As I wrote on the 25th of January, I started a new mead which used 20 lbs. of honey and a starting SG reading of 1.110. Fermentation continues to be vigourous six days later and today, I took a SG reading which showed 1.090. Just to repeat if you are interested, I used Lalvin EC-1118 yeast strain. It looks like this may take a good ten days in the primary before I rack to a carboy.

I’m still not confident in the vial of “Sweet Mead Yeast” (#WLP720), the liquid yeast from White Labs that I wanted to use in the second batch of mead I started this week. After 30 hours in the orange juice/yeast nutrient activator, there is no activity that I can observe – although it does have a “yeasty” smell to it now. But I don’t know if that is because the activator containing juice, sitting at room temperature for almost a day and a half, would take on that odour regardless.

But, I’m going to give it a try anyhow and see how it goes. If there’s no noticeable activity in two days, I may decide to pitch some 71B-1122 yeast, where over on this forum, a “Frank” writes, “I really like the one I did w/ 71B-1122. That mead tasted good even after only a couple months of fermenation. ”

I’m not entirely convinced that a strain of yeast will produce a beverage that has that much difference in taste – I think there are a lot more variables than yeast strain that affect the final taste of a wine or mead. But, if this liquid yeast doesn’t come through, it will make for a good experiment.