Strange result

[dralarms]

Long story short, I started 2 batches of mead on the same day, with the exact same ingredients except one (explain in a min).

batch 1. 15 lbs honey, water to 5.5 gallons, ec1118 yeast, 8 oz 100% baker’s chocolate. Final sg .990 clear as a bell.

batch 2. 15 lbs honey, water to 5.5 gallons, ec1118 yeast, 8 oz cinnamon sticks. Final sg 1.030, cloudy as mud.


they were fermented side by side within 1 ft.


did the cinnamon add that much sweetness or is something else going on?

 

[Kraffty]

Typo or did #2 have a lb. more honey aside from the Cinnamon?

 

[dralarms]

Typo or did #2 have a lb. more honey aside from the Cinnamon?

I’m seeing 15 lbs each. The only difference is chocolate verses cinnamon

 

[Bossbaby]

batch #2 is still fermenting?

 

[dralarms]

batch #2 is still fermenting?

Hasn’t moved in a while, no co2 left. Hasn’t started clearing but with the cinnamon I expected this

 

[Kraffty]

Big misread on my part, whoops!

 

[dralarms]

Big misread on my part, whoops!

That’s ok.

I’m trying to figure out how much if any differences there could be in each 5 LB container of honey. I think they were all from the same batch but I can’t swear to it.

 

[dralarms]

And yes I broke the cardinal rule and didn’t check the sg.

 

[bstnh1]

Big misread on my part, whoops!

Don't feel bad. I read it as 2.15lbs. too!

 

[mikewatkins727]

Patience, Grasshopper. Patience.

I made a batch of blackberry mead (my first try ever). By the time I bottled it, it was just ok. A year later I'm loving it.

 

[winemaker81]

@dralarms, when did you start the wines, and how long did it take for #1 to ferment out? What temperature is the wine at?

Regarding "why"? Likely you'll never know.

How much nutrient did you add? Honey w/o added nutrient doesn't ferment well IME.

If it was me, I'd add another dose of nutrient, stir the wine, and make sure the temperature is at least 75 F.

Then as Mike said, give it some time. I've had a few batches refuse to ferment, so I stuck 'em in a corner. In each case, a few months later I was going to toss the batch, checked the SG, and it had fermented out. Mother Nature was messing with me ....

 

[dralarms]

@dralarms, when did you start the wines,

back in February if I remember correctly. I’ll have to go look at my notes.

and how long did it take for #1 to ferment out?

not sure, they were both on a cart stuck in the back of my operation. I just started messing with them last week.

eWhat temperature is the wine at?

room is kept at 74 in the summer and 60 in the winter (too cheap to pay extra for the heat, )

Regarding "why"? Likely you'll never know.

How much nutrient did you add? Honey w/o added nutrient doesn't ferment well IME. No nutrients added. Ec1118 usually is the bomb for stuff like this

If it was me, I'd add another dose of nutrient, stir the wine, and make sure the temperature is at least 75 F.

Then as Mike said, give it some time. I've had a few batches refuse to ferment, so I stuck 'em in a corner. In each case, a few months later I was going to toss the batch, checked the SG, and it had fermented out. Mother Nature was messing with me ....


time I got.

 

[stickman]

I suspect the amount of cinnamon used could be a problem for fermentation. I don't have any direct experience using cinnamon during fermentation, but there are several papers discussing the antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. The papers discuss several key components found naturally in cinnamon, including cinnamaldehyde and benzoic acid, as having potential use as food preservatives as well as agricultural sprays.

Maybe the cinnamon could be added post fermentation to reduce any potential effect on yeast.

 

[dralarms]

I suspect the amount of cinnamon used could be a problem for fermentation. I don't have any direct experience using cinnamon during fermentation, but there are several papers discussing the antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. The papers discuss several key components found naturally in cinnamon, including cinnamaldehyde and benzoic acid, as having potential use as food preservatives as well as agricultural sprays.

Maybe the cinnamon could be added post fermentation to reduce any potential effect on yeast.

so the cinnamon is the (or may be) the culprit?

 

[winemaker81]

I've successfully used cinnamon in mead, but a lesser quantity, 6 sticks in 6 gallons. If it's been in since February, it may be flavored well enough.

You might remove the cinnamon and inoculate again

 

[dralarms]

I've successfully used cinnamon in mead, but a lesser quantity, 6 sucks in 6 friends.

You might remove the cinnamon and inoculate again

Cinnamon is gone.

 

[winemaker81]

I've successfully used cinnamon in mead, but a lesser quantity, 6 sucks in 6 friends.

Note to self -- ALWAYS proof read when replying on phone as auto-screw-things-up does amazing things, and not in a good way.

 

[franc1969]

Long story short, I started 2 batches of mead on the same day, with the exact same ingredients except one (explain in a min).

batch 1. 15 lbs honey, water to 5.5 gallons, ec1118 yeast, 8 oz 100% baker’s chocolate. Final sg .990 clear as a bell.

batch 2. 15 lbs honey, water to 5.5 gallons, ec1118 yeast, 8 oz cinnamon sticks. Final sg 1.030, cloudy as mud.


they were fermented side by side within 1 ft.


did the cinnamon add that much sweetness or is something else going on?

The cinnamon itself is the issue - probably stopped your yeast. It is an antifungal/antibacterial that has been investigated for post-harvest food preservation, including for grapes. I don't know if you will be able to bring the sugar content down to dry with that amount of cinnamon in at the start of fermentation. Should be ok if used as a blender for other batches, the fermentation may restart when diluted into the other batch. If you want that much flavor- I'd ferment first, then add the 8 oz as you clear and degas. The cinnamon may actually help with that, if it is killing the yeast.

 

[RichardC]

What was the planned, final sweetness for the cinnamon mead?

Is the final outcome disappointing or mostly annoying because the mead didn't match the expectations?

 

[dralarms]

What was the planned, final sweetness for the cinnamon mead?

Is the final outcome disappointing or mostly annoying because the mead didn't match the expectations?

I usually finish out my meads around 1.008. It just too sweet. Can’t taste any cinnamon for the taste of honey.

I think I’ll start another batch of honey mead and then blend it down. Then I’ll add cinnamon back to it if necessary.