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Fermentation time question

Started by Kyle, August 15, 2011, 11:32:54 PM

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Kyle

So I started with an OG of 1.121 and after brewing about 5 days I am down to about 1.060. It has slowed down a little bit but is still going strong. How low do they usually end up. I think I want a sweet mead but I haven't decided whether to backsweeten with fresh honey or the pure wild blueberry juice what are your thoughts on how much to sweeten. It will be about 15 to 16%abv before adding the pure wild blueberry juice
Charter Member

On Tap: DIPA, Vienna SMaSH, Imp Stout
Planned: IPA
Fermenting: --

Richard

Depends on how well the nutrient schedule went, but I find mead at OG 1.110 finishes at about 0.995 with Lalvin 1118. I suspect 1.121 would be very similar.

If I was you, I'd stabilise, dump in the blueberry juice (if it's sanitary), check the sweetness, then go from there.

For reference; the first mead I brought to a meeting was sweetened from an SG of 0.998 up to 1.010; I'll let you do the math as to how much honey + blueberry juice that is :P
Charter Member

Kegged: air.
Primary: air.
Bulk Aging: Silence of the Lambics (Pitched 13/05/2012).
Owed: JQ LSA x 1, Kyle Stout x 1 & IPA x 1.

Dave Savoie

I would wait untill your yeasties are done doing their thing its easier to back sweeten than it is to try to get the yeast started back up again
Charter Member

Kyle

Yeah,

Either way, I'll give it a couple of weeks in primary after the fermentation is complete for the yeast cake to clean up after itself which it certainly does for beer, not sure whether that's the case with mead or not.

Math...hehe... no, I'll back sweeten to taste I think, although I'll use the math as a guideline.
Charter Member

On Tap: DIPA, Vienna SMaSH, Imp Stout
Planned: IPA
Fermenting: --