[jrannestad]

Making this recipe listed in the complete meadmaker book by ken schramm. 3 gallons. Put the mesh bag of berries (they were thawed but cold) in the mix on 11/13. Starting SG 1.112 on 10/22. SG on 11/13 = 1.013. I think it was about 12.9%. Was bubbling maybe once every 120 sec before adding berries and it seemed like the vigorous fermentation was done. After adding berries it's not bubbling at all. Should I be concerned?

 

[BadBeeKeeper]

Making this recipe listed in the complete meadmaker book by ken schramm. 3 gallons. Put the mesh bag of berries (they were thawed but cold) in the mix on 11/13. Starting SG 1.112 on 10/22. SG on 11/13 = 1.013. I think it was about 12.9%. Was bubbling maybe once every 120 sec before adding berries and it seemed like the vigorous fermentation was done. After adding berries it's not bubbling at all. Should I be concerned?

I add my berries immediately, before pitching the yeast, and warm. I don't use a mesh bag, they just go straight in.

In my opinion, adding the berries so late in the process (and especially cold) was a mistake. You can try warming up the must and 'rousing' the yeast by shaking the fermenter (carefully). If that doesn't work, make a new yeast starter and pitch it.

Were the berries crushed? they should have been, in order to make the juice available for processing by the yeast.

 

[jrannestad]

Berries were not crushed. Might have been more effective if they were but I am hoping a little time in the fermenter will soften things up and the juice will come out. The recipe did not explicitly say to crush or not crush. The book did say that berries can be added at the start of fermentation or any time thereafter and that the author's preference was to add them to the secondary fermenter. I think he likes dealing with one thing at a time and that the alcohol helps to sanitize any issue with the berries.

 

[mgolden]

I don't think you need to be concerned. 12.9% alcohol is fine. One needs more than 10% to store wine long term.

I add crushed fruit/berries the day I make up the wine mix and add the yeast a day later.

If you desire more of the fruit taste, it is not too late to sanitize vessels/tools and strain the berries out of the wine. Then crush them and strain and add the juice back to the wine. A mesh bag or fine strainer or coffee filter would work well to get juice to add back to wine. If berries are somewhat sweet, you will likely slightly add to sweetness of the final product.