Hello all,
I just recently started my first batch of mead (2 gallons), and I fear I did everything wrong. It seems like there's a lot of information that varies slightly, and everything I did I did because I was able to find a relating piece of info regarding my situation... but I think I may have overreacted on everything. I don't have an hydrometer so I don't know my SG.... here's my steps and my recipe... basically my journal entry.
I mixed almost 6 lbs of raw clover honey from Sam's (a local variety) with a little over 1.5 gallons of tap water. I pitch the yeast (Montrachet Red Star) immediately and then aerated the must with a slotted kitchen spoon. I then threw in a single campden tablet, worrying that the water wouldn't be sanitary (probably a bad idea).
A couple times over the next week, I aerated the must by shaking the bucket, but I fear I only degassed it.
At 6 days of primary fermentation, it had slowed down to almost a halt (one bubble every 25 seconds, which is what I expected after 2 weeks). I tried to restart the fermentation by adding a little more honey and water (getting it up to 2 gallons because I was a little short). I aerated and added nutrient. After 24 hours the fermentation was even slower so I decided it was time to go to secondary another 12 hours later.
I racked into two 1 gallon glass jugs. In one I added (prior to racking) 2 pounds of pureed mixed berries (berry medley from Wal-Mart). In the other pureed peach, pear, and mango (came to about a pound or just over), 1/2 tsp brown sugar, a tiny amount of allspice. I added half a cinnamon stick to each in emptied tea bags. The mixed berry melomel fermented wildly for a few hours and I had to scrap some fruit out so it wouldn't keep flowing into the air lock.
After 4 days of fermentation with fruit puree, the fruit started looking whitish and I didn't want to risk mold, so I figured I'd rack. Being that I racked early in the primary, and the fermentation was vigorous at first with the fruit, I kinda thought that maybe it was a compromise between having fruit in primary vs secondary.
I tried racking with nylon mesh bags over the auto siphon, which started out fine for the first one but slowed to a crawl due to clogging, I could not get it started up again, so I had to resort to pouring and straining with a funnel and mesh bag. I did this for both melomels, and it was a mess. I will never do fruit puree again. The guy at the home brewery shop must have wanted to teach me a lesson when he suggested pureeing the fruit.
I topped off both melomels with vodka to remove headspace. Hopefully the hotness will wear off while it ages. And hopefully I didn't bring the avb up too high to kill further fermentation.
Here's a pic after first racking:
And here's another after second racking:
I just recently started my first batch of mead (2 gallons), and I fear I did everything wrong. It seems like there's a lot of information that varies slightly, and everything I did I did because I was able to find a relating piece of info regarding my situation... but I think I may have overreacted on everything. I don't have an hydrometer so I don't know my SG.... here's my steps and my recipe... basically my journal entry.
I mixed almost 6 lbs of raw clover honey from Sam's (a local variety) with a little over 1.5 gallons of tap water. I pitch the yeast (Montrachet Red Star) immediately and then aerated the must with a slotted kitchen spoon. I then threw in a single campden tablet, worrying that the water wouldn't be sanitary (probably a bad idea).
A couple times over the next week, I aerated the must by shaking the bucket, but I fear I only degassed it.
At 6 days of primary fermentation, it had slowed down to almost a halt (one bubble every 25 seconds, which is what I expected after 2 weeks). I tried to restart the fermentation by adding a little more honey and water (getting it up to 2 gallons because I was a little short). I aerated and added nutrient. After 24 hours the fermentation was even slower so I decided it was time to go to secondary another 12 hours later.
I racked into two 1 gallon glass jugs. In one I added (prior to racking) 2 pounds of pureed mixed berries (berry medley from Wal-Mart). In the other pureed peach, pear, and mango (came to about a pound or just over), 1/2 tsp brown sugar, a tiny amount of allspice. I added half a cinnamon stick to each in emptied tea bags. The mixed berry melomel fermented wildly for a few hours and I had to scrap some fruit out so it wouldn't keep flowing into the air lock.
After 4 days of fermentation with fruit puree, the fruit started looking whitish and I didn't want to risk mold, so I figured I'd rack. Being that I racked early in the primary, and the fermentation was vigorous at first with the fruit, I kinda thought that maybe it was a compromise between having fruit in primary vs secondary.
I tried racking with nylon mesh bags over the auto siphon, which started out fine for the first one but slowed to a crawl due to clogging, I could not get it started up again, so I had to resort to pouring and straining with a funnel and mesh bag. I did this for both melomels, and it was a mess. I will never do fruit puree again. The guy at the home brewery shop must have wanted to teach me a lesson when he suggested pureeing the fruit.
I topped off both melomels with vodka to remove headspace. Hopefully the hotness will wear off while it ages. And hopefully I didn't bring the avb up too high to kill further fermentation.
Here's a pic after first racking:
And here's another after second racking:
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