Should I end it?

[youngmeadman]

So today I tested my still fermenting mead(used the turkey baster to withdraw some.)It tasted like alcohole, not much honey flavour at all, not like it was last time i racked it(the taste now reminds me of church wine, which is weird considering it's a red). Anyways, the little bit i had in the glass was clear, like water(in the carboy there is a nice golden tinge, but clear,you can read small print through it). So my question is should I stuff it in the fridge to stop the fermantation? To give you an idea, here are my notes along with the recipe....


Ingredients
2kg of honey
Rind of one lemon
100ml of strong brewed green tea
2+ liters of well water
1 package of Redstar flor sherry wine

Method
Heat well water until it hits a boil. Add in the 2kg of honey, keeping heat low, (below 76°C). Add in tea, and skim any white foam that occurs. Continue, until amount of white foam has decreased significantly. Remove from heat, add in lemon rind, and cover with tea towel and let sit over night to cool. Next day, filter or siphon in to 1 gallon carboy. Add the rest of the well water as well as pitched yeast (the must should be at the neck of the carboy). Attach airlock and let ferment.

09/08/06
Mead was added to carboy, airlock attacked and left to ferment.

09/22/06
Mead settled leaving a lot of sediment behind. Racked mead to another carboy, topped with well water.

12/16/06
Even more sediment this time, still pretty cloudy; racked mead to another carboy, topped with well water.

12/22/06
Starting to clear quite nicely, still fermenting, slower then before, hope to bottle soon, if I’m lucky it’ll be ready to bottle within a month.


so what should i do? throw it in the fridge? I'm thinking it's the best thing to do?

Advice would be aprecciated
YoungMeadman

 

[Rhianni]

Hello youngmeadman.

How many bubbles per minute are popping out. Whats your SG at right now?

Where are you getting the well water from? You heated the initial water and honey but each time you rack you are adding in new water. This adds in a chance that some microbe is being added and will dilute the alcohol and sweetness each time.

If my American math is correct then you used ~4 lbs of honey to ~1 gallon of water (rough estimate). You are gonna have a strong alcohol burn if it is indeed still fermenting as the honey is being converted to alcohol. I wouldnt be too concerened about the flavor it will mellow with age.

 

[youngmeadman]

The air lock bubbles about once ever 9min. The well water is from my grandparents farm. They sell there water to surronding water, and they have abviously had it tested. It has to be the best water I have ever had. Each time i racked the mead I added the well water, it wasn't boiled or anything. So what do you think, should i shove it in the fridge, bottle it and let it age before trying it agian? I have some other recipes awaiting the free carboy......so many recipes so little time and carboys.


Thanks for the advice
YoungMeadman