[Ice]

I made a gallon of mead.  The recipe says to use yeast nutrient due to some deficiency in honey but the shop didn't have any.  Will it be ok?  How long might I expect it to ferment for and should I add some nutrient when they get some in stock?

Also, I have made apricot wine and it's fermenting like a crazy thing, much faster than the mead.  Is that supposed to happen or is it not good to have such a rapid ferment?

[Kate and her Ducks]

I started some elderflower wine without the nutrient as I didn't have it and added it when I got it and it really seemed to kick start the fermentation which had been pretty sluggish till then. Probably be told that was a terrible thing to do but I'm a novice too. Could have been coincidence but did seem to make a great difference so I would bung it in (in a little water) when you get it.

[Ice]

It does say in the recipe that nutrient is important, something to do with missing minerals in honey.  I'll chuck some in when I can get some then unless I hear otherwise. 

[Kate and her Ducks]

Can send you some if you like (sooner or later between things like this and flubenvet wormer I am going to get into trouble for sending packages of white powder through the post).
PM me you address if you would like some to get you mead going while waiting for your own.

[Ice]

Thanks Kate.  I'll try the shop again on monday morning and if they still don't have any I'd like some uncut Colombian yeast nutrient.

[2peasinapod]

Hmmm

white powders
uncut Colubian...

what you 2 up 2??

should be fine with the mead as long as you get some "white powder" in soon
just dont add it after its finnised fermenting.

we often do things a bit higaldypigaldy but it all comes good in the end.

[Ice]

Thanks for the reassurance 2peasinapod.

[SG6]

Have made mead in the past and cannot recall using a nutrient, however every recipe I have says to throw some in.

The one that doesn't state nutrient specifically has three compounds that I suspect  add up to the same set of minerals.

So guess that it is necesary or at the very least highly advisable.

Mind you pretty sure I have read the same compounds on the side of various inorganic garden fertilisers

[A. Fallowfield]

I've made mead and always understood you must use yeast nutrient.
I've seen decent mead made with bread yeast and plenty of nutrient!

[SG6]

No idea if you must use a nutrient or not.
Simply saying that of two lots I made I didn't, for the simple reason that I didn't know about the stuff.
So not knowing of it it never went in. (Ignorance is bliss )

They both came out damn good however, a couple of young women will vouch for that.

[Ice]

From the way it's fermenting I would imagine it will be ok without but I'll put some in anyway.  It's hard to argue with a C.J.J Berry recipe.

[SG6]

The CJJ Berry book I have says:
Yeast nutrient can be used to "boost" the action of yeast and is particularily recommended in flower, mead and other wines where there is likely to be deficient in certain trace minerals.

Makes sense but then I noticed that every recipe had nutrient added immaterial of the type. I just wonder if he is playing safe and including it in everything.

Anyway that book hasn't a mead recipe in it.

[Ice]

It has a mead recipe on page 152.

Managed to get yeast nutrient today and put some in.  Got to keep the yeast happy in order that they perform their water into wine alchemy.

[Ice]

After adding nutrient to the mead and the apricot wine I noticed that the mead is fermenting much faster but the wine has stayed the same, maybe a little faster.

Think it is probably a good idea to add it to mead.