Frst time making mead. Followed Jon Talkington's recipe for JAOSM (modernized) as written in the newbee guide for a 5-gal batch. ALL equipment and ingredients are newly purchased for this batch.
INGREDIENTS:
18 pounds Napa Valley Wildflower Honey.
Four large naval oranges zested and juiced.
12oz of dark raisins with no sulfides.
4 medium sized Vietnamese cinnamon sticks.
10 whole cloves.
1 tsp ground nutmeg.
1 smack pack of Wyeast 4184 for cider and sweet mead (mfg Feb 2020). Kept in fridge for ten days from delivery to mead day.
MEAD DAY 5/14/20.
Sanitized everything with StarSan
Smacked the yeast pack to start activation and let sit for 3 hours 15 minutes before pitching. It swelled but was not "tight"
Placed honey containers in pots of warm water to thin the viscosity.
Added 2 gallons of spring water (Alhambra delivery type) to the 7 gallon plastic Fermonster carboy.
Added 12 pounds of honey and oxygenated with aerator from MoreWineMaking.com and an electric drill until most honey was dissolved (some 1" chunks still on bottom) and about an inch of foam formed on top.
Added another 6 pounds of honey and another galong of water.
Aerated thoroughly for over five minutes until all honey was disolved.
Added orange zest and juice, cinnamon, raisens, nutmeg, and cloves.
Aerated aggressively another 5 minutes until 1.5 inches of foam on top.
Measured O.G. at 1.120 at 70 degrees F.
2:51 PM - Added yeast packet (internal nutrient packet was broken open as it should have been)
Stirred with a metal spoon.
Placed in a cool dark spot wrapped in a dark colored towel.
Filled 3-piece airlock with water/StarSan to fill mark (a little did get inside when I moved teh carboy a little) Topped off air lock with water to fill line.
Temp stayed at 70-73 degrees F.
No bubbling or any other noticeable activity the rest of the day.
No change at the 24 hour mark other than foam was almost all gone and oxygen bubbles were no longer seen in teh mead.
5/15/20 at 4:43 PM added 1/2 tsp Fermaid-O and stirred must with sanitized metal spoon.
replaced airlock with water to fill line.
5/16/20 at 10:00 AM still no noticeable activity.
I plan to add another 1/2 tsp of Fermaid-O at the 48 hour, 72 hour, and 1/3 sugar points.
Should I be worried that it has not started fermenting yet?
Continue to be patient or take action of some kind?
INGREDIENTS:
18 pounds Napa Valley Wildflower Honey.
Four large naval oranges zested and juiced.
12oz of dark raisins with no sulfides.
4 medium sized Vietnamese cinnamon sticks.
10 whole cloves.
1 tsp ground nutmeg.
1 smack pack of Wyeast 4184 for cider and sweet mead (mfg Feb 2020). Kept in fridge for ten days from delivery to mead day.
MEAD DAY 5/14/20.
Sanitized everything with StarSan
Smacked the yeast pack to start activation and let sit for 3 hours 15 minutes before pitching. It swelled but was not "tight"
Placed honey containers in pots of warm water to thin the viscosity.
Added 2 gallons of spring water (Alhambra delivery type) to the 7 gallon plastic Fermonster carboy.
Added 12 pounds of honey and oxygenated with aerator from MoreWineMaking.com and an electric drill until most honey was dissolved (some 1" chunks still on bottom) and about an inch of foam formed on top.
Added another 6 pounds of honey and another galong of water.
Aerated thoroughly for over five minutes until all honey was disolved.
Added orange zest and juice, cinnamon, raisens, nutmeg, and cloves.
Aerated aggressively another 5 minutes until 1.5 inches of foam on top.
Measured O.G. at 1.120 at 70 degrees F.
2:51 PM - Added yeast packet (internal nutrient packet was broken open as it should have been)
Stirred with a metal spoon.
Placed in a cool dark spot wrapped in a dark colored towel.
Filled 3-piece airlock with water/StarSan to fill mark (a little did get inside when I moved teh carboy a little) Topped off air lock with water to fill line.
Temp stayed at 70-73 degrees F.
No bubbling or any other noticeable activity the rest of the day.
No change at the 24 hour mark other than foam was almost all gone and oxygen bubbles were no longer seen in teh mead.
5/15/20 at 4:43 PM added 1/2 tsp Fermaid-O and stirred must with sanitized metal spoon.
replaced airlock with water to fill line.
5/16/20 at 10:00 AM still no noticeable activity.
I plan to add another 1/2 tsp of Fermaid-O at the 48 hour, 72 hour, and 1/3 sugar points.
Should I be worried that it has not started fermenting yet?
Continue to be patient or take action of some kind?
