[MichelinMan]

Hey all,

Well I racked my first batch a few weeks ago. I had a very difficult time getting the siphon going... it stopped midway. For the life of me, I couldn't get it going again. So frustrated, I did a no-no. I used a funel and a filter and poured the rest in (leaving behind as much sediment as I could). This of course incorporated oxygen because the must was now splashing into the new carboy. To make matters worse, these new items (the funel and filter) were clean but not sanitized. :doh: I know... I know... my bad :doh: So I come to my question: Did I ruin the batch? I would hate to find out in 6 months from now that it was ruined all along. How long before I know if it was ruined , or should I just dump the whole thing and start again.

Thanks y'all

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Did the racking cane plug? That sounds odd. How old was the batch when you aerated it? If there was enough active yeast, they'll probably strip most of the O2 before it causes much oxidation.

Unless you really need the carboy space, I wouldn't even consider pouring it out until you KNOW it's bad, like you tasted it in a year and it's all sour or wet-cardboardy. If you really need the carboy space, splurge on the $20 for another carboy! With all the time and expense of making a batch of mead, I would never discard one on a "maybe".

 

[MichelinMan]

Did the racking cane plug? That sounds odd. How old was the batch when you aerated it? If there was enough active yeast, they'll probably strip most of the O2 before it causes much oxidation.

The batch was about 6 weeks old when I racked it. It was around 12.5% alcohol. I sampled it and it tasted good. I'm not in a rush for the carboy space... I just don't want to wait 6 months before I find out it's bad and have to start again. So just how finicky is this stuff? How much damage can occur because of the oxygen? What about bacteria from the "unsanitized" tools?

 

[Ben Brewcat]

Hard to say. Clean (but not sanitized) sure beats unclean. Taste it in a couple months, and take notes on a tasting now. If it gets worse, compost it .

 

[wfuavenger]

12.5% abv is pretty good at killing lots of stuff. I say +1 on the try again in a few months and if it tastes worse than now, pitch it. Better than now, keep it and throw a party.:banana:

 

[rwlaw]

Let er go, shoot you might end w/ some good vinegar, bit of advice though, get youself a auto siphon, neatest things since peanut butter IMHO.

 

[mattoleriver]

...get youself a auto siphon, neatest things since peanut butter IMHO.

I love my auto syphon!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

George