ScottS, I hav'nt noticed to much difference from batch to batch. each time I make mead I change the quantities of honey, and tweek things like acid blend and black tea, so my final product will never be the same. Also I use White labs sweet mead yeast. yeast has alot to do with flavoring in all aspects of making mead or beer.
east_stingray, yep, I use glass carboys and when I rack to my secondary I put my airlock right back on the primary and put it in my basement and cover it with a cardboard box, which I do with any mead or beer Im fermenting. When I make my next batch I swirl the yeast to get it mixed good and repitch it after I airate my must with a aquarium pump and air stone. so far it seems to work great. Also another reason for making batch after batch is when you make good beer or mead you usually have more friends stopping by to drink it up, hahaha
I have another question... in these instructions that came with it, after the first racking the instructions say, "Rack the mead again in 2 weeks and again in 5 weeks." Does that mean 5 weeks from now or 5 weeks from the second racking? Thanks, you guys have been a lot of help, and I think I'm going to go glass carbuoy shopping soon.
Central IL... where there are more hogs than people and more soybeans than hogs and people put together.
Yet another question. I'm not even to the second racking yet, but this thing has slowed down to where the airlock bubbles about once ever 10 seconds. Is that normal?? The thing is at about 72 degrees consistently.
Central IL... where there are more hogs than people and more soybeans than hogs and people put together.
Any takers on whether or not I have a stuck fermentation here? I am observing no airlock activity today... temp is around 71.
Central IL... where there are more hogs than people and more soybeans than hogs and people put together.
Moderator
I rack on a schedule more determined by convenience than by a strict schedule. It's common to rack at some point after the vigorous primary has completed to prevent too much of that big pile of yeast from autolyzing (dying and breaking down), and that can be done either pretty early while fermentation is still active or later to begin the aging and conditioning period. Some folks like to age "on the lees" and feel that the flavor of a little autolysis is part of an enjoyable mead, and some people militantly (perhaps phobically) rack many times over the mead's life.
Racking certainly introduces some oxygen to the mead; a little can be a good thing to help it finish fermenting, degas, and allow a little bit if that oxidized flavor for complexity. Unfortunately it's tough to gauge how much racking will overdo this, and you do lose some mead with each racking too.
My meads tend to fall clear just fine with only a couple rackings. First at some point after fermentation is done (a month or so) and then later as the rest of the gunk falls out (a few months later). I degas manually by stirring gently.
Does that mean you're into the ferment a couple/three weeks? If so that's normal. The initial ferment is pretty vigirous, then tapers off slowly to finish, hopefully fully fermented out if nutrients are good, yeast are healthy, pH is OK and temp is adequate.Yet another question. I'm not even to the second racking yet, but this thing has slowed down to where the airlock bubbles about once ever 10 seconds. Is that normal?? The thing is at about 72 degrees consistently.
Bees, brews and fun
in Lyons, CO
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks