Different Alcohol Content

[Romahawk]

I sort of messed up last week when I started a new batch of Mead.

I thought I had some EC-1118 in the fridge so I mixed up 20 pounds of honey and water with out first checking to be sure I had the yeast. When I found that I had used it all I ordered some on line but got nervous about a wild yeast starting up before I would get the mail order. I ran to Wally World and got some Star Bakers Yeast and tossed a pack of that in and it is bubbling along quite nicely and now my EC-1118 arrived today. I'm wondering if there will be a large difference in alcohol content and sweetness if I let the bakers yeast run its course or should I wait until it stops working and then dump the EC-1118 in and hope for a secondary fermentation that will give it a little more kick with a little less sticky sweetness..

[Ben Brewcat]

For free, my $.02 would be to get the champagne strain in there as soon as you can. The bread yeast has been bred for CO2 production, not flavor. It will ferment briefly but not to a very high alcohol level, and the champagne will pick up where it left off, but the more attenuation you get from the champagne yeast the less you'll get from the "pancake-flavored mead" yeast . I've tasted more than my share of pruno (prison hooch) and other bread-yeast-fermented bevs and each one was one too many IMO. Not in prison, mind you , but in the course of research and politely analyzing the fruits of some of my more experimental customers.

Not to say that it'll ruin the mead by any stretch. I'd just add the champagne strain ASAP; it'll take over quickly and do you right.

[Romahawk]

Not to say that it'll ruin the mead by any stretch. I'd just add the champagne strain ASAP; it'll take over quickly and do you right.

Thanks Ben I was hoping that might be the case with the EC-1118. I added it late last night after reading your response.

Now for maybe another snafu, when I started the batch I added three teaspoons of acid blend and three teaspoons of yeast energizer. I think the energizer is OK but I'm not so sure about the acid. I don't really want the finished product to be bland but I don't want it to be to tart either. I usually use a little acid in my Wally World Cranberry mix so I just added it to the mead mix without thinking.

[Ben Brewcat]

Well nothing for it now. See how it tastes. You can always make another mead to blend it down to a less-adulterated larger batch.

[be lote]

bakers will get you about 14%

[Romahawk]

Thanks guys, just came across a recipe called Ancient Orange that is very specific that Bakers Yeast must be used if you want it to come out right. The posters reasoning was that back in the day we didn't have these modern high powered yeasts, yeast energizers, acid blends, and juices to work with. Never the less I have added the EC-1118 so there is no reversing it now. I think I may get me a few one gallon jugs and do a little experimenting though.