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my mead turned stinky

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i should have thought about a plastic jug. my thinking was that it fermented fast, which created fusels, which i have read don't go away. I only have two one gallon jugs with airlock, and one 6 gallon carboy. i really didn't want to take up the space for something that most likely will never get better. but i definately should have but it in a milk jug or something. i will remember that.
 
hiram_abiff said:
i should have thought about a plastic jug. my thinking was that it fermented fast, which created fusels, which i have read don't go away...... but i definately should have but it in a milk jug or something. i will remember that.
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Fusels fade with time and sulfur odors may be treated. The only thing that you can be sure won't be fixed are vinegar odors and some spoilage organisms like Brett.

A milk jug doesn't work well for storage. PET plastic soda bottles are a better choice.
 
What kind of odour does a Brett infection give? I've heard barnyard and sour and band-aid...

And yeah, use pop bottles or go for a juice or water jug over a milk jug, it's hard to get all the milk smell out of the plastic.
 
But barnyard and band-aid have nothing in common (to my nose, anyway), or are they separate products depending on what it was the Brettanomyces was eating?
 
Chevette Girl said:
But barnyard and band-aid have nothing in common (to my nose, anyway),
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But they can both come from 4-ethyl-phenol, one of the major products of brett depending on whose nose is sniffing, and the level of the compound. Brett produces a number of other things including 4-ethyl-guiacol, isovaleric acid and more which can create everything from aromas of clove to "stinky feet."
 
ok, now i am starting to think it is the honey. my new batch has stayed at around 65 degrees the whole time. the og was 1.130 and it is presently at 1.090, so about halfway through. i just tested the sg and ph and i decided to taste the sample i used and it already seems to have the same taste. i am just curious whether it is possible that the honey would cause such a terrible taste. i don't know what kind of honey it is, only that it is local, unprocessed, granular, and very light. it takes close to half of a gallon to reach an og of 1.120-1.130. maybe i should have started a new thread, but i think that it is still part of the original problem. thanks for patience and time. i know i won't dump this one so early.
 
Some honey can have some odd flavors (Eucalyptus, Basswood, and others) so not every honey makes a good traditional mead, though I still think there is a recipe for almost every honey that can make a good one.

If you've already started another batch, follow through on it and then give it a year or two to age to see what it is like.

In the meantime, you might want to do something to build confidence with a mild, light honey that will work well (Some Orange Blossom or Clover or Tupelo or something along those lines depending on where you are located). Perhaps even using it in a recipe like JAO would be a good place to start.
 
yeah, I was thinking about picking up some clover honey and trying a traditional mead with that. I already have a batch of jao started and about a month along. the fruit looks.... questionable. the raisins and oranges have some fuzz on them that i am not sure is supposed to be there. I hope it turns out, though. I am getting a little discouraged. maybe a different honey will help.
 
If it's sort of scummy-looking ick on the fruit you're probably fine, although if it looks and smells like mould, you might want to scoop it out... is it fruit that's floating at the surface or is it the stuff under the water level?
 
it is all below liquid. maybe a square centimeter exposed at the top. the fuzz is white. i tried to smell it but could only smell the rubber stopper. and yes... i did take the stopper off first;D
 
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