I made some strawberry melomel, it’s completely fermented with 16% alc, almost ready to bottle, but it’s soooo sweet it’s almost gross, but not quite… If I remember correctly the final gravity was 1.014. the problem, I think, is I used a yeast that I’d never used before and wanting for a strong med with good flavor I over did it on opening gravity and not know my yeast. does anyone know of a way to bring down the sweetness while keeping the abv near the same? If I mixed the sweet mead with a really dry mead would I get the results I want?
Mixing might be an option to try. For me, I would add a couple packets of K1-1116 yeast:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/wine ... v1116.htmlIt has an alcohol tolerance to 18% which might get your FG down to 1.04 or less–a much less sweet mead. Having said that, I’ve never been very successful at restarting a fermentation. It’s worth the $4 cost to try it.
I doubt you will be successful restarting the fermentation. Brew a new batch with an OG = 1.120 and use either K1-1116 or EC-1118 yeast to ferment it dry. Make sure you add nutrients so it can get to dryness, if you don’t it will stop early. Then blend the two batches to taste.
UPDATE: brewed a Mead with a final gravity of 1.002 and mixed with the Strawberry Melomell that was too sweet. it brought the gravity of the Melomell down and the flavor is awesome, still sweet, but not so overpowering.
I think with future brews I will stick with EC-1118 and back sweeten if deemed necessary.
UPDATE: fermentation restarted.
How old is this mead? You may have needed to age it a bunch more with it being 16%. I brewed a 9% braggot that needed a year to get really good.
It’s only a few months old, I’ll age it at least a year and longer if I can keep my hands off it.
