Fermented dry

[phaz3]

Hi Guys,

My mead (Ancient Orange) has cleared and finished fermenting and it is quite dry.
I guess my questions is, What is the best method to sweeten it again?

P.s. This is my first Ferment of anything so I am still learning the ropes.
Its a 1 gallon batch(5 litres)
I used 4 Kg of Honey at the start
OG: 1.260
FG: .990

 

[ffemt128]

Hi Guys,

My mead (Ancient Orange) has cleared and finished fermenting and it is quite dry.
I guess my questions is, What is the best method to sweeten it again?

P.s. This is my first Ferment of anything so I am still learning the ropes.
Its a 1 gallon batch(5 litres)
I used 4 Kg of Honey at the start
OG: 1.260
FG: .990

4 Kg of Honey is 8.8 lbs. Is this correct? Did you use the bakers yeast? I used 3.5 lbs of honey and started with a sg of 1.15 and could only ferment to 1.042. Just curious as I'm going to try another batch but didn't want it as sweet as the first batch.

 

[Malkore]

None of this makes sense. 5liters is about 1.25 gallons, and 4kg is indeed 8.8lbs of honey.
with those numbers you probably did get an OG fo 1.260, which no yeast would be able to ferment.

please recheck all your facts and repost. Something here doesn't add up at all.

 

[phaz3]

Ooops I am very sorry the OG is 1.125 To many numbers in my head last night. also I Do have a 5 litre demijohn that I am using so yes it would be 1.125 us gallon I was thinking more Imperial gallon. it is definitely 5 litres.

 

[Wade E]

So what did you add for honey?

 

[phaz3]

4kg of Unprocessed Honey from Western australia
I also pitched the Yeast twice which I think is the problem
Yeast: Vinters Harvest SN9 Yeast

 

[seth8530]

I dont believe pitching the yeast twice would cause it to ferment any more than pitching it once. yeast dont work that way. However, in a pinch you can boil some yeast and use it as nutrient *

 

[fatbloke]

Well, at a quick guess, and quicker google, I'd guess that the yeast is a champagne type yeast.

So while 1125 is quite a high starting gravity, according to the reference chart I use, there's a "suggested" strength of just under 17% ABV if it fermented dry i.e. to 1000.

Now I know that normally a gravity that high on starting would need a little extra "management" during the earlier stages of ferment, but it's possible.

Of the quantity, 4kg/8.8lb of honey is a hell of a lot, so I'm thinking that it might have been quite a "mediocre" honey - with quite a high water content. Because 8.8lb per gallon would normally create a gravity a lot higher than 1125.

Anyway, Joes ancient orange recipe is designed to be made with bread yeast as there's supposed to be some residual sugar in it. It's entirely possible to have a bread yeast ferment dry as well, but that doesn't usually happen (and there's little to no data about the alcohol tolerance of bread yeasts).

If you're sure it's finished the ferment i.e. you get the same gravity reading on 3 occasions - each measurement a couple of days apart, then what the hell, make up a honey/water solution, something like 2 honey to 1 water and add that until you reach the desired taste or gravity level (I don't enjoy meads that are cloyingly sweet, so aim for about 1020 finished). Don't forget that with a tolerance of about 18% with that yeast, you'll have to sulphite and then sorbate to prevent refermentation - unlikely but possible.......

 

[St Allie]

hey John.. welcome back..

Thankyou.. It's great to have your expertise here and I hope to see you stay as a regular poster.

Allie

 

[St Allie]

I dont believe pitching the yeast twice would cause it to ferment any more than pitching it once. yeast dont work that way. However, in a pinch you can boil some yeast and use it as nutrient *

Seth, welcome to our forum.

Good to see your first post. We look forward to hearing a little about your wines too.

Allie

 

[fatbloke]

hey John.. welcome back..

Thankyou.. It's great to have your expertise and I hope to see you stay as a regular poster.

Allie

No so much of "having been away", more of a case of 1 dead PC, getting replaced by another and then not knowing, or remembering where I've been before with the old PC.........

And expertise ? Nah, just someone who happens to be a bit "haphazard" with mead making and has screwed up a lot.......

Hell, if I make something, which, after a year doesn't taste good or at least show some promise - I just pop it round to a friends place and stick it through his still to recover the alcohol so I can use it for something else - like fortifying something.......

regards

fatbloke

 

[St Allie]

lol..

well as an inveterate 'experimenter' myself..

I make it up as I go along.. most things work and mistakes are a teaching aid.

this forum is very easy going, we all muddle along together.

I'm glad to see another 'experimenter' here

Allie

 

[phaz3]

Hey Guys,

Cheers for the replies, I ended up using more honey to sweeten it and a campden tablet to stop any fermentation, I just need to bottle it now

 

[fatbloke]

Hey Guys,

Cheers for the replies, I ended up using more honey to sweeten it and a campden tablet to stop any fermentation, I just need to bottle it now

Well the only thing about using honey to back sweeten is that it will sometimes cause a curious hazing, that apparently does drop out but as I can't find out what the exact cause i.e.what the haze is when it appears like that, all I can suggest is that you try the usual measures, like a cold crash, pectolase, etc.

Lastly, there's a different idea, back sweeten with chenin blanc grape concentrate. I didn't believe it when it was suggested to me, but when I tried some, I found that it did have honey flavour properties.

Oh and if you back sweeten with something fermentable, then make sure you sulphite/sorbate.............

regards

Fatbloke

 

[seth8530]

Seth, welcome to our forum.

Good to see your first post. We look forward to hearing a little about your wines too.

Allie

Thank you for such a kind introduction. I currently have quite the experiment going on. I reckon i will make a thread about it

 

[phaz3]

Thanks for the help the mead has now been bottled and tastes great even if it is 15%ABV I guess it will be one fun night LOL

NB.. Bottling was fun considering I had to syphon it

 

[Wade E]

Glad all is good, Meads will take som e time to come around to be great especially at a higher bv.