Doing a braggot with 5 lbs of grain and 6 lbs of honey. Do you think I'll have to add some nutrient to avoid a stalled fermentation? BTW using Wyeast 1028, with a big starter. Expecting an OG of 1.080ish.
I would recommend yeast nutrient for anything involving large amounts of honey. In addition to something like Wyeast Yeast Nutrient (at maybe half strength), I'd seriously think about adding a 1/2 tsp each of FermAid-K and Go-Ferm. These are supplements commonly used by meadmakers and are a little different than the nutrient products beer homebrewers typically use, because honey is very nutrient poor in comparison to beer wort. I'd add about 1/2 of the combined nutrients at the beginning, and maybe 1/4 on the second day, and 1/4 on the third. Disclaimer: this would be my possible strategy, but I have never brewed a true braggot. It's based on combining beer and mead strategies.
Cool, thanks. Nothing would hurt, and better safe than sorry of course. I was just wondering if I should go thru the trouble of getting some, my LHBS didn't have any on-hand at the moment. I'll check out the products that Mr. Grimley suggested, thanks!
OK, I have one more question. I added the honey directly to the carboy (no boil) and it seems to have sunk directly to the bottom. A gravity reading gave me 1.040, which is around what the grains would have given me. I did an iodine test, so I know I had conversion. Do I have to worry about the yeast finding the honey?
They'd find it. But it would be better to give them a homogenous environment. So I would mix it up if you can.
