The starting specific gravity reading you got on your hydrometer, does make since with that much fruit and sugar being added. When making each type of mead you will start with a different specific density because of the quantity of honey you have added. This is not a perfect rule, as every recipe is different. Simply use the sliders to select the batch volume you want to make, the target alcohol by volume for your mead, and your desired sweetness level. A few weeks to a few months is a good place to start… This means that you will need to have a starting gravity high enough to leave some residual sugar for sweetness. The BatchBuildr will provide your target original gravity (OG) and an estimate for the amount of honey you will need to make the batch. to avoid a stuck fermentation or a very slow start, it is always wise to investigate the particulars of a yeast prior to starting with a higher starting … Move your mead to secondary when the gravity is about 1/3 of your starting gravity. The finished product retains an extremely high specific gravity and elevated levels of sweetness. What is the difference between Current Gravity and Target Gravity? And you may need to reactivate … Doing some poking around, I found that it's probably because of the S.G. of the apple juice I used. The bad news is that the odds of a fermentation even starting at that high of a specific gravity reading is very low. A very high starting or OG (original gravity) , say higher than 1.130 may cause a fermentation not to start because of too high a concentration of sugar for a particular yeast. Here is a link to the Gotmead Mead Making Calculator. To make the calculator easier to use, default values have been set for the average brewhouse efficiency, yeast attenuation and batch size (5 gallons).If you are un familiar with these numbers and how they influence the calculations to find your beers specific original & final gravity, you can learn more by checking out the … ... During secondary, fermentation will finish up and the mead will start to clear. I haven't pitched my yeast yet (will be doing so tomorrow) and was planning on using Lalvin 71b to keep as much apple flavour as possible. Sack mead — This refers to mead that is made with more copious amounts of honey than usual. Making a session mead is not much different than any other kind of mead, but with a lower starting gravity the fermentation of session meads will typically be much shorter (a week to ten days) than a stronger beverage. You can also check the gravity over the course of several days. A mead maker can have a starting gravity of 1.150 (Nuts I know, but it takes only 4.25 lbs of honey in that gallon to hit that SG and that SG will produce an ABV of about 20% and realizing that the mead is likely to be rocket fuel may encourage the mead maker to find ways to reduce that outcome but unless you know the starting gravity … When the concentration of sugar gets too high, it starts to act as a … Plug in the amount of honey you plan on using, and set the total volume to your intended yield. Session meads should be made using techniques typical to other mead styles, including yeast re-hydration, … starting specific gravity 1.035-1.065 • Standard mead (like wine): 9-14% alcohol, 9-15 lbs honey per 5 gallons, starting specific gravity 1.065-1.105 • Sack mead (like dessert wine): 14+% alcohol, 15-21 lbs honey per 5 gallons, starting specific gravity 1.105-1.150 • Mead Calculator It is up to the meadmaker how long they want to bulk-age before bottling. If it stops you may have a batch that has stopped fermenting and the yeast has gone dormant again. The finished product retains an extremely high specific gravity and elevated levels of sweetness. Gravity reading Optional: Before pitching the yeast, pull a sample of the must and take a gravity reading using a hydrometer. If you see little to no change over three days, fermentation is complete. Check your mead every week and insure the gravity is still falling. Supposedly this will take my mead down to an F.G. of 1.027, which I am imagining will be too … For a new batch, you are starting with water and adding honey and other “sugars” to the water, so the Current Gravity is 1.000 (water)For making additions to an existing batch, measure the Current Gravity of the must prior to making additions.