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is my batch ok?

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Shm0

Shm0

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 12, 2010
19
0
0
hey i'm new!
i've started mead making by reading from this site and with improvise tools,
and my first batch turn out surprisingly good.

now i'm in my second try and second batch.(with the same tools)

i start the second batch 2 weeks ago and
the first thing about it,i didn't see foaming like in my first batch
tho the yeast been activated(with foam) before i added them

now 2 weeks later the only information i have is
-alcoholic smell like wine or perfume
-and drops of liquid on the top of the lid
-and the batch is not that clear(tho the first batch was but maybe because it was smaller batch)

so is it looks ok?
should i move on with the process of live the fermentation?
 
Welcome to "Gotmead," Shm0!

As far as your current batch is concerned, it is difficult for us to tell anything about it without a detailed description of the recipe (ingredients and amounts), some knowledge of the process (did you add yeast nutrient, for example), and what the initial and current specific gravity readings are. Do you have a hydrometer? If not, can you get one?
 
Hi Shm0,

Welcome to GotMead?

If you will post your recipe and procedures as well as any additives, someone will be able to advise you.

Wayne B. beat me to the punch.
 
thank you all for your quick response

the batch is about 3 liters and 850 grams of honey
and bred yeast

i heated the water
added the honey
cool everything
took little sugar water and 1tsp of yeast in glass and waited for foaming
added the foaming yeast to the must
stir it all up
and closed with airlock
and put in the closet
it in place close to 80 F

i still need to buy hydrometer..dont have on right now :\
 
Well, without a hydrometre it's really hard to say what's going on, some meads don't foam at all (unless you stir/shake them), some foam lots. Maybe takke a small taste and see if it tastes alcoholic at all.

At 2 weeks don't worry about clear, it won't seem clear-er until fermentation is done (yours could easily still be going) and won't really be clear for many months.
 
One thing that will help with this kind of recipe is to shake the the carboy like crazy for about 5 min. before you pitch the yeast.
 
i kindda did "shake" it...i pour the batch between tow pots...

when i did my first batch of 1.5liter after 2 and a half weeks it was very clear

how do i know when the batch is not good for drink at all?
 
Ha ha!

If you can't stand to drink it, it's not worth drinking. ;D

But don't throw it out!

Wait.

And wait... and wait... about a year to 18 months and taste again.

It is said that time heals all meads...no wait...that's heals all wounds, but still work on most meads.
 
It'll taste or smell horrible. Don't worry, it won't poison you or anything, it'll just be terrible! It's highly unlikely that yours has a serious problem though.

I know after a few weeks it can look very clear compared to how it starts, but there's still a lot of stuff in suspension that will fall out to make it even clearer and taste better over the next year or so. Mead takes quite a while to mature, but when it does it undergoes some pretty amazing changes.
 
Welcome aboard, Shm0!

As the folks already said, cloudy doesn't mean bad, it just means not finished yet. I think as you brew more and more, you'll find that clearing up as fast as your first batch did is the exception rather than the rule.

If it's actually gone bad to the point where you shouldn't drink it, you should be able to tell this, there will either be things growing visibly on/in it, or there will be a smell or taste that trigger a "warning!" response.

The drops of liquid on the lid are most likely condensation from evaporated water, I wouldn't worry about that.

Happy meadmaking!
 
i must say you're all very welcoming and helpful here,thank you.

ok so i tasted the mead and it taste like a cheap wine from the store in the alcoholic side of things..it's not sweet as i like...(and no bubbling in sight)

so what do u say should i rack right now and live it in secondary for a few more weeks?

and do u have advise on how to sweetening it up a bit?



BTW i don't planing on waiting months...i'm aiming for the simple and rather quick mead...
 
If you want to make a mead that will be drinkable quickly, try clicking on the NewBee Guide on the Site Menu at the side of the page. In it, you'll find some helpful tips as well as a recipe for Joe's Ancient Orange mead, which is very drinkable, and pretty foolproof. Give it a shot after you figure out what you want to do with your current batch (assuming you only have one fermenter).

Good luck!
 
Oh, and as far as how to sweeten your existing batch up a bit, we've had lots of threads covering that subject over the past couple of years. Try doing a Search (the link is up in the button bar near the top of this page) on the term 'backsweetening' (without the quote marks) and you should find lots of information on that subject. Let us know if you still have questions after reading some of those threads.
 
Shm0 said:
thank you all for your quick response

the batch is about 3 liters and 850 grams of honey
and bred yeast

i heated the water
added the honey
cool everything
took little sugar water and 1tsp of yeast in glass and waited for foaming
added the foaming yeast to the must
stir it all up
and closed with airlock
and put in the closet
it in place close to 80 F

i still need to buy hydrometer..dont have on right now :\
Click to expand...
Hum? Well even using bread yeast, that's not gonna be very sweet - if it finishes fermenting, as that list doesn't show anything to act as nutrient for the honey.

Plus, for basic traditional meads (honey, water, yeast, nutrients) I use between 1.3 and 1.6kg (3 to 3.5 lb) of honey per imperial gallon (4.55 litres).

Yes, bread yeast will die off earlier than wine yeast will as it has a lower tolerance for the alcohol as it builds up.

I'd suspect that you might have one that takes a while to finish fermenting properly but would still end up on the dry side.

If you get yourself a hydrometer (and a testing jar) to get a gravity reading, then you'll know how it's getting on and whether it's finished or not.....

I don't know what the bread yeast might be like as it's probably an unknown quality as to whether it might give "off flavours" or not, so it's probably best to rack the mead off the sediment.

As for wanting "quick" ? well most meads are a bit of a PITA in that they're best once they've been aged - meads made quickly are often horrible tasting, though there are a few "quicker" recipes designed to be drinkable sooner.

I notice that someone has already directed you toward the newbie guide, and the JAO recipe (which can be quite drinkable/nice once it's clear - but it also improves a lot when aged).

If you search the forums for "Joes quick pyment", you'll find a recipe that's designed for speed (still takes about 5 weeks or so from memory). if you can get suitable ingredients, then that should work fine for what you're trying.

Welcome to the forums though, if you can be patient about your mead making, then there's some really good stuff that can be made......

regards

fatbloke

p.s. Oh and you can always take a tip from the JAO recipe and add a handful of raisins, they'd help with nutrient as well as helping with "body"...
 
ok so i racked a couple days ago,lot's of lees in the bottom
the taste is very dry

i thought on get some fresh fruit inside like pineapple or something
to add a little flavor
and maybe even live it to age a bit

i hope to get today an hydrometer and see what's going on in there.
 
finely got the hydrometer!!!
the first reading is 0.997
temp 28C
now i want to add cinnamon and fresh pineapple
hope it will add nice flavor
 
Well, those aren't two flavours I personally would combine, but don't let me dissuade you from doing it! If you like it, then it's good. :)
 
as i always say if 2 thing taste good by themselves they'll taste good together.

BTW should i through in the frozen pineapple or is it better to warm it up before?
 
Shm0 said:
as i always say if 2 thing taste good by themselves they'll taste good together.

BTW should i through in the frozen pineapple or is it better to warm it up before?
Click to expand...

Ha... go for it then! Not a philosophy I subscribe to personally, but whatever works for you works for you!

I'd just toss it in frozen myself.
 
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