing. I was using a recipe that called for two tablets per gallon. I was making a half and of course I went and put both in. I got the recipe from a fairly popular book (its sold and promoted highly in all my local stores) but is this camden always a bad thing?

No, but it can cause much longer lag phases in a ferment.

Likewise, if you added some in error, get it into a bucket, give it a bloody good stirring (mixing paddle, or even sanitised stick blender or similar). Cover it with a fine cloth and leave it alone. The sulphites will dissipate. It may need a second good stirring too the next day as well, just to make sure. Same with the cloth though.

Then it should be fine to pitch as normal.......

 

[mmadmikes1]

I will say it, you may not agree, You NEVER need to add K-Meta of campden to mead must. I have it least 30 batches under my belt and not one has gone bad. You just make the yeast work harder and that is(imho) not a good thing

 

[betnwar]

Okay cool. Good to know I can save her.

 

[fatbloke]

I will say it, you may not agree, You NEVER need to add K-Meta of campden to mead must. I have it least 30 batches under my belt and not one has gone bad. You just make the yeast work harder and that is(imho) not a good thing

That's almost correct. If just making traditionals and the like, then it's spot on, but if you're making melomels and other fruit based meads, then sometimes it can be necessary, to make sure that any wild yeasts that have arrived on the fruit are stunned, so that the wine yeast, once pitched, can go straight to work and get it's teeth into the fermentables. Don't forget, some wine yeasts are wimpy PITA stuff that will stick at the thought of cold weather...... They're not all hardy as hell, with the "killer" ability of K1V-1116

That being the case, then it may be necessary to hit the must with some sulphites (either as campden tablets or the equivalent quantity of powdered sulphites), then just wait it out, for the sulphites to dissipate (open topped, or cloth covered - with some additional agitation of the must/fruit/juice, to help it dissipate all the quicker).

Only then pitching the yeast.......