maybe a total noob mistake

[Erin]

Hi!

so i have been researching this site for a while now and i started off with JAO (joes anchient orange) and i think i screwed up a lil bit.

ive made a 3 gallon batch (smallest carboy at the local fermenters supply) and triplicated all the ingrediants except the yeast. i only doubled that because i read on here full multiplier isnt nessesary in that department.

but where i think i went wrong is the honey. i dont think i did a very good job mixing it with the water. it seems that nearly all of it is at the bottom... thats bad, huh?

i mixed everything yesterday, and its bubbleing gently. should i attempt to stir the botom? add yeast? your thoughts?

thnks!! -Erin

 

[ZachR]

I would think that you want to get that honey mixed in asap. Just make sure you degas it so you don't make a mead geyser.

 

[Erin]

ok, so to get that honey up off the bottom would a power drill attachment be acceptable? ive seen on here people use it for other things.

degas. let it breath?

 

[akueck]

The honey will slowly dissolve, so you don't necessarily have to get it stirred in 100%. Personally I would still recommend giving it a stir.

"Degas" means get the gas out of solution. If you use a drill, start very slowly. The CO2 will come out of the liquid and you don't want it all to come out at once (think warm bottle of soda after you shake it up--BOOM). If you don't use a drill, start very slowly. Start very slowly.

 

[fatbloke]

you actually have 2 choices........

because while it's probably better to have the honey properly mixed into solution (so use a long handled plastic spoon and start gently until the whole batch is swirling and mixing the honey), or secondly you can leave it as the yeast will work it's way through it eventually.

Whether the second part is likely to increase the time it takes to ferment/finish...... I don't know.......

but as the original recipe says about mixing it all up and then leaving it well alone, I'd say do the stirring thing, very gently, and when it's all mixed up properly, do as "Joe" says and leave it alone until it's done.

regards

fatbloke

 

[afdoty]

Personally, at this stage, I wouldn't use a power drill...slowly stir the must with something long...lee stirrer, racking cane, long handle spoon. But do it gently. Keep the stirrer on the bottom of the carboy so you're mixing the honey into the must. Might be a good idea to siphon off a quart and add it back in after everything’s mixed. This might take a little time, so be patient.

Is this your first batch of mead?

 

[Oskaar]

Like Al said below, you don't need a lees stirrer for this as a long handled plastic brew spoon will work fine, so you don't need to purchase a stirrer if you don't have one.

If you already have one, just proceed very slowly and cautiously should you decide to use it.

Cheers,

Oskaar

 

[Erin]

well shoot...

i went ahead and gave it a little stir with the power drill and it had almost no effect... i added a little more yeast and put it back in the hole...

perhaps i shall start another batch and do it right this time. yes this is my first batch evar, so ill just be sad that i wasted the honey, who knows it might turn out drinkable.

 

[afdoty]

well shoot...

i went ahead and gave it a little stir with the power drill and it had almost no effect... i added a little more yeast and put it back in the hole...

perhaps i shall start another batch and do it right this time. yes this is my first batch evar, so ill just be sad that i wasted the honey, who knows it might turn out drinkable.

Were you able to get the honey mixed in?

Erin...Don't assume this wasted...not yet... How about posting exactly what you did... sometimes people tweak the recipes and some seemingly small change could affect the way it comes out. What exactly did you do with this?

BTW, anotherbatch is never a bad idea....just don't throw this one out.

 

[Dan McFeeley]

I think you're better off with a sanitized long handled plastic spoon/stirrer than a lees stirrer. Honey which has settled to the bottom of a carboy is thick viscous stuff. It takes a bit of effort to mix it back into the must. I've had this problem also, used the long handled spoon and it worked, it just took a little time to get it mixed up again.

 

[Medsen Fey]

Erin, don't fret. The yeast will eat the honey even off the bottom of the container. We like to mix in the honey as it gives us reliable measurements to reproduce recipes and allows the mixture to be homogeneous which may give a faster, easier fermentation. Nevertheless, if there is a big layer of honey at the bottom the yeast will continue to eat it up as it dissolves into the solution.

The technique for doing this intentionally has been nicknamed "Bottom Dwelling Continuous Diffusion Yeast Feeding." DaleP reports doing this as a matter of routine with his meads and has great success. I've tested in a very high gravity batch with excellent result.

My advice would be to swirl the container 2-3 times per day, and allow the yeast to do their thing. If you do a little stirring with a spoon or a stick it won't hurt anything, but even if you don't the yeast are going to ferment your mead. Have a little faith in them - they are hard-working little buggers.

Medsen