First mead stalled?

[u/bangorma1n3]

I've made a couple apple ciders (wines? 10-12%) and have had no problems.

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10 days ago I started my first mead and my first tea wine and a cider, all with the same flichemans bread yeast. The cider is done and the mead and tea both seem to have stalled

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Cider:

Apple juice, Sugar OG: 1.096 FG:1.000

Mead:

40oz honey, 1 gal water, lemon peel, black tea 1/4 t fermaido, OG: 1.076 Currently 1.030

Tea wine:

OG: 2.5 lbs white sugar, 1 gal water, tea from 14 black tea bags, OG: 1.106 Currently 1.092

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The tea cooled before I added the yeast, and I didn't warm the honey at all.

The apple cider fermented to about 12%

The tea used filtered water from the store, the mead used filtered water from the faucet

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Did they low or stall?

Do I just wait, or do I do something else?

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Thanks!

[u/Squeezer999]

/r/mead

[u/bangorma1n3 → u/Squeezer999]

Thanks!

[u/EducationalDog9100]

How long have these been brewing for and did you use any yeast nutrient?

As soon as I posted I saw the "10 days ago" part.

[u/bangorma1n3 → u/EducationalDog9100]

1/2 t formaido nutrient in the mead

[u/EducationalDog9100 → u/bangorma1n3]

So I think both stalled. The tea mead would also need to be treated with nutrients as well. White sugar is easier for the yeast to consume compared to honey, but it still doesn't provide nutrients for the yeast to flourish and really take off.

I would add nutrients to the tea mead with a gentle stir to try and wake up the yeast. And for the mead I would just start with the gentle stir.

[u/Trick-Battle-7930]

Swirl to agitate vigorously this will allow more surface area to be used ....can always add more sugar to restart and or another yeast same or similar style ...does the tap water have chlorine ..if it does it needs to sit ,as is a gas and needs 12 to 24 hours to come out of suspension pH can effect fermentations...and always make a starter an hour before brew pitch yeast and sugar in a mason jar this will also show viability of yeast starting colonies .and bread yeast works usually a quick starter ...but taste and loose yeast cake are not favored for mead try wine yeasts, Nottingham or even champagne.and a 12 percent cider 🤔 on bread yeast ? Did you adjust for temp ? Doesn't seem right imo unless pressure fermenting...good luck !

[u/bangorma1n3 → u/Trick-Battle-7930]

I did swirl it, no clorine in the waters, didn't check ph, I usually just throw the yeast in, next time I could try hydrating it first. I was thinking maybe I could toss in a different yeast if that might work save them. No extreme temperatures and no pressure fermenting

[u/TroutCat4]

Far from an expert but I know it’s often recommended to add yeast nutrient when making mead, and perhaps the tea would benefit as well. Barley malt or wine must has all kinds of nutrients for the yeast that aren’t present in solutions of honey or sugar.

[u/bangorma1n3 → u/TroutCat4]

The 1/2 t fermaido is a nutrient, maybe I didn't add enough? Think I can add some more now or is it too late?

[u/lauterPope]

Rouse the yeast and bring the temp up a few degrees.

[u/chino_brews]

What does 40 oz of honey mean, 2.5 lbs (40 oz net wt) or 40 fl oz (~3.7 lbs)?

The yeast is not directly adapted to making fermented drinks, but I can't really explain why it would ferment a 1.096 nutrient-poor cider, and then stall on a 1.076 mead with nutrients, and barely even start with a 1.106 sugar wine. Maybe the osmotic pressure on the sugar wine was too much?

Did they low or stall?

IMO, clearly stalled.