Recluse - I use this to degas after treating with sorbate and metabisulphate:
http://pivo.northernbrewer.com/nbstore/action/search-do?searchTerm=degas
I think the 'problem' you had was nothing more than residual CO2 suspended in the mead, but hey ... I'm really just a newbee at this stuff!
With that being said, I did take my third batch drier and let it bulk-age a bit before bottling. I - as well as my family - thought it was the best of the Quick-Meads so far. Here is the recipe/procedure copied out of my Brewlog:
(Batch 10) 07/02/2006 – Another Joe’s No-Age Sweet Mead!
Again, because EVERYONE in my family really liked this stuff (including me), I decided to make a 3rd batch – 6 gallons this time. I followed the same procedure as my first two with the following subtle changes:
• 13 pounds 2 ounces of Gordon’s Clover Honey
• 2 pounds 10 ounces of Buckwheat Honey from AIHB
• 3 ½ teaspoons of Chestnut Tannin (instead of Grape Tannin)
• 1 teaspoon of Fermaid K
• 25 grams of K1V-1116
Here is the process I used this time:
1. Put yeast in a glass beaker with 105 degree water to the 1000 ml point and used my newly acquired magnetic stirrer to stir the yeast.
2. Added honey and hot tap water to the 5 gallon point of my plastic 6.9 gallon fermenter pail.
3. Stirred must with my lees stirrer and drill motor.
4. Brought water level up to the 6 gallon mark with cold tap water.
5. Took an opening reading = 23 Brix or approximately 1.100 SG
6. Pitched yeast which was being stirred for about 40 minutes.
7. Agitated again with my lees stirrer.
8. Installed cover and airlock and brought downstairs.
Five hours after beginning, about 100 bubbles per minute are coming out of the airlock! Whoaaaaaahhhh! This one is off to a GREAT start ( I’ll credit my new mag stirrer ….. )
07/03/2006 – AM - The airlock was blown out of the grommet so I assume fermentation was pretty damn good! Aerated the must with my lees stirrer for about 5 minutes. Everything looks – and smells – great! Did the same in the evening.
07/04/2006 – Aerated the must for about 5 minutes in the AM and PM.
07/05/2006 – Ditto – Aerated for the last time both in the morning and evening. I’m planning on using this plastic fermenter throughout the primary, then sorbating and racking when the SG gets down to about 1.005 – or – 2.5 Brix. Took a Brix reading this evening and got Brix = 17.8 or 1.075 SG.
07/09/2006 – Aeration down to 30 bubbles per minute. Took a SG reading = 13.7 Brix, or 1.055 SG.
07/15/2006 – Took a Brix reading = 12.6 or 1.050 SG. Checked with my Hygrometer and got 1.030 ! I need to review whether or not my Brix meter is properly calibrated or not; I need to get some distilled water. Stay tuned ….. Distilled H2O reading ‘0’ …..
08/06/2006 – Got a 1.000 to 1.070 hydrometer and took a reading – 1.005! I don’t know what is going on relative to my other hydrometer and Brix meters, but I’m using this one. Added 1 teaspoon of Sodium Bimetasulphate and 3 teaspoons of Potassium Sorbate to end fermentation and stabilize. De-gassed using my lees stirrer and dissolved the chemicals before racking into a 6 ½ gallon carboy. Going to bulk age this one at least four weeks before bottling.
08/17/2006 – This mead cleared very nicely with about an inch of lees on the bottom. Took a taste and this is definitely the BEST of the Quick Meads I’ve made so far. I’m sure another month or so of bulk aging on the lees is going to make this one GREAT!
08/31/2006 – Racked mead into a 5 gallon carboy and 1 gallon jug with the intentions of bottling this mead over the weekend. Unfortunately, I accidentally stirred up a LOT of lees so it looks like it will be sitting for awhile until it clears. Stay tuned …..
09/07/2006 – Mead cleared nicely. I did not have the time to bottle so I siphoned the mead out of the 1 gallon jug and transferred to another jug for consumption tomorrow with my Brother. This is the best quick mead I’ve made so far. FG = 9.5 Brix / 1.035 SG or 1.005 SG using my expensive 'finishing' hydrometer. I'll go with the latter.
09/08/2006 – Drank the entire almost-filled gallon jug with my family this evening. Again, this is – by far – the finest Quick Mead I’ve made thus far. GOOD SH!T!
09/09/2006 – Bottled 24 bottles using my Enolmatic with 1 micron filter canister. Had enough in the filter canister and overflow canister to drink and ‘catch a nice buzz.’ Need to mow the lawn now! ANOTHER VERY SUCESSFUL BATCH
- GL63