Hello all! Been reading up on the site for months. This seems to be of the more informative sites out there on meadmaking so I had to make an account!
Ok, so after about a years study I decided to ffinally delve into my first batch of mead. I followed the basic recippe from "The Compleat Meadmaker" very closely with the exception of adding a bit more yeast energizer and nutrient than the book recomends per
the instructions on the labels. 15 pounds orange blossom honey, 4 gal water(tap) and 2 packets lalvin 71b 1122 yeast. I'm using a 6 gallon food grade bucket for a 5 gallon batch from Northern Brewers.
OG reading was 1.106. Temp has fluctuated slightly but has always been withing recomended range. After the first 24 hrs, there was no activity in the airlock, but a heavy sweat/sour smell emiting from the fermentor. Day 2 was the same and now into the end of day 3 the scent has all but subsided and still no airlock activity. After some more research I determined there could possiblt be a leack in the seals. Didn't find one, not that this means much. I finally decided to wash up and check out what was going on in there! Lots of movement, bubbles and a fizzing sound. I decided to take another reading with my hydrometer. In 3 days it has dropped to 1.088. This seams like a fairly substantual drop in a 3 day period and is way off the numbers I've seen to be "normal". Should I be conerned, or am I having a newbie freakout? Thank you everyone in advance and sorry for the long, clumped post!
Ok, so after about a years study I decided to ffinally delve into my first batch of mead. I followed the basic recippe from "The Compleat Meadmaker" very closely with the exception of adding a bit more yeast energizer and nutrient than the book recomends per
the instructions on the labels. 15 pounds orange blossom honey, 4 gal water(tap) and 2 packets lalvin 71b 1122 yeast. I'm using a 6 gallon food grade bucket for a 5 gallon batch from Northern Brewers. OG reading was 1.106. Temp has fluctuated slightly but has always been withing recomended range. After the first 24 hrs, there was no activity in the airlock, but a heavy sweat/sour smell emiting from the fermentor. Day 2 was the same and now into the end of day 3 the scent has all but subsided and still no airlock activity. After some more research I determined there could possiblt be a leack in the seals. Didn't find one, not that this means much. I finally decided to wash up and check out what was going on in there! Lots of movement, bubbles and a fizzing sound. I decided to take another reading with my hydrometer. In 3 days it has dropped to 1.088. This seams like a fairly substantual drop in a 3 day period and is way off the numbers I've seen to be "normal". Should I be conerned, or am I having a newbie freakout? Thank you everyone in advance and sorry for the long, clumped post!
