Adding ingredients after first week.

You probably don't need to worry so much, and I think you need to be more patient! Good things come to those who wait. (By the way, meads usually take months to ferment, not days, although there will certainly be some alcohol produced within a few days.) Sometimes fermentation is complete within 4 days, especially if you are fermenting at warm temperatures greater than 70 F, which I assume you are. You do NOT need to add any additional sugar to get the yeast going again. If you are concerned that you might have a "stuck" fermentation, get yourself a hydrometer and take a reading. If it reads less than 1.020, fermentation might be complete. Check again 3 days later and if the reading has not changed, then you will know that fermentation is complete. If the hydrometer reading is higher than 1.020 but is stuck, then you might need to add some fresh yeast or some yeast energizer, which is available at most homebrew shops. Hope this helps.

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 06:59:02 GMT, "none" said in alt.beer.home-brewing:

Ale or mead?

Depending on the yeast and temperature, 4 days is okay. Check the specific gravity if you want to be sure. It should be at or near the final gravity, and it should stay constant for a couple of days, if it's done. (I've had Safale S04 finish an APA in 30 hours or so at

I have finished the Mead several weeks ago but it was done in about 4-5 days. The average temperature in this room is about 78 degrees or warmer all the time plus I kept it near the ceiling in a high shelf we have and that must have been why it finished so fast. I think it is alot warmer up there, possibly over 80 degrees. Right now I am working on the Ale and the same thing happened to it, it stopped bubling after 4 days but I stored it at floor level thinking this would make it bubble longer. Probably I screwed something up but I hope at least I learn something from you so I do not do it again.

Firstly, you can't boil the stacrh out of oats...the starches need to be converted to sugar by enzymes. The usual way to do that is to mash the oats with some pale malt. Also, I see from anopther message that your temps are 78F...that's WAY to high to make good beer. I'd just give up on this batch and go to www.howtobrew to get an idea of how you should do it the next time.

--------->Denny

fermintation