first try

[loki610]

I just started my first ever batch of mead, I've never made wine or beer before so this is all new to me. I've had my 5 gallon batch in the primary fermenter for 24 hours now and it seems to have stopped bubbling. Is this normal?

my starting SG is at 1.130
used 20 lbs honey
Filled to 5 gallons with water
1 1/2 tbs cloves
5 sticks cinnamon
4 pinches nutmeg
4 pinches ginger
6 bags earl grey tea
1 heaping tsp yeast nutrient
1 packet yeast (LALVIN EC-1118)

 

[WRATHWILDE]

How did you prepare the batch? Did you boil the must? Did you Rehydrate the yeast according to directions? Are you stirring the heck out of the must to keep it well aerated the 1st 3 days? You have a high sugar must there but EC-1118 should be able to tolerate it. Chances are the yeasts are running low on oxygen. Stir the heck out of it 3 times a day with a sterile spoon or lee's stirrer if you have one, for the 1st 3 days, after 3 days.... Do not Aerate. Hope that helps.

Wrathwilde

 

[JoeM]

I know i've said this many times on this forum but....seems like a lot of cloves.

 

[Brewbear]

It sounds like the yeasties are running out of oxygen and nutrients. Stir the dickens out of it and add 2 teaspoons of DAP. On the third day drop 2 teaspoond of Fermaid-K and stir, stir, stir!!!! Cover it up, put an airlock and wait :-\
Dry cherries or raisins will do as nutrients also. About 1+ pounds will be good.

Ted
BTW- welcome to the forums ;D

 

[lostnbronx]

Loki,

First off, welcome to the Forums!

Just out of curiosity, what kind of water did you use? It wasn't distilled, by any chance? If so, a pinch of Epsom Salts might do the trick (there are micro-amounts of minerals in well and tap water that is lacking in distilled water, and the yeast require these to do their job).

-David

 

[loki610]

I pasturized the must. And I started aerating it about 20 hours after starting when i realized i had to do so. Yeast was rehydrated as per directions on package
The water i used was artesian well water from springpoint alberta

 

[loki610]

I was just given a few cases of wine bottles by my landlord, and when i was going through them I found two bottles of 1978 rhubarb mead... lots of sediment but hopefully it'll still be good.

 

[intothefray]

I was just given a few cases of wine bottles by my landlord, and when i was going through them I found two bottles of 1978 rhubarb mead... lots of sediment but hopefully it'll still be good.

Auction them off..

Something that I read and ignored was how pungent cloves are in a mead. I added way too much myself because any other time you use them you have to. Something to keep in mind for the next batch..

I don't know if they hurt my mead or not because my mead currently tastes inbetween carpet and motor oil. (Lets not worry about that taste for awhile as it didn't taste like that when I bottled it a month or so ago).

Not sure if anyone asked, but what honey did you use?

I've had my 5 gallon batch in the primary fermenter for 24 hours now and it seems to have stopped bubbling. Is this normal?

24 hours with that starting gravity is not going to be finished. You may want to add some more yeast nutrient and aerate some more. Well you heated the must, what temp was it when you added the yeast?

 

[loki610]

yeah i was kinda wondering about the amount of cloves, so i removed all but 3. The honey I used came from the local hutterite colony its pure clover honey, unpasteurized, and somewhat crystallized, came in a 5 gallon bucket

 

[loki610]

temp was 40 degrees Celcius when i added the yeast.
After aerating yesterday its now bubbling very gently and fizzes when stirred. Is that how its supposed to be?
and how do i know when to go from the primary bucket into the carboy with airlock?

 

[WRATHWILDE]

Here's some info for you with a picture of a racking so you can get a general idea what it looks like.

http://www.meadmadecomplicated.org/mead_making/procedure/fermentation.html

Wrathwilde

 

[loki610]

thanks