Doug's first mead part 3

(see Part 1 and Part 2)

Yesterday 

Yesterday at about 8pm, I started working a little on the mead.

Here was the status when I started:

• honey and water mixture (about 2 gallons) was in the fermenter - it had been heated to 160F yesterday, and is now at room temperature 
• strawberry and water mixture (about 2 gallons)was in a second container - campden was added yesterday, and has had more than 24 hours to off-gas. It's also at room temperature.

I mixed a batch of Yeast Nutrient and Yeast Energizer in a 2-to-1 ratio. I used 3 tsp of Nutrient, and 1 & 1/2 tsp of Energizer. I mixed all 4 & 1/2 tsp in a little sterilized jar for use over the fermentation process.

I sterilized my thief, spoon, and hydrometer. 

I mixed 2 & 1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme into the strawberry mixture, and let it sit for an hour. The directions said 1/2 tsp per gallon of must, added one hour before pitching the yeast. I figured I'd add it to just the strawberries and let it get going before I combined the honey and strawberries.

While the strawberries were resting, I took two whole dry vanilla beans, sliced them lengthwise, scraped out the seeds, and added them to about a cup of water in a small pot. I brought the water to just a simmer then let cool.

After the hour, I stirred up the strawberries and poured them into the fermenter with the honey. The strawberries still smell very fresh. I also noticed that a lot of the little seeds stayed in the bottom of the  container, and didn't get added to the honey. I'm thinking that was a good thing, so maybe pre-processing the strawberries in a separate container was a good idea.

I had about 4 gallons of must at this point. I added some spring water to my vanilla pan to cool it more, then poured it into the must. I rinsed out the vanilla pan a little with some more water. Then I added water to bring it up to 5 gallons.

I'm using Harris-Teeter (our local grocery) brand Spring Water in gallon jugs. I did not sterilize or heat this water. I'm assuming it is sufficiently sterile out of the jug.

I stirred everything up real good, and took a hydrometer reading: 1.10. 

I then added 1 packet of dry Red Star Wine Yeast, and 1 tsp of my yeast nutrient/energizer mixture directly to the must, and stirred well. Then I snapped on the fermenter bucket lid, added the air lock, and set in my dining room. The dining room is in the middle of the house, and probably has the most stable temperature in the house. We keep the house about 72F.

Today

Today at about noon, I added another dose (1 tsp) of the Yeast Nutrient/Energizer mixture and stirred vigorously. 

I didn't see any bubbling through the air lock, but I definitely noticed fizzing as I mixed in the nutrient/energizer. Also, I noticed a difference in the odor when I opened the lid. Yesterday it was just strawberry and honey scent, today it smells more like sourdough. 

Here's what it looks like now:

My friend did not give an initial gravity reading, but he did say he was shooting for 1.01 at the end. If I can get down to 1.01, then the final alcohol should be about 11% (13.0% - 2.0%).