Hi,
I'm working on my 5th and 6th meads ever. One is a 1-gallon JAO variant started five days ago (variation: it has ~ 7% more honey, and in addition to clove and cinnamon, there is ginger and cardomom to give it a bit more of a chai character; also, oxygen additions, as described below). Another JAO thread answered one of my questions -- I shouldn't expect to drink it at Thanksgiving. I was starting to get that impression...
My other question relates to concerns about the fermentation over the first 5 days:
The airlock activity is sparse. I have been checking sugar content with a refractometer daily and it has dropped about 1 brix. In constrast, the basswood mead of the same strength that I started at the same time using the 71-B yeast has dropped 6 brix in this time. I have given that basswood mead 3 nutrient additions and 3 hits of oxygen from an O2 tank through an airstone. This is how I initially oxygenated the JOA variant. I know, the ancients shook their meads, but I didn't have a convenient lid for my jug, just a rubber stopper with airlock - shaking would have been messy so using the airstone seemed like the way to go. However, I worry that I just didn't have enough oxygen in the JAO variant. So, every other night since starting, I have added a short hit, just the amount I can add without it foaming over, but I still haven't seen much evidence of fermentation.
Another possibility for sluggish fermentation is temperature. This beer is in a room with 62 degree F ambient temperature. Maybe this is too low for Fleischman's yeast? I have not added any nutrients - just orange, raisins, and the spices mentioned.
Recommended actions? Warm it up? Give it more O2? Be more patient? Something else?
Thanks.
I'm working on my 5th and 6th meads ever. One is a 1-gallon JAO variant started five days ago (variation: it has ~ 7% more honey, and in addition to clove and cinnamon, there is ginger and cardomom to give it a bit more of a chai character; also, oxygen additions, as described below). Another JAO thread answered one of my questions -- I shouldn't expect to drink it at Thanksgiving. I was starting to get that impression...
My other question relates to concerns about the fermentation over the first 5 days:
The airlock activity is sparse. I have been checking sugar content with a refractometer daily and it has dropped about 1 brix. In constrast, the basswood mead of the same strength that I started at the same time using the 71-B yeast has dropped 6 brix in this time. I have given that basswood mead 3 nutrient additions and 3 hits of oxygen from an O2 tank through an airstone. This is how I initially oxygenated the JOA variant. I know, the ancients shook their meads, but I didn't have a convenient lid for my jug, just a rubber stopper with airlock - shaking would have been messy so using the airstone seemed like the way to go. However, I worry that I just didn't have enough oxygen in the JAO variant. So, every other night since starting, I have added a short hit, just the amount I can add without it foaming over, but I still haven't seen much evidence of fermentation.
Another possibility for sluggish fermentation is temperature. This beer is in a room with 62 degree F ambient temperature. Maybe this is too low for Fleischman's yeast? I have not added any nutrients - just orange, raisins, and the spices mentioned.
Recommended actions? Warm it up? Give it more O2? Be more patient? Something else?
Thanks.