Hey guys,
I created my mead on 1 March 2024 and I didnt get an initial gravity reading. I also added 2.250kg (4.96lb) of honey into a 1 gallon jug along with oranges and water. This seems like wayy too much honey and fruit for a 1 gallon jug. I used EC-1118 yeast.
*I know, I was so excited as this is my first mead and I got the scaling all off*
There appeared to be a healthy fermentation with bubbling for about 2 weeks. The bubbles have since slowed down and i decided to rack off the fruit into a secondary on 21 March 2024 (21 days since initial fermentation).
When racking into the secondary, I also had a little taste along the way and the mead seemed to have very low traces of alcohol and was very sweet.
I took a gravity reading and it was on 1.090 (checked twice over 3 days). Im afraid I mustve stuffed up (Likely fermentation has stopped). I was hoping for a higher alcohol mead around 18% but it is definitely no where near there. Is there a way to still achieve this after fermemtation has slowed and i have already racked into my secondary?
P.s. i racked my primary into my secondary gallon jug and after racking into the secondary, i only managed to fill half of jug. I tried filling the remaining space with 750ml (25.36floz) with some 12.5% store-bought mead, and i still have so much headspace. Can i just fill this with water? Should i do something to restart fermentation? What do i even do at this stage, i just created a frankenstein's monster.
My end goal is to have a higher alcohol mead around 17.5% and right now it tastes like its under 5%.
Ive read a lot about restarting fermentation but is it as simple as just pouring yeast (ec-1118) into my secondary? Will it even work since i mixed my mead with 12.5% store bought mead?
Photo of primary and secondary attached.
As you can see, im all over the shop, any help is appreciated.
I created my mead on 1 March 2024 and I didnt get an initial gravity reading. I also added 2.250kg (4.96lb) of honey into a 1 gallon jug along with oranges and water. This seems like wayy too much honey and fruit for a 1 gallon jug. I used EC-1118 yeast.
*I know, I was so excited as this is my first mead and I got the scaling all off*
There appeared to be a healthy fermentation with bubbling for about 2 weeks. The bubbles have since slowed down and i decided to rack off the fruit into a secondary on 21 March 2024 (21 days since initial fermentation).
When racking into the secondary, I also had a little taste along the way and the mead seemed to have very low traces of alcohol and was very sweet.
I took a gravity reading and it was on 1.090 (checked twice over 3 days). Im afraid I mustve stuffed up (Likely fermentation has stopped). I was hoping for a higher alcohol mead around 18% but it is definitely no where near there. Is there a way to still achieve this after fermemtation has slowed and i have already racked into my secondary?
P.s. i racked my primary into my secondary gallon jug and after racking into the secondary, i only managed to fill half of jug. I tried filling the remaining space with 750ml (25.36floz) with some 12.5% store-bought mead, and i still have so much headspace. Can i just fill this with water? Should i do something to restart fermentation? What do i even do at this stage, i just created a frankenstein's monster.
My end goal is to have a higher alcohol mead around 17.5% and right now it tastes like its under 5%.
Ive read a lot about restarting fermentation but is it as simple as just pouring yeast (ec-1118) into my secondary? Will it even work since i mixed my mead with 12.5% store bought mead?
Photo of primary and secondary attached.
As you can see, im all over the shop, any help is appreciated.