Zeus Rises: A High-Gravity Mead Rescue Mission (Part 1/2)

Welcome back to the blog! We recently battled a classic—and terrifying—homebrewing foe: the stuck high-gravity fermentation. Our 5-gallon Capsicumel, aptly named "Zeus," stalled hard, leaving us with a challenge: rescue 13.6% ABV mead that was too sweet for our dry goal.

This post details the two-phase Mega-Pitch Protocol we executed this week (Oct 28-30) to bring Zeus back to life.

Chapter 1: The Fall of the God of Olympus (The Stall)

Our Zeus mead began with 20 lbs of honey, targeting an Original Gravity (OG) of 1.135 and a final ABV near 18%. We chose the aggressive Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast for this heavy lift.

But the mead got cocky. By mid-October, the initial furious fermentation ceased, and the mead ground to a dead stop at a thick, sweet 1.028 Specific Gravity (our mead had achieved 13.6% ABV, but it was defeated).

• The Problem: The combination of high alcohol 13.6% ABV) and high osmotic pressure caused the original yeast to become stressed, releasing toxins (fatty acids) that poisoned the remaining healthy cells and halted sugar consumption. We knew a simple re-pitch would fail.

Chapter 2: The Purification Ritual (48-Hour Detox)

To prepare the hostile environment for a new army, we used a powerful trick: boiled yeast cell walls to adsorb (bind to) the toxins.

The Detoxification Protocol:

1. The Sacrifice: We took 3 packets of Lalvin D47 yeast and boiled them in 1.5 cups of cold water for 15 minutes. This ruptured the cell walls, turning them into toxin sponges. We cooled the slurry completely.

2. The Adsorption: We added the cool slurry to the mead and left Zeus for a 48-hour adsorption period (Oct 28 to Oct 30) at 75 – 78 f.

3. The Cleansing (CRITICAL): At the 48-hour mark, we siphoned the mead off the heavy sediment (the lees and the spent D47) into a clean, sanitized carboy. Zeus was finally clean!

Chapter 3: Assembling the Mega-Pitch Army

With the mead clean, we launched the attack using a massive, fortified starter of EC-1118, designed to survive the alcohol barrier.

The Mega-Starter Recipe (0.5 Gallon)

• Army Size: 5 packets of new EC-1118 yeast.

• Armor: 31.25 grams of Go-Ferm Protect (used in the rehydration water to fortify cell membranes against the high alcohol).

• Food: 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar in 1.5 quarts of water (to create the 1.030 - 1.035 SG for optimal cell reproduction).

Synchronization and Attack

1. Fortify & Grow: We fortified the 5 packets of EC-1118 with Go-Ferm during rehydration, then pitched them into the sugar base, ensuring the colony was vigorous (24 hours of growth).

2. Acclimation (30 min): We added 1 cup of the freshly racked mead to the active starter. We waited 30 minutes for the yeast to safely adjust to the high alcohol level.

3. The Mega-Pitch: We pitched the entire contents of the acclimated Mega-Starter directly into the clean, racked mead.

Chapter 4: The Immediate Aftermath (Cliffhanger)

The transfer is complete! The Mega-Pitch is now battling the remaining sugars and alcohol in a clean environment. The immediate result? The airlock is already bubbling steadily—a great sign that the yeast has taken hold and is highly active!

❓ What Happens Next?

Will this aggressive re-pitch survive the high alcohol content and drive the gravity down to our target of 1.000? Will Zeus finally reach his 18% potential?

We have a powerful secondary phase planned, involving Everclear fortification, wood aging, and habanero flavoring.

Join us next time for Part 2 where we reveal the final gravity, detail the finishing additions, and, most importantly, taste the resurrected God of Olympus!