Mead- Brewing Stopped Due To Heat

[DJbrewer]

Hi all,

Brewing a mead with EC-1118.

It has been going for 1 week or so and has never fermented vigorously, with bubbling at a steady rate of between one bubble per 10-20 seconds.

However, bubbling is really slowing down now. I had hoped to put it into a secondary after two weeks, and let sit for a further twoto four weeks in the secondary before bottling.

I think the temperature of the brew went above the tolerance level of the yeast and so killed a lot of it off (during the warm days in MEL)

so, my questions are:
1. since it is still bubbling it must mean some yeast is presenndt
2. should I just go ahead a rack to the secondary as I had planned to?
3. should I add more yeast to the fermenter now?
4. or should I add more yeast to the secondaries?
5. Or not add any more yeast?

any help is appreciated.

thanks

 

[barls]

more info like og and current gravity also a recipe may help

 

[EK]

barls is right, we need the original and current gravities.

Also what was the surface of the must like? Was there any krausen? You can't take the bubbling rate as the only indication of fermentation as there may not have been a perfect seal.

When I made a mead last year it slowed down and proceeded to ferment for some time. I racked it after about a month or so. At this time fermentation was not fully complete and it was done in order to get it off a large yeast cake,but fermentation still persisted for some time.

I'm not a yeast expert, so someone please chime in and correct me if I am wrong. If the mead is cloudy I would assume that there is enough yeast to continue fermentation. but i would ask How hot did the mead get? What is the temperature tolerance range of the yeast?

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[barls]

i use to brew with this in the middle me summer. Its a fairly hardy yeast. as i asked earlier need more info 2 answer

 

[Airgead]

Without more information its hard to tell but it sounds like a lack of nutrients and/or oxygen at the start so the yeast never grew enough cells to give an active fermentation.

This is a common problem in mead as honey has very few nutrients for the yeast. Fermentations like this will dribble on for months but will eventually finish.

But like the others said, more info needed for a proper diagnosis.

Cheers
Dave

 

[EK]

This is a common problem in mead as honey has very few nutrients for the yeast.
Cheers
Dave

I knew I forgot to mention nutrients. Did you use a yeast nutrient or a yeast energiser?

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[DJbrewer]

thanks, everyone, for the replies.

and to answer your questions- hope you don't mind the point form:

1. recipe:
3 kg honey
7 L water
pack EC-1118 yeast

2. temperature reached:
would have been about 35 degreec Celcius or more. our house is hot and the next monring the thermometer (stick on type, though) read 31 degreec C.
the yeast tolerates up to 35 degrees, i think.

3.
OG = 1.120
Current Gravity = 1.075
I guess I could jus test again in a day or so.

4.
Yeast Nutrient and DAP used: 3 g of each
both added in one go.

5.
brew stirred vigorously at the start and swirled twice in the week.


6.
I have not opened the fermenter but from the outside it looked there was some krausen earlier, i think, but not so much now.
also, i have only ever made cider before so never seen what a lot of krausen looks like...



7.
when i took a SG reading before it was hot the liquid was frothy but now only a little bit, which suggests something must still be happening.


I wondered if adding more yeast was a good idea, but from your responses (and my answers) probably not necessary.


this mead making is tricky stuff, which is why i went back to basics- trying two types of yeasts with honey and water only.

 

[Tyred]

I'd give it a swirl to try and get yeast back into suspension and take another sample after a couple of days. 1.075 is still very high but it's only been going for 1 week. After a couple of days if the yeast are still active they should have done some work and dropped the SG a bit.

From memory there is a sticky on one of the forums which has a section on keeping temperatures of your brew down. It's mainly about beer but the concepts are the same. Found it. http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...?showtopic=9233 "Frequently Asked Questions for the New Brewer" in kits' & extracts forum

Making mead isn't tricky. Waiting for it to mature without drinking it all is tricky.

 

[EK]

From what I have read, been told and expwerienced: Mead takes quite a while to ferment. I would suggest taking another gravity reading in the next day or so and see if there is a difference. Also when taking the reading don't forget to adjust for the temperature (check the sheet that came with your hydrometer) and ensure that there are no bubbles clinging to the hydrometer as this will make it more buoyant and give a false reading.

Just search for krausen on google and you will see what I mean...it doesn't need to be super fluffy, just something would be an indication of activity.

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[DJbrewer]

Making mead isn't tricky. Waiting for it to mature without drinking it all is tricky.

i like that quote.


thanks for the subsequent replies, people.
it seems like there still may be hope, then.

i will keep checking the SG over the next few days and rack in a week or two.

"patience, grasshopper" should be my "watchword".


thanks!

 

[Wolfy]

i will keep checking the SG over the next few days and rack in a week or two.

"patience, grasshopper" should be my "watchword".

Honestly you should be thinking in terms of months and not weeks for mead, leave it go, put it away, forget about it, check back in a few weeks/month or so. If it's good rack it into secondary, then put it away for months and forget about it again.

 

[DJbrewer]

Honestly you should be thinking in terms of months and not weeks for mead, leave it go, put it away, forget about it, check back in a few weeks/month or so. If it's good rack it into secondary, then put it away for months and forget about it again.

thanks, wolfy.

i realise I have to wait. after reading a thread about storing in the primary fermentation vessel for two weeks and then two weeks in the secondary, then bottling, I thought it should be like that for me.

as it is, SG is coming down slowly and so am happy to leave it for another month in the primary fermenter if needs be.

BTW, thanks for packing my yeast so well!

 

[Wolfy]

as it is, SG is coming down slowly and so am happy to leave it for another month in the primary fermenter if needs be.

In the recipe section of Ken Schramm's book, he does not really mention any fermentation-time-table.
For primary fermentation he generally instructs to "ferment completely", and sometimes adds to "watch for signs of slowing fermentation, check PH use and calcium carbonate if needed".
In regard to secondary fermentation it's nearly always "age until clear. Bottle when ready".
The few times he does mention a time-period, it's usually 6 or 12 months, and never less than 3 to 6.

If you ask any 'traditional home brewer' including those at your LHBS, I'd expect they would talk in terms of months and years to make mead.
Newer information - from Ken Schramm and others - especially in regard to aeration, yeast nutrients/additions and other factors does allow for quicker fermentation times, but in general it's still not usually on the same time scale as beer for example.

 

[DJbrewer]

Thanks, Wolfy.
It looks like I might need to purchase that book.
I took another SG reading and it had dropped from 1.075 to 1.060 in a few days so fermentation does not seem to be slowing down.

no doubt, patience will brign its rewards...