Nutrient per gallon - how much?

[homesteader26]

I picked up the supplies to make my first mead and I'm having a hard time finding how much nutrient I need per gallon of mead I know that I divide the amount into three feedings but can somebody tell me how much nutrient I need per gallon and I'll figure out how much at each feeding? thanks bunch!

 

[BernardSmith]

I suspect that the manufacturer of the nutrient will have a recommendation. I don't recall the nutrient I use but on the packet it suggests 1 teaspoon per gallon.

 

[homesteader26]

Bernardsmith I was also thinking this as well and divided 5 tsp for my 5 gallons in thirds and put 2 in to start and will do 1.5 in the next 2 feedings.

Any mead makers know for sure?

 

[Deezil]

Yeah it depends on which yeast nutrient you're using

 

[seth8530]

And the ABV and yeast strain you are using.

 

[Jimyson]

C'mon Deezil and Seth. You've got better than that.

 

[Deezil]

We do, but we need more information. It's like a mad-lib; we can't read you the story unless you fill in a few blanks first.

 

[seth8530]

That and also like many other things in life also involves the obligatory response of " it depends".

 

[homesteader26]

So it appears that my aging eyes did not see the miniscule writing on the bottle until today when I went to look at it again so I could be more specific and fill in the blanks. My LHBS carried Fermax Yeast Nutrient made by BSG. The directions say 1 - 1.5 teaspoon per gallon.



Here's what I've done so far:



13 lbs of honey dissolved into approximately 3.5 gallons warm water. Total volume near 5 gallons. Initial SG 1.096 stirred in 1.5 teaspoons nutrient and began a starter with the D47 yeast. Pitched yeast and stirred. Nervous I didn't have enough nutrient in 5 hours later added another teaspoon nutrient and 2 teaspoons energizer (did I totally mess up on this here??). Stirred and walked away.



During the night I was curious if there was activity and at 3 am I took a peak and it had a nice frothy top - yay!! Now I've read that some fruit meads (melomel ?) can be volatile but is this common with a plain mead as well? I have this in a spare bedroom on a nightstand with a towel under it and the room is carpeted so spills would not be good.



Now I will given it two more doses of nutrient when SG is roughly 1.070 and 1.050 is this correct? A slow ferment is good and could take 2-3 weeks to go dry (if it does)?



Thanks for helping this newb!!

 

[Arne]

Get a big plastic garbage bag, set the fermenter inside of it and pull it up around the sides a little. If it foams up you should catch the mess in the bag. Makes me happy with the concrete basement floor. The basement isn't very nice anyway and a few spills don't make much difference. Let em dry and sweep em up. Arne.

 

[seth8530]

Well, the better way to look at this instead of I need this many tsp would be to look at how much YAN you need. ( This is what you are adding when you add nutrient.. that and vitamins).

Based on this

http://www.brsquared.org/wine/CalcInfo/HydSugAl.htm

and this

http://www.nanaimowinemakers.org/Winemaking/General/AddingNitrogen.htm

I would shoot for 300 mg/l (ppm) YAN broken up into 3 steps. Once at the end of lag phase, once at the 1/3 sugar break and once at the 1/2 sugar break ( since you are using DAP).


http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f86/got-off-phone-fermaid-people-38704/index7.html

So, on the end of the linked thread I list a generic equation that I scratched up that defines how much nutrient one needs to add from a set of mixed sources to hit a certain YAN target.

mg/L YAN (PPM) =(.10*(mg/L) fermaidK +.04*(mg/L)*FermaidO+.2(mg/l) DAP)

Since you are using DAP the equation simplifies down to

mg/L YAN (PPM) =.2(mg/l) DAP)

300/.2=1500

Thus you need to add 1500 mg/l ie 1.5 grams per liter or .5 grams per liter if you breaking this up into 3 steps.

So taking that you have 19 liters 5 gallons is around 19 liters.... you will need a total of 28.5 grams of nutrient in total drawn out in whatever how many steps you plan on making.

However, something to consider is that it is doubtful that either of these products are just pure DAP so, if you are worried about hitting legal thiamine limits you might not want to exceed the max recommended by the manufacturer. However, this how much should be needed for a nice healthy fermentation.

One of the reasons why I like Fermaid O is that it does not contain thiamine in it, so I can add however much I want to add to my mead and it is no big deal... So generally, I will do a mixture of Fermaid O and K, using Fermaid K up to that limit I was talking about and then going the rest of the way with Fermaid O.

 

[Turock]

Mead has zero nitrogen to start with, so it's nutrient requirements are going to be more than if you're starting a grape-based wine. You might be able to begin with the standard measure of 1 tsp per gallon, however, as you get to 1/3 or 1/2 sugar reduction, if the temp of the ferment is cool and not very active, you might--at that time--need to double that last dose. This is if you're using DAP based nutrient. If using Fermaid K, then you might want to use DAP for the last dose.

 

[homesteader26]

Seth thank you for the links - I cannot believe how much information there is to learn! Nothing simple about making wine or mead! To think in September when hubby came home with 50lbs of grapes (4 different times!) that I was so certain that I ignorantly thought I would find a recipe online and just make him some wine. So since then I have learned a lot already and love the science behind all this. I appreciate your help!

 

[homesteader26]

My batch of mead is now at 1.050 and I fed it for the last time. Seems to be going well so far ..... Stir daily now until 1.020 and rack off gross lees? Or wait til dry to rack ... I see different thoughts on this part - thoughts?

 

[seth8530]

I would let it go dry and I would consider halting the stirring around this point. The yeast is likely an the anaerobic phase now.

 

[homesteader26]

This mead is at 1.010 and I'm hoping will continue fermenting and go dry. I just bought a steamer and am hoping to draw off 1 gallon of this mead and add strawberry juice to it to backsweeten. Any pointers? I am thinking I would add K-Meta and sorbate and clearing agent and then?? Add strawberry juice orrrr add the K-Meta and sorbate then juice and leave to bulk age .... Thoughts?? Appreciate the guidance.

 

[seth8530]

If you are going to be doing any kind of post fermentation sugar additions, you need to wait until the wine is clear before you add the sorbate and sulfite. Then, wait a day and then add the sugars.