What to do what to do??

[jburtner]

Ended up topping up and step feeding into the carboy another 4lbs jar of honey mixed with cider. Ferment is back on! Did not take an SG measurement but I'll go through my notes to estimate what the abv might be - I used 8lbs honey initially for an sg of 1090 and potential abv 12%. There were apples raisins and cider which also contributed to that. I'm going to guess another 4%? Might be a bit high for the D47. If it stalls I'll pitch some 1118 to finish dry.

This has been fun and I like tasting it along the way too

Cheers,
Johann

 

[jburtner]

I went and visited the fermcalc to estimate what adding 4lbs of honey would do... Plus a little more Apple Cider for top up...

Sounds like it should've gone up to about ~SG1.025 (from a presumed ~SG0.998) and I'll thusly get an additional maybe 3.5%ABV or so which will bring us up to a total ~16%? I'll buy that for "close enough"...

~OG1.090 + 0.025SG-CHAPITALIZATION = ~TG1.115 when fermented down to ~SG0.998 will be in the range of 16%ABV....

I took an SG measurement (and yes another a taste test) the other day and it was sitting @ ~SG1.010'ish so on the way - pretty sweet for my tastes but good. I'll check again tonight but it goes very slow at this rate and yet the airlock has good activity. I tested this full hydrometer cylinder and it was very yummy - I quickly turned on The Immigrant Song - loud - and was in the zone and went straight to Valhalla...

Might have to recheck that SG again tonight for starters....

Cheers!
-johann.b

 

[jburtner]

Checked SG this AM and while airlock is still bubbling the SG is about the same as it was four days ago ~SG1.011'ish (i'll need to be more exact on these SG measurements) - I added some Fermaid-K this morning and stirred.... I've got the carboy wrapped in a heating pad and the must measures about 72*F or mid 70's'ish...

If it's still stuck this weekend I'll prep some ec1118 rehydrate in water or cider and add some of the mead in slowly maybe with a little honey and nutrient to see if I can get a good colony going before pitching that to hopefully finish it out...

Oh The MelowDrama with this Melomel and I just keep messing with it!

Cheers!
-johann.b

 

[jburtner]

Interesting that the airlock produces activity - 40-60 bubbles/min for the past week yet the SG is constant @1.010.

Preparing the ec1118-bomb. Water @ 105*F honey DAP goferm.

 

[hounddawg]

i backsweeten most all my country wineswith honey and have ever since my second batches, i run my ABV way up back then sweeten with a high grade grandular honey, after several months you can detect no alcohol till it's to late to be walking or driving, one glass and i sleep like a baby.
DAWG








[/B]

Is that raw unpasteurized cider? I've got 12 gallons of apple cider to wine going right now. I use honey, brown sugar and frozen apple juice concentrate for back sweetening. Reason I've got 12 gallons going now is because of how well last years 6 gallon batch turned out.

So... Apple wine back sweetened with honey!


Ps. You could also make something else but my research suggest it might be illegal.

 

[jburtner]

This is a little bit of a science experiment so having fun with it I'm hoping to ferment dry then clear stabilize add some oak and top up as needed. The 12oz of dried mango has really added a very nice aroma and I love the flavor. Once everything has settled down and things start to meld I may do a couple tests for back sweetening but we like it dry and on my dragon blood batches I had only added 3/4 cups sugar to a 6g batch at most which is almost too much after some bottle time. I'm thinking equivalent honey / apple juice to 1/2 or 1/3 cup of sugar will work well to just slightly elevate the fruit and flower.

Pitched the ec118-bomb last night after stepping in some of the must over an hour to acclimate then step pitching it into the carboy.

Cheers!
Johann.b

 

[wineforfun]

detect no alcohol till it's to late to be walking or driving, one glass and i sleep like a baby.
DAWG
[/B]

haha
That is awesome, my kind of glass.

 

[jburtner]

Very impressive display of floating brain in a jar aka keeving! Will need to rack this off and see if I can understand what part of the ec1118-bomb may have triggered this reaction or if it was something else. Have not tested but am looking forward to testing later in tje mornimg after separating the keev from the juice. My plans may change a little after this unexpected development and maybe racking down to a 5g is close at hand....

Cheers!
-johann.b

 

[Johnd]

Had to retype this, read your post wrong the first time. Is that a raft of floating yeast or is it pulp and lees?

 

[jburtner]

It's gelatinized lees, pulp, and material? I googled something like "cider floating sponge" and it appears to be byproduct of a process called keeving. Lots of pictures and this looks exactly the same. From what I read folks trigger this reaction maybe with a calcium chloride addition in cider making but generally early on or before fermentation. It binds up nutrients in order to slow the ferment and maintain a sweet finish? Hmmmm. I was trying for the opposite - there is still significant bubble activity in the must because it's making this cap float.

It's almost like a clearing agent has been added but ferment makes it float. Dead yeast lees are on the bottom so this is slightly different.

Thanks
-johann.b

 

[Johnd]

It's gelatinized lees, pulp, and material? I googled something like "cider floating sponge" and it appears to be byproduct of a process called keeving. Lots of pictures and this looks exactly the same. From what I read folks trigger this reaction maybe with a calcium chloride addition in cider making but generally early on or before fermentation. It binds up nutrients in order to slow the ferment and maintain a sweet finish? Hmmmm. I was trying for the opposite - there is still significant bubble activity in the must because it's making this cap float.

It's almost like a clearing agent has been added but ferment makes it float. Dead yeast lees are on the bottom so this is slightly different.

Thanks
-johann.b

I did a little research, interesting process. One of the key "ingredients" for keeving appears to be extended periods of temps at 5 degrees C. Assuming you haven't been chilling your carboy for a week, it doesn't sound like you've happened along into that process.

It sounds like it's fermenting, which is what you're shooting for, have you tried to stir that glob back into the wine or does it just keep forming?

 

[jburtner]

Thanks John! It has been cold down there lately. 45-50*F and the cap is very spongy. I did stir it up and the cap reforms quickly.

I recently added DAP Fermaid K and Goferm protect in the ec1118 starter. Anyway this stuff looks exactly like other photo's of Keeving.

Good or bad - I'm planning to rack on Sunday - check gravity and PH. Would like to het some kmeta in there soon.

Might start another couple batches - Merlot and Sauvingnon Blanc. I picked up some dried apricots to pitch into a cleared chardonnay just now on oak.

Cheers!
-johann

 

[Johnd]

Thanks John! It has been cold down there lately. 45-50*F and the cap is very spongy. I did stir it up and the cap reforms quickly.

I recently added DAP Fermaid K and Goferm protect in the ec1118 starter. Anyway this stuff looks exactly like other photo's of Keeving.

Good or bad - I'm planning to rack on Sunday - check gravity and PH. Would like to het some kmeta in there soon.

Might start another couple batches - Merlot and Sauvingnon Blanc. I picked up some dried apricots to pitch into a cleared chardonnay just now on oak.

Cheers!
-johann

If your wine is in an area 45-50 degrees, you should put a brew belt on it or move it to an area to get the temps up above 70, it'll definitely help your fermentation along.

 

[Mismost]

Might start another couple batches - Merlot and Sauvingnon Blanc. I picked up some dried apricots to pitch into a cleared chardonnay just now on oak.

Cheers!
-johann

I bet you will like the apricots! I have used them in a Chardonnay and a Pinot Gris, we really like a hint of apricot. Now my Dad, he wants to be clobbered with apricot...so I use them in the primary and secondary...I really should just make him a straight apricot wine.

 

[jburtner]

This one is coming along. I ended up letting the spongy stuff sit and it eventually softened up and disintigrated into the mead. Cleared with chitosan and all the sediment compacted very nicely. Need to taste a glass and make some room for some oak. Think i'll vacuum rack back and forth a couple times to let the bubbles out...

Cheers!
-johann

 

[jburtner]

I tasted this just this morning and the apple flavor is really starting to come forward which is very nice. I had added some tannins a while back and was worried but that flavor is starting to mellow now and seems like it just needs some time. Have not oaked yet - just sitting there and getting older one day at a time.

Cheers!
-johann