Newb Alert!

[Berg]

Yes, thanks much, indeed!

Hey, sorry for the slow response, I must've read that 15 times! Thick-skulled, can't help it! It's in mah blood!

So, I pitched....5 days ago. Already I'm losin' a bit of speed on the airlock. I know I prob-ly have a week to go or so, but is there somethin that makes you say to yerself..."now it's time to rack"?

I have to thank you all for bearing with me here. I know I'm asking alot of really basic questions and appreciate you all spending the time to help me out.

Always grateful!!

Berg

 

[Norskersword]

Every time you rack you loose a little mead, so don't be in a hurry to rack. I rack every six weeks and usually end up racking twice before bottling.

 

[JoeM]

Basically when the mead has dropped crystal clear is when I say to myself "its time to rack". This takes varying amounts of time depending on the exact recipe used, however, as a general guideline I would say I usually rack at 6-8 wks. I think a lot of people are in way too much of a rush to rack...there are really no benefits to this and all you are really accomplishing is losing mead, oxidizing, and potentially exposing your mead to harmful bacteria.

Something else to consider...as I cannot ferment my mead on the table where i like to rack, I wait until the mead is clear and then move the carboy (CARFULLY) to my racking area. I then let it sit there for 1-2 weeks to allow it to settle again as some of the sediment is invariably kicked up during the move. If you try to rack a mead right after moving the carboy you are ultimately going to transfer some sediment which can be frustrating.

 

[Oskaar]

Joe,

Those are good points. I'm able to ferment and rack in the same area so it cuts down on movement and waiting for re-settling. I made myself some nice four wheel dollys that will accomodate two 6.5 gallon carboys. I just used some MDF and attached four wheels that lock and it really makes things easier to move without agitating the yeast cake.

Also, another consideration is that there are certain yeasts like Lalvin 71B-1122 that are designed for quick racking and quick maturation, this is straight from Lalvin. So it pays to know the nuances of the yeast you use, and whether it is made for quick racking, or prolonged exposure to the lees.

Cheers,

Oskaar

 

[Berg]

Thanks for the responses.

Does it matter if I'm using a plastic fermenter? I've been searching for something I thought I read about oxygen seeping thru the plastic after a time, can't find it.

Should I be aiming to use a glass carboy as a primary fermenter in the future?

Also,wishin' I could see whats going on in this bucket in my house. ;D

Berg

 

[Norskersword]

Thanks for the responses.

Does it matter if I'm using a plastic fermenter? I've been searching for something I thought I read about oxygen seeping thru the plastic after a time, can't find it.

Should I be aiming to use a glass carboy as a primary fermenter in the future?

Also,wishin' I could see whats going on in this bucket in my house. ;D

Berg

Yes a glass fermenter or food grade plastic is definetely recommended. If you use plastic, be sure that it is food grade and only for primary. Traditional plastic is bad because supposedly bacteria likes to stick to it.

They have plastic fermenters at brew shops that are basically food grade buckets with spiggots. You can only do primary in these, however, since only during primary is headspace not an issue (oxidization).

 

[Deege]

What about these plastic carboys?

http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1041

They *claim* to be impervious to everything. I was thinking about them because they are super light and have racking outlets at the bottom. Anyone have any experience with these? Are they on the level?

Thanks,
Daniel Spiess

---
Mead v1.0 went into the fermenter last night 01-09-2005!!! ;D

 

[Norskersword]

What about these plastic carboys?

http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1041

They *claim* to be impervious to everything. I was thinking about them because they are super light and have racking outlets at the bottom. Anyone have any experience with these? Are they on the level?

Thanks,
Daniel Spiess

---
Mead v1.0 went into the fermenter last night 01-09-2005!!! ;D

It says it is food grade PET plastic so it is probably fine. I've heard of these but I've never used them.

 

[JamesP]

I've been searching for something I thought I read about oxygen seeping thru the plastic after a time, can't find it.

For fermentation, plastic is fine if food-grade provided your sanitation is good. The real issue is when you age in plastic.

I use PETE plastic for aging small batches (PETE is the clear plastic not the milky white or black stuff), and top up to the very top so that there is a minimum of head-space, and haven't had oxidation (that I can detect) after two years.

Note that the smaller the container, the more the head-space will impact on the mead, due to the ratio of head-space to volume of mead being greater.

One lady on the Mead Lover's Digest uses medical grade plastic liners as a replaceable liner for her fermenter - that way the fermenting vessel is just a pure container, and cleaning up afterwards is as easy as throwing the liner away

-=-=-=-=-=-

What about these plastic carboys?

http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1041

It doesn't look much different to a water dispenser container, which I use for my 5 gal batches.

Certainly safer to use than glass if you drop it, but glass is still better in terms of permeability.

It is really a price/convenience choice. I would use plastic, but most go with glass, especially for aging.

They *claim* to be impervious to everything.

Probably a good test would be a chilli mead. The oil-soluble capsaicin seems to penetrate most things :-\

If I used the carboy for something like that, I would soak the carboy in cleaner for a week before washing and using again. Or better still, keep one carboy specifically for "smelly" batches.

 

[Berg]

Hi all!

I'm not sure if things are going well or not. So here goes...

The recipe:

10 lbs. mystery honey
3 gallons of Poland spring water
2 teaspoons of Wyeast nutrient
5 g lalvin EC-1118

I pitched on 3 Jan. with a gravity of 1.106 and yesterday I racked with a gravity of 1.050 (need my primary free!!). Is this about the proper range for 3 weeks fermenting?

Since I racked the airlock hasn't been bubbling at all. I have about a cm of space between the must and airlock. It seems to me it wouldn't take very long to get that space filled with co2 and that airlock a-workin' again. Should I give it more time or is something wrong? If I should let it go for a bit, how long 'til I should start flippin' out?

The must is looking kinda greenish and tastes like super-acidic apple cider.....kinda nasty.

Any input is welcomed and greatly appreciated!

Berg

 

[Talon]

You're on the right track... now is a point in time where the yeast are beginning to slow down their production of alcohol so your bubbling won't necessarilly be as fast as your primary fermentation.

Sit back and relax as you watch your mead begin to get better as time goes by.