Toggle sidebar

Am I ready to re-rack?

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
U

uscgsapper

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 1, 2009
11
0
0
Mappsville, VA
We started our second batch of mead last month and are not sure if we have come to a stall or are just moving along in the process and ready to re-rack.
Our recipe was 15 lbs Fruitwood Orchards Raspberry Blossom Honey, 10 grams Lavlin d-47 dry yeast (rehydrated), 2 tsp nutrient, and 1 tsp energizer. Our gravity before sealing was 1.09 with at pH of 5.06. We have our must in a 6 gallon fermentation bucket. We started out with good bubbling on 10/17/10. Our bubbling has slowed down to 1 about every 15 minutes now. Are we ready to re-rack or should we wait longer?
 
Hi, I mainly go by gravity. What's your gravity now? If you rack too early, you may leave a lot of yeast behind. If you are not finished, it could take longer with less yeast.

Paul
 
Bubbles aren't really a reliable measure of fermentation. I have a batch going right now that's fermenting quite nicely, and I haven't seen a single bubble through my airlock in the whole week it's been brewing.

The only really reliable way to determine how your fermentation is doing is to take a gravity reading. Do you have a hydrometer? Without that information it's basically impossible to know whether your batch is done, stalled, or still fermenting away.
 
uuhhh...

Ok, just cracked the lid and took a reading. First off it smells great, assumming thats the way it should smell. Took a hydromiter reading and got 1.000...?????? If I'm not mistaken doesn't that meen that is a 0% alcohol..?
 
1.000 means 0% sugar, which means the mead is essentially dry. The presence of alcohol does reduce the SG by a small amount, so there's probably a tiny bit of residual sugar. My previous batches have ended between 0.994 and 0.998.

Basically your fermentation is done or very close to done. Whether or not to rack it now or give it a little longer to get those last few points is really up to you.

If you started at 1.09 (just saw that), then you're around 12% ABV right now.
 
I think if there is no active fermentation producing CO2, I would move it into a carboy to reduce the headspace. I like to shoot CO2 into my carboy before racking into it so the air is displace out. Then I stopper it with an airlock with vodka for aging.
Sounds like you will have a nice mead!
Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom