I added honey to one of my meads yesterday, not quite liking the taste. I added to fill almost all the way, and shook vigorously, but the honey just settled at the bottom. Shook again, same result. So I'm wondering, should I rack, and will this help mix the honey into the must more?
Of adding honey
- Thread starter mouko_yamamoto
- Start date
-
Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
-
We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
When adding honey to a finished batch of mead for the purpose of back sweetening it is important to dissolve it in some water before adding it to avoid just such a problem. How can you solve the problem now? I would try stirring it gently with the handle of a long wooden spoon or something, try not to agitate it too much though as you want to avoid oxidation.
I've also done this -- used a long handled plastic carboy spoon to stir honey into a mead. You have to be patient and keep stirring, since the honey is thick and viscous. It'll dissolve, just keep at it and it'll go.
The honey will eventually mix. If you did it cold, then it will take longer, but it will. I'd give it a twist and shake every couple days. I don't like to rack or stick utensils into it unnecessarily. It just provides more exposure to potential problem surfaces and oxidation.
If this is a one-gallon batch, you might want to top it off with some CO2 to drive off the oxygen in the headspace, then cap it and shake it like a maniac. I've found this to be more effective than stirring in cases of stubborn honey, and you might too. If it's larger than a gallon though, then careful and patient stirring is your only option.
-David
-David
Sorry to dredge this topic up. The honey once again settled at the bottom, (didn't stir, just shook) but I said, "Oh, whatever." So I had a little less than 1/4 inch sitting on the bottom. Thought I still had honey sitting on the bottom, but racked today. After racking, I noticed on the sides of the jug there was still about 1/4 inch, little less than before. But in the middle, it was almost completely gone. I suppose the yeasties have been munching away on it, because merely inserting the siphoning hose resulted in a LOT of carbonation.
If there's that much gas released from inserting a hose, you can definately stir a bunch without risking oxygenation.
Really? I didn't know that, but it makes sense. If I have that problem again, I'll keep that in mind. Right now all four of my meads are clearing. SO excruciatingly painful. No airlock to watch, times to take, etc. Just sitting and waiting...
As long as you're releaseing CO2 you're fine to stir. Use a lees stirrer available at many Home Brew Shops. It will dissolve the honey faster and more completely than a spoon. Just don't go crazy on the speed. If you have a CO2 tank, lay a blanket of CO2 on top of the mead once you're done mixing with the lees stirrer.
Also, someone below mentioned about using a wooden spoon. I totally disagree with that and I avoid using wooden spoons to mix anything in my secondary or that has come out of fermentation. Wood holds lots of little beasties that you can't sanitize out, so I don't use them except in brewing, or in mixing the must, but very seldom in either.
Cheers,
Oskaar
Also, someone below mentioned about using a wooden spoon. I totally disagree with that and I avoid using wooden spoons to mix anything in my secondary or that has come out of fermentation. Wood holds lots of little beasties that you can't sanitize out, so I don't use them except in brewing, or in mixing the must, but very seldom in either.
Cheers,
Oskaar
One more question... At least for now. *heheh* I mentioned in another thread about Campden that hadn't dissolved. Much of it collected at the top, so I would shake the top back and forth until they started dropping. They'd come back, but after repeasted shakings, their number is much smaller now. The mead did release CO2, so was this was ok as well? I don't figure there was actually any O2 to be driven into the mead anyway, as the airlock had been on for a while, and the mead had been releasing CO2 for a while.
Get a couple of ultra-fine grain bags one larger than the other. Put the smallest one loosley around the end of your racking cane. Then take the larger one and put it over the smaller one, again, loosley. Rack your mead.
Notice the above presumes you can get those into your carboy and you can start a syphon. I use the auto-syphon, and I have no problem. This way you get two grain bags to help grab the campden particles and other large stuff in suspension.
I've used it when I have a lot of floaties when racking after degassing, or after making Turkish Coffee Mead.
Cheers,
Oskaar
Notice the above presumes you can get those into your carboy and you can start a syphon. I use the auto-syphon, and I have no problem. This way you get two grain bags to help grab the campden particles and other large stuff in suspension.
I've used it when I have a lot of floaties when racking after degassing, or after making Turkish Coffee Mead.
Cheers,
Oskaar
Miriam suggested using stockings, and I suppose the grain bags will work just as well. Luckily I have found a LHBS (finally) so I can get some! It's the darndest thing, they were in the yellow pages, but we called and found they had moved, but didn't know where. So I was looking through the classifieds on the gotmead site, and the only one in there is from that store, at their new location! Strange. Prices are a bit higher than Northern Brewer, bug I figure I'll save on shipping, so...
Jeesh, I have longwided posts. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has helped me (quite a few), and thanks to Vicki for having a classifieds section!
Jeesh, I have longwided posts. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has helped me (quite a few), and thanks to Vicki for having a classifieds section!
