Primary and maybe secondary fermentation vessels

[potato888]

I was thinking about using these "Anchor Hocking 2 Gal Heritage Hill glass jars" as primary and maybe secondary fermenters instead of using the 1 gal glass jug that I have been using.

To sum it up, I made 2 batches (one cranberry, one rasberry) using the gallon jug. On the primary I put in about 1 1/2 pounds of crushed fruits and the same quantity again on secondary racking. Trouble is I am loosing mead at each racking due to the fruits so that's why I started looking into something bigger to start with and with big opening so that I can manage the fruits easier and end up with 1 gallon of mead at the end.

I could use buckets but I was wondering if these glass jars would do the job. The lid is glass but obviously it is not air tight. I read somewhere that as long as Co2 is produced it is OK and you won't have problems with contamination and oxydation...
What do you guys think? How long can I leave the must in these jar? Would you say it would be ok to within 2/3 of fermentation is done?

 

[Midnight Sun]

Something like that would work just fine in place of a bucket. I've left my meads in buckets through 1/2 and 2/3 break and they turn out fine. You'll probably want to move to a jug with an airlock not much later than 2/3 though. Safety factor you know.

 

[fatbloke]

Well, yes and no.

There's no way of actually airlocking those jars, and you'd have to rely on any kind of seal round the edge of the lid.

So presuming that there some sort of rubber/silicone/plastic seal, then they should work inasfaras, all the time there's fermentation going on, there should be some positive pressure inside to keep spoilage organisms out.

The usual 2 gallon HDPE buckets have nice lids that "usually" seal fine and can be punched through to take an airlock grommet, so making a 1 gallon batch (total liquid quantity) and then having space for fruit isn't an issue.

You can even just do the ferment with the initial amount of fruit, finish the ferment and then add more fruit for flavour etc. There will be enough dissolved CO2 in the batch to blanket the finished ferment once the second amount of fruit has been added - just don't stir the bejesus out of it first or open the bucket in a howling gale.

The fruit can be rinsed in sulphite solution, either just before addition if you're using whole, untreated (in any way, other than picking it over and rinsing) fruit, or if you like to freeze/thaw the fruit, just before putting it in the freezer, rinse it in sulphite solution, then freeze. So that when you thaw it out to add it, you can do just that without much worry of adding spoilage organisms.

Fermentation buckets do make for better primary fermenters, purely because there's a greater surface area atop the liquid/fruit/whatever which makes them less prone to foaming/eruption incidence, and if you agitate in the early stages of the ferment, any release of dissolved CO2 is also less likely to create the above issue.

Glass is nice, don't get me wrong, you can have it standing around in the open and it's very pretty to see, but it does have downsides for primary. Whereas, once you have completed additions except for the tiniest quantities, like finings, or stabilising chems, or maybe tannins/acids for taste, you can see what's going on, how well they're dropping sediments etc.

Plus, if you are doing techniques like vacuum racking etc, then plastics are pretty much out of the question, as they just suck in and crush under even quite small levels of vacuum.

Of course, there are so called "wide mouthed" carboy types available - example picture - but whether you can get them where you are, or get them shipped might be more of the question (I can get the "relatively" closely at Brouwland but unless you're over this side of the pond, you might have to hunt for them).

So I'd say, it's likely better/best to stick with plastic for primary/early secondary procedures, then glass to clear etc.......

just my tuppence worth.....

 

[potato888]

Thank you for you guys insight. It made me reconsider and contemplate using ferment buckets instead. After all they exist for a reason. I am still fairly new in mead making and as any noobs, there are usually lots of questions at the beginning but most of them will sort themselves out as you go along. What seems so important at the beginning may seem trivial now.

 

[Midnight Sun]

For me, buckets are really easy. I can toss them in a corner, no big deal if they fall and hit the floor. Empty of course. Easy to clean, cheap to replace.

 

[joemirando]

Thank you for you guys insight. It made me reconsider and contemplate using ferment buckets instead. After all they exist for a reason. I am still fairly new in mead making and as any noobs, there are usually lots of questions at the beginning but most of them will sort themselves out as you go along. What seems so important at the beginning may seem trivial now.

And usually more important... what seems so trivial at the beginning...

One of the things my grandmother drummed into me: Never know enough to stop learning.


Joe

 

[potato888]

And usually more important... what seems so trivial at the beginning...

One of the things my grandmother drummed into me: Never know enough to stop learning.


Joe

True also and very wise of you. Learn from the mistakes and experience.

 

[Chevette Girl]

One of the things my grandmother drummed into me: Never know enough to stop learning.

Was that Rose? Very wise

 

[joemirando]

Was that Rose? Very wise

Yep. That was her.


Joe