I've brewed beer off and on for 15+ years and made a few batches of mead along the way. On Thanksgiving I started a batch with the following:
The night before: I made a yeast starter by dissolving about 2 Tbs. of honey into 16 oz boiled & cooled water, in a sanitized 1 qt. mason jar (shook well before adding yeast to aerate this mix). The yeast was a bit past its date, but had been stored in the freezer. Before pitching the yeast into the starter, I let it slowly warm to room temp and sanitized the outside of the packets. After adding yeast, I let it rest for about 20 min, then shook gently to dissolve/distribute yeast and loosened the lid to let pressure escape. I've done this before, for beer, with good results. This seemed to take off quickly, with evidence of fermenting (small bubbles and foam on top). By the next day there was a layer of white yeast on the bottom of the jar and the foam had subsided.
Mead day: Warmed honey in sink with hot water. Sanitized a 3 gal carboy and triple rinsed with boiled water. Poured one gallon of store-bought water into carboy. Poured honey through a sanitized/rinsed funnel into carboy, capped with a sanitized/rinsed stopper and shook well to mix. Rinsed honey jar with second gallon of water and added to carboy. Capped as above and shook well. Pitched yeast started. Added 1 tsp yeast nutrient and mixed. Fitted a wide blow-off tube onto carboy, with open end in a plastic container with water. Set in kitchen and wrapped in a towel. Kitchen temp was about 65-68F. OG was 1.042.
Next day: Evidence of fermentation (big bubbles coming from large blow-off tube). In the evening I added another tsp of yeast nutrient and mixed.
Day three: Fewer bubbles. Swapped blow off tube for standard air lock (sanitized and rinsed) and moved carboy to basement.
Day four (yesterday): not a lot of bubbles from airlock but mead looks distinctly white (!). Smells ok, but I'm worried about bacterial infection.
Today: Still looks white. I've attached a picture; the flash makes it look a bit whiter than just ambient light. There is a layer of yeast in the bottom (maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch). Still smells ok (a bit yeasty). Broke the hydrometer, so I haven't measured SG. I moved the carboy back up to the kitchen and set it next to the radiant heater. Tomorrow I'm going to get a new hydrometer and maybe some oak chips.
Question #1: What about the white? Looks like a bacterial infection from my days in a lab. But... everything smells ok; or at least, not bad. I plan to sample and check the gravity tomorrow (after I get a new hydrometer... and maybe a thermometer and a few other toys).
Question #2: I'm heading out of town late this week, so I was planning on racking to the secondary, and adding oak before I go. Probably Wednesday night, or maybe Thursday night. Too soon? Otherwise it will have to stay in the primary until after Christmas. I'm used to thinking in a beer time scale.
Question #3: Suggestions on oak? I'd like to add a nice touch... more than a hint, but less than a slap.
Sorry if this has already been addressed. I tried searching the forum for "white" and "mead" and "bacteria" but didn't come up with much.
TIA!

3 lbs local wildflower honey
2 pkg. Red Star Premier Blanc yeast
2 tsp. LD Carlson Yeast Nutrient
2 gal. distilled water (Kroger)
The night before: I made a yeast starter by dissolving about 2 Tbs. of honey into 16 oz boiled & cooled water, in a sanitized 1 qt. mason jar (shook well before adding yeast to aerate this mix). The yeast was a bit past its date, but had been stored in the freezer. Before pitching the yeast into the starter, I let it slowly warm to room temp and sanitized the outside of the packets. After adding yeast, I let it rest for about 20 min, then shook gently to dissolve/distribute yeast and loosened the lid to let pressure escape. I've done this before, for beer, with good results. This seemed to take off quickly, with evidence of fermenting (small bubbles and foam on top). By the next day there was a layer of white yeast on the bottom of the jar and the foam had subsided.
Mead day: Warmed honey in sink with hot water. Sanitized a 3 gal carboy and triple rinsed with boiled water. Poured one gallon of store-bought water into carboy. Poured honey through a sanitized/rinsed funnel into carboy, capped with a sanitized/rinsed stopper and shook well to mix. Rinsed honey jar with second gallon of water and added to carboy. Capped as above and shook well. Pitched yeast started. Added 1 tsp yeast nutrient and mixed. Fitted a wide blow-off tube onto carboy, with open end in a plastic container with water. Set in kitchen and wrapped in a towel. Kitchen temp was about 65-68F. OG was 1.042.
Next day: Evidence of fermentation (big bubbles coming from large blow-off tube). In the evening I added another tsp of yeast nutrient and mixed.
Day three: Fewer bubbles. Swapped blow off tube for standard air lock (sanitized and rinsed) and moved carboy to basement.
Day four (yesterday): not a lot of bubbles from airlock but mead looks distinctly white (!). Smells ok, but I'm worried about bacterial infection.
Today: Still looks white. I've attached a picture; the flash makes it look a bit whiter than just ambient light. There is a layer of yeast in the bottom (maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch). Still smells ok (a bit yeasty). Broke the hydrometer, so I haven't measured SG. I moved the carboy back up to the kitchen and set it next to the radiant heater. Tomorrow I'm going to get a new hydrometer and maybe some oak chips.
Question #1: What about the white? Looks like a bacterial infection from my days in a lab. But... everything smells ok; or at least, not bad. I plan to sample and check the gravity tomorrow (after I get a new hydrometer... and maybe a thermometer and a few other toys).
Question #2: I'm heading out of town late this week, so I was planning on racking to the secondary, and adding oak before I go. Probably Wednesday night, or maybe Thursday night. Too soon? Otherwise it will have to stay in the primary until after Christmas. I'm used to thinking in a beer time scale.
Question #3: Suggestions on oak? I'd like to add a nice touch... more than a hint, but less than a slap.
Sorry if this has already been addressed. I tried searching the forum for "white" and "mead" and "bacteria" but didn't come up with much.
TIA!
