Homebrewing wine, mead, and cider discussions http://www.brewboard.com/index.php Thu, 22 Jun 2023 22:47:52 -0400 30 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115702 I have read that Fermaid-O has about half the YAN but it has more micro nutrients and that it requires less to get the same nutrients to the must.
But I would also think that adding DAP and Fermaid-O would be about the same thing as Fermaid-K, correct?

I don't think it's wise to just add 2X more Fermaid-O than Fermaid-K so is there a good way to calculate how much Fermaid-O is required?
You still want to get to a good YAN (250?) but for that it would be about 48 grams of Fermaid-K or 96 grams of Fermaid-O, that's a lot in 5 gallons!

I add DAP and Fermaid-K now, but I want to try Fermaid-O to see how it performs and just looking for amounts.

Thanks,
DG]]> DavidG fatbloke Sun, 09 Nov 2014 19:37:27 -0500 Fri, 10 Mar 2017 11:18:17 -0500 115702 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=77307
However a few cool guys brought in some meads named Viking's Blood and another with Caraway seeds. These were definitely of the Polish style yet tasted really good (compared to old and stale, soy souce meads we usually have from Poland). Compared to the other Polish meads I have had, these were really good and 21% strong. But I also had sampled 10 others before it that day. Tasted sweet, yet tawny, orange-brown and had some aging effects that weren't the usual "raisiny" [port] flavors from that extra year or two.

So what goes into a Polish style mead. I did a search and see nothing on this board. I am thinking a wild flower sack mead on oak - aged at least 2-3 years? Yeast? A clean champange style one like Avize? EC1118 [i hate it]? I don't think D47 or other sweet meads or white wine yeasts will work on this. Probably about 1.150, oak, champange + time? Got any ideas?]]> bales male Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:57:03 -0400 Wed, 11 Feb 2015 03:16:39 -0500 77307 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115701 The 41st Annual US Amateur Winemaking Competition

will be held on

November 22, 2014

Entries must be received between October 1 and November 8, 2014.

International entries may be received earlier.

Please send entries c/o: The Home Beer, Wine and Cheesemaking Shop, in Woodland Hills, CA. (www.HomeBeerWineCheese.com)

Entry forms and rules are posted on the website at: http://www.CellarmastersLA.org.

Cellarmasters has been sponsoring the US Amateur Winemaking Competition since the club was founded in 1973.

The Competition is an all-volunteer endeavor and is the oldest home wine competition in the US.

Good luck to all!

Andy Coradeschi]]> acorad acorad Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:48:07 -0400 Wed, 29 Oct 2014 19:03:52 -0400 115701 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115697
72 oz grape juice from concentrate, no preservatives, room temperature
2� cups sugar added and dissolved by shaking
2 tsp Red Star yeast dissolved in warm water, added and shaken
cracked the cap just a bit
Put the bottle in a bowl and a closed box

This morning I checked it and there was a good smell, but it was barely active. Just a ring of tiny bubbles around the edge of the bottle. It didn't have the big bubbles that were described in the video.

Was it a bogus recipe? Did I do something wrong? Or is everything ok?

Steve]]> StephenD Kevin Sat, 14 Jun 2014 10:51:57 -0400 Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:20:02 -0400 115697 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=80733
Anyway, I've had a look for recipes. And I keep seeing things like, "six months to clear, then bottle and leave for a year before drinking"

Are there any recipes you'd recommend for beginners, that take less time than that? Something that would brew and clear in a couple of months, and mature in about six or seven?

Maybe one with a mixture of canned grape concentrate and fruit. I like the sound of grape with peach, plum, pear, strawberry, or ginger.]]> NormanCastle Edmiller Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:45:01 -0400 Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:25:20 -0500 80733 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115658 "I made all the beginner mistakes including pre-fermentation acid, stuck fermentation, gypsum, boiling the honey, etc"
But I don't understand what the mistakes were? Papazian's recipe calls for the mead to be boiled. Should I NOT boil it? What values should I be trying to obtain by adding gypsum? What's the target pH? (the recipe simply calls for an addition without knowing what my pH was beforehand.) The recipe also calls for addition of an acid blend, but never asks you to check total acidity.
So, even though these problems aren't specific to this exact recipe, maybe someone who's brewed mead before could warn me off about what the original poster was trying to say?

Here's the recipe if it helps:

15 lbs Honey (Grade A clover)
1 tsp Yeast nutrient
1 Tbs Acid Blend
1 tsp Irish Moss
0.5 tsp Gypsum
Water to 5 Gallons
Packet Pasteur Champagne Yeast

Heated tap water to 160�F for 20 minutes; removed from heat. Added all ingredients and stirred well to mix honey.
Cleaned 5 g carboy using water and 0.5 cup bleach. Let sit for 15 minutes, rinsed well with hot water and poured in must. Shook for less than a minute.
When cooled to 80 F, rehydrated yeast according to instructions and pitched.
]]> cfiffpm cfiffpm Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:41:12 -0500 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:41:12 -0500 115658 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115654 Hi all, the 40th Annual US Amateur Winemaking Competition - including meads, cysers, pyments and melomels - will be held on November 23, 2013.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY November 9th 2013 at the Home Beer, Wine and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills, CA. (www.HomeBeerWineCheese.com)

Entry forms and rules are posted on the website at: http://www.CellarmastersLA.org.

Cellarmasters has been sponsoring the US Amateur Winemaking Competition since the club was founded 40 years ago.

The Competition is an all-volunteer endeavor and is the oldest home wine competition in the US.

Good luck to all!

Andy ]]> acorad acorad Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:42:19 -0400 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:42:19 -0400 115654 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115410
Grape Press rental (15$)
50lb "VERY ripe" Summer Crisp pears. (20$) (box with red skin)
50lb "Ripe" Bartlett Pears (20$) (box of greener skin)
10lb "just ok" Peaches. (10$)
3lb White grape (8$)
3 big Lemon (2$)
2 Orange (1$)
1tsp Yeast Food (Fermaid) (0.25$)
2x Pasteur Champagne yeast (4$)
Total: 80.25$

Extracted 3gal of Pear juice in the press. OG 1.055

Added 2.5 gal water and diced peaches
Added 6lb regular white cane sugar
Added the Yeast nutrient
Rehydrated yeast & pitch 1hr later.
Plastic Fermenter is almost filled to the airlock. (hope it wont be an issue)

New OG: 1.080
PH: 5.2
Estimated FG: 0.996
Estimated ABV: 11%


Hoping for the best.

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=520 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=521 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=522 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=523 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=524]]> Sly1990 Beer Novice Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:44:54 -0400 Sun, 04 Aug 2013 21:03:50 -0400 115410 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115639
The fridge would probably be set up in the garage so it needs to be outdoor friendly as temps in there typically get into the mid 90's in FL.
I use mainly 1.5L bottles and would like a capacity to hold up to 3-4 6 gallon batches at various stages in the aging process. I'm not real concerned with the ability to control humidity since I use synthetic corks.

Hoping someone already has some experience in this area with units currently on the market.

Thanks]]> Beer Novice Beer Novice Sun, 28 Jul 2013 20:39:54 -0400 Thu, 01 Aug 2013 19:52:27 -0400 115639 http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=115625 alcohol content? Will the ending Brix always be around 0 or does that also depend on starting Brix and alcohol level of the yeast?

I use a SG hydrometer and Brix refractometer (plus spreadsheet) now for measurements so the only Brix exposure I have is with that and it never gets below about 8 Brix due
to ethanol inclusion so I've never seen a 0 Brix reading that's why I'm curious.

Just as a bonus question - what is the easiest scale to use? Brix or SG? Both seem to have positives and negatives about them.
Why do pros only seem to use Brix?




]]> DavidG fatbloke Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:47:38 -0400 Thu, 23 May 2013 17:48:43 -0400 115625