Another infection question

[STXman]

So I'm making an apple pie cyser using
-12lbs of honey
-1lb brown sugar
-1 handful of raisins
-4.5 gallons of apple juice
-2 packs of Fleischmans bread yeast
-other stuff I haven't added yet cause it's still in primary.

The reason I'm concerned is the amount of foam and bubbles in it, I'd post a picture but the website keeps saying the file is too big. The head of the foam is about half an inch tall and the large bubbles from there go all the way up to my airlock another 4 inches in a 6 gallon glass carboy.

 

[Squatchy]

I'm sure if you started fermenting in buckets with a hand towel over the top you will like it much better. I would also suggest using wine yeast. It's much better than bread yeast.

Welcome to the forum. If you lookup Gotmead live podcast and start on 9/5/17 you will be able to learn how to make the best mead you can using modern protocol. Not only will you learn what to do but also why we do it.

Welcome to the forum

 

[darigoni]

You say that you used 4.5G of water.
12lbs of honey is approx. 1G, which left you with a 5.5G batch in a 6G carboy.

It all sounds pretty normal to me.

Why do you think you have an infection?

What did you use for yest nutrients? (Please don't say that's what the raisins are for).

Are you doing daily aeration/degassing?

As Squatchy suggested, you should be doing your primary fermentation (and secondary, if fruit is involved) in a plastic bucket. Carboys are best used when you are doing long term aging.

Also, did you measure your starting gravity? Do you have a hydrometer? Using the Gotmead batch calculator, it looks like your starting gravity would have been around 1.136, with a potential ABV of 17.4%. Your bread yeast "might" be good for 12%, so you are going to end up with a final gravity of around 1.046, which is towrds the high end of what is considered sweet.

 

[STXman]

You say that you used 4.5G of water.
12lbs of honey is approx. 1G, which left you with a 5.5G batch in a 6G carboy.

It all sounds pretty normal to me.

Why do you think you have an infection?

What did you use for yest nutrients? (Please don't say that's what the raisins are for).

Are you doing daily aeration/degassing?

As Squatchy suggested, you should be doing your primary fermentation (and secondary, if fruit is involved) in a plastic bucket. Carboys are best used when you are doing long term aging.

Also, did you measure your starting gravity? Do you have a hydrometer? Using the Gotmead batch calculator, it looks like your starting gravity would have been around 1.136, with a potential ABV of 17.4%. Your bread yeast "might" be good for 12%, so you are going to end up with a final gravity of around 1.046, which is towrds the high end of what is considered sweet.

I used apple juice, not water.

I was just concerned about the amount of foam.

I used some Fermax and diammonium phosphate, springcell, magnesium sulphate mix I got from my local homebrew store.

I lightly shake the carboy a bit each day to degas but I have not opened it up till today (a week since it started) I smelled it and tasted some, it actually tastes pretty good so I guess its ok.


I had tried a batch before in a bucket but it did get infected with acetobacter so I decided to try the carboy since it was clean and a smaller opening should mean less exposure and less chance to get infected if I open it for any reason.

I chose bread yeast cause I figured it might impart a bit of a "bready" flavor and since i'm aiming for a super sweet apple pie flavor with a lower alcohol content that might be good (I want something super sweet for Christmas, figured the lower alcohol content might make it so I can share a good amount with the family even the lightweights).

Didn't measure the starting sg since I was afraid to let anything that touched my last batch touch this one even after cleaning it.


My next issues are that it seems to have lost a bit of the apple flavor, and what is the best method for cleaning anything that has touched an infected batch? I was gonna bleach my bucket and wash it several times with hot water but im still afraid it will infect my next batch.

 

[STXman]

Used apple juice not water.

I was just concerned about the amount of foam. I had a batch that got infected before and I'm just paranoid.

I used a Energizer and Nutrient mix I got from my local homebrew store.

I am lightly shaking the carboy a bit but I haven't opened it till today (smells and tastes pretty good so I guess I'm ok).

I used the carboy since my bucket was what got infected last time, figured smaller opening and a smaller chance of infection.

Didn't measure sg cause I was afraid even after cleaning my hydrometer that it might infect something and I'm just looking for something that will taste good on Christmas, alcohol content is just a plus.

Used bread yeast hoping it would impart a bit of a "bready" flavor since its supposed to be apple pie.

My next questions are that my drink seems to have lost most its apple flavor, if I throw a bunch of apples in secondary will it come back?

And how do you clean things that have been in contact with an infected batch? Like I read if something touches a batch with brett than just toss it but I don't know about acetobacter which was what infected my last batch, I was wondering if a hot bleach bath and several rinses with boiling water would be ok?

 

[STXman]

I used apple juice not water

I was just worried about the amount of foam since my last batch got infected

I got an Energizer and nutrient mix from my local homebrew shop and just threw a bunch in at the start.

I have lightly shook it to Degas but I didn't open it till today a week since I started, it actually smells ok and tastes pretty good so I guess it's fine.

Used my carboy since it was clean and I'm afraid to use my bucket since my last batch had acetobacter and idk the best way to clean it.

Didn't measure SG since my hydrometer touched my last batch and I don't want to chance it even after washing with one step.

Chose the bread yeast hoping it would impart a "bready" flavor to hopefully make the apple pie flavor more convincing.

So my next questions are it has lost a lot of apple flavor, if I throw a bunch in secondary will it give it a really strong flavor?

And how do you best wash something that has been infected? Since I heard if something catches Brett just throw everything out but idk about acetobacter, how would a bleach bath and rinse with boiling water work?

 

[STXman]

Used apple juice instead of honey

Was just concerned about the amount of foam

Used a energizer and nutrient mix I got from my local homebrew

Shook lightly to degass but I didn't open it till today and since it smelled and tastes pretty good I guess I'm ok

Used my carboy since my last bucket batch got infected with acetobacter and I don't know the best way to clean it

Didn't read SG cause my hydrometer touched my last batch

Used bread yeast hoping it would leave a bit of a bready flavor, I'm aiming for a super sweet apple pie with a lower alcohol content for Christmas so I guess I'm on track.

My next questions are it seems to have lost most the apple flavor, if I threw a bunch in secondary would it impart a big apple flavor without messing with the alcohol content too much.

And how do I clean stuff that's touched an infected batch? Cause I heard if it touches Brett you might as well burn it but I don't know about acetobacter, would a bleach bath and several rinses with boiling water work?