Newbie question about evaporation

[Argaen]

I started a mead batch with 2 gallons of water, 8 pounds of honey and two satchets of yeast. Primary fermentation started on May 16th. I racked to secondary today, June 6th.

I only got a gallon and a half, and I see that the mead is a lot darker than my previous batch (see attached picture).

Is it possible that so much has evaporated? It has been hot lately, but not enough to turn the A/C on yet. Or did I simply measured the wrong amount of water at the beginning of the process?

Should I add more water to fill the carboy that is only half filled?

 

[edaskew]

No way you had that much evaporation. What’s the gravity now?

 

[Argaen]

No idea, I brew without hydrometer.
I'm almost convinced that I only used 1 gallon of water instead of 2 by mistake.

 

[Dan O]

No idea, I brew without hydrometer.
I'm almost convinced that I only used 1 gallon of water instead of 2 by mistake.

There is no way you lost that much to evaporation. When racking, you will always lose some, but, not to the tune of 1/2 a gallon.

How do you measure your gravity? How do you know when it's done without gravity readings? 1 pound of honey will give you .035 points of gravity/ gallon.
4 pounds of honey/ 1gallon will give you a very sweet dessert style mead, with a starting gravity of approximately 1.140.
I personally would rack both of them to a larger container, making sure to get as much of the lees as possible, then add water to make 2 full gallons, rack it back into the one gallon carboys & let it sit.
You want the lees because it still has a lot of yeast that will help finish the ferment & clean up after itself. Once you add water, your ferment will likely kick up again.
Without a starting gravity reading, & having so much honey in there, it may need a while, especially if temperature control is an issue.
I would also suggest getting a hydrometer for future use, though. Without a gravity reading, you have no ability to accurately tell where you are in the ferment.

Amazon.com: Brewer's Elite Hydrometer & Test Jar Combo, Hardcase, Bag, Brush & Cloth - Triple Scale Specific Gravity ABV Tester- for Wine, Beer, Mead and Kombucha : Industrial & Scientific

Amazon.com: Brewer's Elite Hydrometer & Test Jar Combo, Hardcase, Bag, Brush & Cloth - Triple Scale Specific Gravity ABV Tester- for Wine, Beer, Mead and Kombucha : Industrial & Scientific

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How to Use/Read a Hydrometer for Wine and Beer(The Easy Way)

Today I am going to show EXACTLY how easy it is to use a hydrometer.In fact this is the same process which has allowed me to brew excellent beer, wine and cider during the last few years.And I will let you into a secret - it is not rocket scienceIn fact if you are not scientific like me you will

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I hope this helps.
Happy meading

 

[Argaen]

I don't measure gravity at all. For my previous batches I let it ferment for a few weeks in a large container with a loose cover, waited a few weeks for fermentation to slow a lot, rack into carboys with airlock, wait a few months, rack into bottles and drink.
My plan for this last batch was to use 8 pounds of honey + 2 gallons of water (that works out almost exactly as using 3 pounds of honey and fill with water up to 1 gallon). It fermented strongly the first week, then slowly the next two weeks. I'm still surprised that I got so little after racking, I was expecting to fill those two 1 gallon carboys and have at least a couple pints left over.
I believe now that I made a mistake when measuring the initial water (I was using a 1 pint measuring cup and probably miscounted somewhere) and now I have an extra sweet mead.

 

[Dan O]

I don't measure gravity at all. For my previous batches I let it ferment for a few weeks in a large container with a loose cover, waited a few weeks for fermentation to slow a lot, rack into carboys with airlock, wait a few months, rack into bottles and drink.
My plan for this last batch was to use 8 pounds of honey + 2 gallons of water (that works out almost exactly as using 3 pounds of honey and fill with water up to 1 gallon). It fermented strongly the first week, then slowly the next two weeks. I'm still surprised that I got so little after racking, I was expecting to fill those two 1 gallon carboys and have at least a couple pints left over.
I believe now that I made a mistake when measuring the initial water (I was using a 1 pint measuring cup and probably miscounted somewhere) and now I have an extra sweet mead.

Gotcha. Best of luck. Keep us posted

 

[ShadowVII]

I don't measure gravity at all. For my previous batches I let it ferment for a few weeks in a large container with a loose cover, waited a few weeks for fermentation to slow a lot, rack into carboys with airlock, wait a few months, rack into bottles and drink.
My plan for this last batch was to use 8 pounds of honey + 2 gallons of water (that works out almost exactly as using 3 pounds of honey and fill with water up to 1 gallon). It fermented strongly the first week, then slowly the next two weeks. I'm still surprised that I got so little after racking, I was expecting to fill those two 1 gallon carboys and have at least a couple pints left over.
I believe now that I made a mistake when measuring the initial water (I was using a 1 pint measuring cup and probably miscounted somewhere) and now I have an extra sweet mead.

I’m genuinely curious. How do you tell then if your fermentation has stalled, or by some means prematurely ended compared to your initial plans/calculations?

 

[Dan O]

I’m genuinely curious. How do you tell then if your fermentation has stalled, or by some means prematurely ended compared to your initial plans/calculations?

I would say the first sign of a stopped ferment would be a stuck gravity reading. If it's the same gravity 3 times in a row over a period of 2 weeks & if it's higher than it should be (too sweet), it's stuck. You can boil some yeast for 20 minutes or so & cool it & add it to the must, it may kick-start it again.
I hope this helps.
Happy meading

 

[ShadowVII]

I would say the first sign of a stopped ferment would be a stuck gravity reading. If it's the same gravity 3 times in a row over a period of 2 weeks & if it's higher than it should be (too sweet), it's stuck. You can boil some yeast for 20 minutes or so & cool it & add it to the must, it may kick-start it again.
I hope this helps.
Happy meading

I can completely agree that your advice would be the way to measure it. I’m just wondering how Argaen would be able to tell that without using a grav reading like he was saying.

 

[Medsen Fey]

People can use a refractometer to follow progress.
There is also an ancient thread around here about using a postal scale to monitor fermentation progress. As sugar is converted to CO2 and blows off, the weight goes down (as the gravity drops).
So there is more than 1 way to skin a cat.

But if one chooses to fly by the seat of the pants and bottle things that seem to have stopped bubbling and cleared, sooner or later, when things warm up or the moon comes into the proper alignment, or the yeast think you aren't looking, they will create an eruptive if not explosive suprise.

 

[ShadowVII]

People can use a refractometer to follow progress.
There is also an ancient thread around here about using a postal scale to monitor fermentation progress. As sugar is converted to CO2 and blows off, the weight goes down (as the gravity drops).
So there is more than 1 way to skin a cat.

But if one chooses to fly by the seat of the pants and bottle things that seem to have stopped bubbling and cleared, sooner or later, when things warm up or the moon comes into the proper alignment, or the yeast think you aren't looking, they will create an eruptive if not explosive suprise.

I know the explosive feeling you describe. When I started the beginning of my blood mead I mistakenly used a brew bag, and didn’t have my fill line marked (so I estimated, and poorly). Long story short, the brew bag and fruit blocked the airlock. I heard a pop in the wee hours of the morning and went back to sleep. Woke up to about a half a gallon spread out around my kitchen.

 

[Argaen]

I’m genuinely curious. How do you tell then if your fermentation has stalled, or by some means prematurely ended compared to your initial plans/calculations?

About stalled or prematurely ended fermentations, I don't really know.

To avoid explosions I just wait. So far I've made 2 successful batches and I'm about to bottle the one I mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
I keep the mix 3 to 4 weeks in a primary fermenter (wide bucket, loose lid), until I hear little bubbling. 2 to 6 months in secondary (glass jars with airlock), until I see very few bubbles. Then rack into botles with stopper (like these ones).

The thing that got me to try brewing for the first time was this blog post from Patrick Rothfuss, to quote him "...Vikings made this, and I guarantee that they did not own a hydrometer. They just thumped it together in a barrel and then drank it..."

 

[ShadowVII]

About stalled or prematurely ended fermentations, I don't really know.

To avoid explosions I just wait. So far I've made 2 successful batches and I'm about to bottle the one I mentioned at the beginning of this thread.
I keep the mix 3 to 4 weeks in a primary fermenter (wide bucket, loose lid), until I hear little bubbling. 2 to 6 months in secondary (glass jars with airlock), until I see very few bubbles. Then rack into botles with stopper (like these ones).

The thing that got me to try brewing for the first time was this blog post from Patrick Rothfuss, to quote him "...Vikings made this, and I guarantee that they did not own a hydrometer. They just thumped it together in a barrel and then drank it..."

I agree with the Viking comment, it’s absolutely true! They did do it off of instinct and tradition, and the first brewers would have had to guess at everything

 

[EricHartman]

Even the ancients worked to improve the science... if I remember properly there's a method of floating an egg to determine completion that was used in antiquity. Also one must account for desire of the human brain to get intoxicated... likely we've all poured foul drinks down our gullet to achieve an altered state (ye old English fine malt liquor comes to mind); easy to assume our ancestors would be even less discriminating given reduced options! There's certainly nothing wrong with the pour and prey method to making mead but you're limited in troubleshooting and diagnosis when things go wrong. In addition predicting results will be difficult. Given the cost of the honey most prefer the increased odds of a good result with the modern practices.

Ps- do some searching on the forum for bottle bombs. If your finished meads have any residual sugars (any sweet taste) then handle sealed bottles with care and assume they are going to shower their environment with mead at some point.

 

[ShadowVII]

Even the ancients worked to improve the science... if I remember properly there's a method of floating an egg to determine completion that was used in antiquity. Also one must account for desire of the human brain to get intoxicated... likely we've all poured foul drinks down our gullet to achieve an altered state (ye old English fine malt liquor comes to mind); easy to assume our ancestors would be even less discriminating given reduced options! There's certainly nothing wrong with the pour and prey method to making mead but you're limited in troubleshooting and diagnosis when things go wrong. In addition predicting results will be difficult. Given the cost of the honey most prefer the increased odds of a good result with the modern practices.

Ps- do some searching on the forum for bottle bombs. If your finished meads have any residual sugars (any sweet taste) then handle sealed bottles with care and assume they are going to shower their environment with mead at some point.

I agree wholeheartedly on all accounts good sir, and I agree especially that bottle bombs are always a possibility.

 

[EricHartman]

About stalled or prematurely ended fermentations, I don't really know.The thing that got me to try brewing for the first time was this blog post from Patrick Rothfuss, to quote him "...Vikings made this, and I guarantee that they did not own a hydrometer. They just thumped it together in a barrel and then drank it..."

Normally I support mead making but that man needs to finish his kingkiller chronicles series before he is allowed to make more mead! Darn near as slow as Mr. R. R. Martin!

 

[Argaen]

Normally I support mead making but that man needs to finish his kingkiller chronicles series before he is allowed to make more mead! Darn near as slow as Mr. R. R. Martin!

My headcanon says that those two have a secret bet, the one that publishes the next book first loses.
Maybe we can get Brandon Sanderson to finish both series if he gets bored on a plane or something

 

[Squatchy]

If the Vikings had the stuff I own they would have died to use it. They weren't stupid. At the time, they used the best science they had. And would today. I hate how everyone wants to think they are Vikings. Or wants to make stuff as the Vikings did. Their stuff would most likely suck, for the most part, compared to today. Back then most all of it would have been based on superstition/ religious beliefs. Ok. Gotta go. I need to go chop down some trees with a rock to make a boat. Because no way in hell a Viking would ever use a chain saw! Or a hydrometer. Haha

 

[Argaen]

If the Vikings had the stuff I own they would have died to use it. They weren't stupid. At the time, they used the best science they had. And would today. I hate how everyone wants to think they are Vikings. Or wants to make stuff as the Vikings did. Their stuff would most likely suck, for the most part, compared to today. Back then most all of it would have been based on superstition/ religious beliefs. Ok. Gotta go. I need to go chop down some trees with a rock to make a boat. Because no way in hell a Viking would ever use a chain saw! Or a hydrometer. Haha

Current meadmaking stuff equipment would quickly get you a great social position among Vikings of old.

My take was not to do this without an hydrometer because it's "traditional", just that it is possible. I sanitize my stuff and use commercial yeast. But this is not my full time job and I enjoy it with minimal equipment.

 

[Squatchy]

Current meadmaking stuff equipment would quickly get you a great social position among Vikings of old.

My take was not to do this without an hydrometer because it's "traditional", just that it is possible. I sanitize my stuff and use commercial yeast. But this is not my full time job and I enjoy it with minimal equipment.

It's all good brother. Having fun is what it's all about