1st Melomel

[RightHookCook]

sounds a bit excessive to me, i must be lazy.

i just mix it up, pitch the yeast, then let it finish, rack it a few times and let it clear = perfectly good mead.

 

[moonie]

Of the 2 batches I've done this way one took 3 days the other 2 days to burn through the first 1/3 so it wasn't too bad.

 

[RightHookCook]

Of the 2 batches I've done this way one took 3 days the other 2 days to burn through the first 1/3 so it wasn't too bad.

Thats true , it shouldn't take to long i guess.

Do you think it creates a better result staggering nutrients and keeping an eye on sugar breaks ,daily aeration etc

Or is the simple method i use acceptable?

 

[Medsen Fey]

Do you think it creates a better result staggering nutrients and keeping an eye on sugar breaks ,daily aeration etc

Or is the simple method i use acceptable?

The simple method is acceptable as long as it makes good mead for you.

The problem with the simple method is that it may not always work. With some recipes, if you don't aerate, they don't go to completion. With some batches, the pH can cause them to stick early and without monitoring the progress, you won't know if it is encountering a problem. Also, if you are making sack strength meads, just because they finish and clear does not mean they are done fermenting - unless stabilized, they can sometimes wake up later (at least 2 years later according to Brother Adam) and if that happens in the bottle, you could have trouble. So although you can make mead in any number of ways, using the tools we have for monitoring and using the techniques that have been identified as best practice can certainly improve the quality and consistency of results.

 

[RightHookCook]

A very good response, thank you.

 

[RightHookCook]

i took a hydrometer reading yesterday after 1 week of fermenting, its still fermenting pretty rapidly (1 bubble per second) and the gravity has fallen right down to 1.012 from the SG of about 1.140.

i had a little taste and to be honest its to strong already! you can taste the pineapple and the honey but wow this is strong stuff, more like rum than mead haha!