Acetone & Rubber?

[Paladin906]

Recipe
2 Gallons Distilled H20
6 lbs of Orange Blossom Honey
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
Vanilla Extract
71B-1122
Fermaid O 0.75 tsp
OG 1.11

Fermentation started vigorously but quickly slowed. I discovered that my fermaid O estimation was way off so I added more and aerated. This helped but it still took 2 months to reach a SG of 1.008 and the ferment continued slowly. The aroma and taste up to this point was great so it was my goal to stop the fermentation and maintain a SG 1.008 so I placed the must in the fridge for 2 weeks. It cleared quickly, I racked it and 3 weeks later took a reading and tasted it.
The pleasant taste and aroma that was once present is now relegated to a strong scent of acetone and rubber. The taste is slightly of beer.

What the heck happened? Too slow a ferment? Cold crash technique flawed?

 

[Honeyhog]

It's just mead being mead. Put it away and forget about it for at least six months, a year would be better then give it another taste. I find all my brews except the melomels, which are pleasant after only 4 months, require at least 6 months of aging before they stop tasting like Satan's ass.

 

[bernardsmith]

Not sure how wise it is to use distilled water. There are few enough nutrients in honey and presumably distilled water has virtually no mineral content. Methinks that using distilled water is placing the yeast under a great deal of stress. I use spring water for all my fermentation and brewing

 

[mannye]

You have two problems. Distilled water and only 3/4 teaspoons of Fermaid O. You need to add at least 1 more TABLESPOON of Ferm O and stir it. The off smell is most likely from not enough nutrient.

 

[icedmetal]

His mead has finished fermenting though... The Fermaid O will do no good at this point. Further aging should help though. Mead has this strange way of going through taste phases... first, it's pretty good, but too yeasty. Then, it just tastes bad. Sooner or later, it comes back around again. Depending on the yeast, process, nutrients, and likely many other factors, these stages last varying amounts of time.

The good news: all you need now is patience, and a place to stick your mead where you'll forget about it for awhile.

 

[Paladin906]

Thanks. If the mead has acetone in it, is it safe to consume?

 

[Honeyhog]

That acetone smell is from the alcohol fusels. They are safe to drink but give it that hot taste and the acetone smell, sort of like bad vodka. Time will age them out and you won't even recognize it as the same brew anymore. I tasted the first traditional I made right after I racked it for aging and it was hideous. Like really bad white wine. I didn't taste it again until 8 months later and it was much better. I left it for a year and bottled it. I couldn't stay away from it and it those five bottles were gone in a flash. I have learned my lesson and now have three one gallon traditionals aging and one 5 gallon.

 

[Paladin906]

That acetone smell is from the alcohol fusels. They are safe to drink but give it that hot taste and the acetone smell, sort of like bad vodka. Time will age them out and you won't even recognize it as the same brew anymore. I tasted the first traditional I made right after I racked it for aging and it was hideous. Like really bad white wine. I didn't taste it again until 8 months later and it was much better. I left it for a year and bottled it. I couldn't stay away from it and it those five bottles were gone in a flash. I have learned my lesson and now have three one gallon traditionals aging and one 5 gallon.

Wow!!! This makes me feel a lot better. I'm glad that I waited before dumping the batch.