Hi all. I started a plum mead Monday night and it has been smelly- and not in the good way. Tuesday, when I came home from work the mead smelled like vomit or bile. I aerated and the smell faded, but was still there. At that point, it had only been fermenting for about 15-16 hours. Thinking that it may have been fermenting too hot, I took a temp reading, but the temp was 71.5 deg F (21.9 deg C). This morning when I checked on it, it stank like rotten eggs. I know that that is usually a sulphur smell, but this was way stinker and more pungent than the sulphur smell that I have experienced with Lager yeasts. This is the first time that I have ever experienced a really bad smell when making mead. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Full recipe and procedure:
Yeast starter:
Boiled half cup of filtered water and covered. When at 110F (43.3C) added 12 grams GoFerm, covered for 15 min. When at 104 deg F (40 C) added 10 grams K1v-1116, covered 15 min, then stirred and covered another 15 min. then added half a cup of must at 1.04 SG. In two hours added another half cup of same must. In 6 hours added another half cup of same must.
3.5 pounds Orange Blossom honey
Filtered water to 1.09 SG (water was oxygenated with 0.5 micron airstone via air pump with HEPA filter)
1 pound red plums
1 pound black plums
Plums were washed, pitted, sliced and them frozen the day before. On brew day I thawed the plums and pureed thin in the blender, then added to the must. Then pitched yeast. At first sign of fermentation I added 1.5 grams each of Fermaid K and DAP. Aerated/ degassed every morning. Fermentation has been very vigorous.
Am I freaking out here prematurely or is this batch in trouble.
Full recipe and procedure:
Yeast starter:
Boiled half cup of filtered water and covered. When at 110F (43.3C) added 12 grams GoFerm, covered for 15 min. When at 104 deg F (40 C) added 10 grams K1v-1116, covered 15 min, then stirred and covered another 15 min. then added half a cup of must at 1.04 SG. In two hours added another half cup of same must. In 6 hours added another half cup of same must.
3.5 pounds Orange Blossom honey
Filtered water to 1.09 SG (water was oxygenated with 0.5 micron airstone via air pump with HEPA filter)
1 pound red plums
1 pound black plums
Plums were washed, pitted, sliced and them frozen the day before. On brew day I thawed the plums and pureed thin in the blender, then added to the must. Then pitched yeast. At first sign of fermentation I added 1.5 grams each of Fermaid K and DAP. Aerated/ degassed every morning. Fermentation has been very vigorous.
Am I freaking out here prematurely or is this batch in trouble.
