First batch-Should I rack ? Various questions included
- Thread starter Botanyboy
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All possibilities. Just carefully weigh the pros and cons before adding anything. You can never go back.
Personally I don't top off. Ever, with anything. But I've been known to be a purist.
Personally I don't top off. Ever, with anything. But I've been known to be a purist.
The 4 gallon carboy and 0.5 gallon carboy is how I do it. Although at half a gallon it's almost like a large bottle at that point.
I have carboys in 54, 25, 23, 15, 5 and 4.5 liter sizes so that if I rack a 54l batch it then usually fits in 2x25l carboys with some left over which I either drink or store in the fridge. If I rack again one of those carboys probably becomes a 23l carboy... for smaller batches I ferment in the 15l carboy and that usually gets split in an assortment of 5 liter and 4.5 liter carboys. If the mead fits annoyingly between any of these sizes, I age in bottles until the next racking.
The advantage of this method is that your batches will never get diluted with anything else once you get the hang of this.
If I didn't have this setup (which I inherited) I would probably top up with traditional mead which I'd make sure I always had on hand. Ideally you'd make a small batch of traditional and top up with that, but the simpler way may indeed be what your buddy suggested
I have carboys in 54, 25, 23, 15, 5 and 4.5 liter sizes so that if I rack a 54l batch it then usually fits in 2x25l carboys with some left over which I either drink or store in the fridge. If I rack again one of those carboys probably becomes a 23l carboy... for smaller batches I ferment in the 15l carboy and that usually gets split in an assortment of 5 liter and 4.5 liter carboys. If the mead fits annoyingly between any of these sizes, I age in bottles until the next racking.
The advantage of this method is that your batches will never get diluted with anything else once you get the hang of this.
If I didn't have this setup (which I inherited) I would probably top up with traditional mead which I'd make sure I always had on hand. Ideally you'd make a small batch of traditional and top up with that, but the simpler way may indeed be what your buddy suggested
I've topped off my meads in secondary with all kinds of stuff: a traditional mead, left over must, spring water, more of the same juice used in primary, muscadine wine, commercial meads.
What is your SG at?
In many cases the airlock activity in the secondary is a function of the mead releasing CO2 gas from solution. When you rack you also release this built up gas. So if your SG has stayed stable for a week or 2 before you racked it would be normal to see no activity after racking because your fermentation is truly done and the vast majority of the CO2 is released from solution.
In many cases the airlock activity in the secondary is a function of the mead releasing CO2 gas from solution. When you rack you also release this built up gas. So if your SG has stayed stable for a week or 2 before you racked it would be normal to see no activity after racking because your fermentation is truly done and the vast majority of the CO2 is released from solution.
Yes it is worth checking it. It is more to confirm that fermentation is complete. The number isn't important the stability of the number is.
I understand that you racked off of the lees which is mainly yeast. The question is was the bubbles you saw yesterday from an active fermentation or was it CO2 stuck in solution. A SG over a period of time would answer this question.
If your fermentation was still going then racking off the lees would stun, slow, or possibly stop your activity.
I would say take and record SG once a week for a few weeks and see where things are sitting. Relax you have done nothing wrong.
I understand that you racked off of the lees which is mainly yeast. The question is was the bubbles you saw yesterday from an active fermentation or was it CO2 stuck in solution. A SG over a period of time would answer this question.
If your fermentation was still going then racking off the lees would stun, slow, or possibly stop your activity.
I would say take and record SG once a week for a few weeks and see where things are sitting. Relax you have done nothing wrong.
Your ferment was possibly still active? If I knew this I would have probably said you should check FG/SG before deciding whether or not to rack. If the mead was still active after 10 days in primary I don't know why you transfered to secondary either. With your description of the steps taken I think most of us assumed airlock activity was finished. You should check sg pronto, hopefully it shouldn't be too high.
I suggest you read the newbee guide which was posted in this thread. Unfortunately the link from the gotmead site itself doesn't seem to be working http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php/22954
I suggest you read the newbee guide which was posted in this thread. Unfortunately the link from the gotmead site itself doesn't seem to be working http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php/22954
Completely agree with farm boy. Also think your first rack may have been early (it's easy to get excited), but your mead will turn out fine. Worst case it's a little on the sweet side, which I think you sort of wanted in the first place, right?
