Yup, messed up again...

[Acebird]

You are correcting your reading to the standard temperature for comparison.

Colder liquid is more dense. Hydrometer floats higher...
Warmer liquid (molecules farther apart) , the hydrometer sinks lower.

Yes, I haven't lost all my marbles yet.

Nabber, I look at the readings as relative so I don't care really how accurate the hydrometer is. As a relative instrument it is quite accurate. Is the temperature correction scale necessary? Not really, until you get to the last reading.

I have a question for the gurus: If you are happy with your creation is there a way to stop it where it is without dumping chemicals (mostly phosphates) into your batch? Does bottling it keep it from fermenting more?

[Nabber86]

Yes, I haven't lost all my marbles yet.

Nabber, I look at the readings as relative so I don't care really how accurate the hydrometer is. As a relative instrument it is quite accurate. Is the temperature correction scale necessary? Not really, until you get to the last reading.

I have a question for the gurus: If you are happy with your creation is there a way to stop it where it is without dumping chemicals (mostly phosphates) into your batch? Does bottling it keep it from fermenting more?

Or measure all gravities at or near 60 degrees and never worry about temperature correction again (that's what I do). If the wort is hot, I put the hydrometer jar in the frig and take a reading when it is near 60. The added benefit is that is really close to most pitching temperatures anyway. If the must it too heavy do a volume calc, and add boiled and cooled water to lower the SG. If too light, do a volume calc and add more honey. Or dont worry, relax and have a homebrew.

Stopping fermentation w/o chemicals? 2 things come to mind: radiation treatment and pasturization. I am sure your fear of chemicals extends to radiation as well, plus it is impratical, so we wont go there.

Pasturization works, but most people claim that it degrades the taste of the final product so they wont do it. You also have to be really careful about creating "bottle bombs" if you dont kill all the yeast. Personally, I would never try it for both reasons stated above (and I have scars to remind me about the exploading bottles).

Why would you want to stop the fermentation anyway? Why not just let it finish out and drink what you get? It's not like it is going to get any worse. If it fininshes too dry for your taste you can always add lactose to sweeten it up. That is of course you do not consider lactose to be a chemical.

[BeeCurious]

Phosphates?



Santa brought one of these to my house:

http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/H_...rm/EW-08298-65

[Acebird]

That is of course you do not consider lactose to be a chemical.

Keep talking nabber, what is lactose? I didn't know it was a sweetener.
Radiation, no way.

[Nabber86]

Lactose (milk sugar) is not fermentable to an appreciable amount. You can add it to beer/wine/mead to make it sweeter. You can get it form any homebrew shop. I bought some years ago to make a Sweet Stout. (Dont know what I was thinking at the time because I prefer my berverages dry).

Lactose can add body and mouthfeel, so if you add too much you could end up changing properties other than the sweetness of your mead. The nice thing is that you can add a little at a time to samples of fininshed mead until you find what you like. But think of it as a band-aid until you have tweaked your recipe enough so you get the residual sweetness that you really want naturally.

I have heard of people adding saccharin or other such nonsense to boost sweetness. But even I wouldnt recommend that.

[Acebird]

I have always enjoyed a mouthfull... Oops that is something else.

[Ben Brewcat]

Bottling does NOT stop fermentation. Neither does sulfiting or adding stabilizer such as sorbate, unless you totally nuke it. For these reasons it is MUCH preferred to design the recipe to finish fermenting at the level of desired dryness/sweetness. Alternately, one could chillproof it (keep it cold enough for long enough that all the yeast flocs out so it can be racked and then stabilized).

[Nabber86]

Mr Brewcat is right on target. The absolute best way to go about the process is to tweak your recipe until you get the results that you want naturally, letting the yeast do it's job. You also have to realize that several properties in the finished product are mutually exclusive. Just try brewing an ultra super sweet mead that has the viscosity of water, an SG of 1.010, and is low in acohol content.

Although I do like the chilling approach as a method to retard yeast growth and preserve sweetness in your trial runs until you get the recipe/process all worked out. I would also possibly add microfiltration followed by indefinite cold storage prior to consumption. However that would take time, money, and energy. I am an energy whore and have 2 extra fridges in my basement devoted to activities other than food storage, so I couldnt care less. But those looking for a low carbon footprint would have to dig a deep root cellar or find a cold cave spring on their property in order to even attempt this more "natural" approach.

Maybe we should also back up a bit here. From the age of the OP (mid November), I would expect that the sugar reduction rate in Ace's mead is reaching asymptotic conditions by now from a qualitative human taste standpoint. Sure the fermentation process can ultimately go on for many more months on a microbial basis, but the apparent flavor profile will probably only change slighty and for the better. Might as well roll the dice and see how it turns out.

Oh and Ace, was that "mouthfull" comment a typo or a Freudian slip? Not that there is anything wrong with the latter ....

[Acebird]

Might as well roll the dice and see how it turns out.

What are you trying to tell me here, leave it be or rack it and go for another mouthfull?

[Nabber86]

What are you trying to tell me here...?

Dont worry, relax, and have a homebrew.