Hello Board. I've been reading and experimenting, trying to get a handle on the making of mead. I'm on my third batch now and have some questions.
THIS batch:
MUST -
6# mesquite honey (from TJ)
2 gal. Mango juice (pasteurized, no additives)
1 packet pectic enzyme
1 capsule servomyces
1 tsp acid blend
3/4 tsp DAP
Nothing boiled
SG 1.096
pH ~4.4 (test strips, hard to read difference in colors)
Yeast Starter Mix -
24 oz Must
16 oz sterile H2O
0.5 TBS + 0.5 tsp GoFerm
SG 1.060 @ 104*
added 0.5 TBS Lalvin K1-V116 yeast
First, a mea culpa. I now realize I should have rehydrated the yeast in water only, then added it to the starter mix. Another lesson learned.
The Must sat for a day before pitching the yeast, with two (sterilized) aquarium bubblers running in the Must during this time. The yeast starter mix was next to the Must so that temps equilibrated. I pitched the yeast after 24 hrs, then stirred the combination every 8 hrs for the next 24. Then I sealed the container (5 gal "Deluxe Fermenter" plastic bucket).
That was 3 days ago. The bucket is in the garage, on a table next to the water heater. The temperature strip on the bucket indicates between 66* and 72* F. I have seen NO evidence of activity. Not a bubble. I just opened up the bucket and saw no bubbles on the surface of the liquid. There were floating "clots" of...orange colored material that looked something like pulp. There was no pulp in the Must before. I stirred the mixture (which immediately foamed) and checked the SG (1.060).
The taste was Fantastic! Easily the best tasting product of the three I've tried so far. It even seemed to have a bit of tingle, almost as though it were carbonated. Though there was no alcohol taste, I'm feeling just the tiniest bit tipsy as I type this. However, I'm concerned about the complete lack of bubbling when sealed, especially after three days.
That brings me to the first question. How active should these liquids be? I read about active fermentation for a week or more. The first batch I made, straight mead, was not very active, bubbling only every 10 minutes for a day and a half. The second batch, essentially Applejack, bubbled very well for maybe three days. Both batches bubbled within 24 hours of sealing the bucket.
Should I be stirring these mixtures, trying to aerate them? I read that I should, I also read that it's unnecessary. I'm not clear on the life processes of yeast. Do they go through an aerobic phase, followed by an anaerobic phase? Does stirring the pot, so to speak, slow the onset of fermentation? Is fermentation strictly an anaerobic process?
How long should I leave the liquid in the plastic bucket before racking to a secondary fermentation bottle? I've been waiting two weeks. Too long? Too brief?
Finally, does anyone else struggle with removing the lids on these plastic buckets. I thought at first that I was never going to get the lid off. It is VERY difficult to pry the thing off, even holding the bottom of the bucket tightly between my feet. I need to really strain to get a small portion over the lip, then work around the lid until I can lever it off. I'm not a small guy, nor a particularly weak one. I have two buckets and they are both a challenge to open.
Sorry, long post. Thanks ahead for your responses.
--V
THIS batch:
MUST -
6# mesquite honey (from TJ)
2 gal. Mango juice (pasteurized, no additives)
1 packet pectic enzyme
1 capsule servomyces
1 tsp acid blend
3/4 tsp DAP
Nothing boiled
SG 1.096
pH ~4.4 (test strips, hard to read difference in colors)
Yeast Starter Mix -
24 oz Must
16 oz sterile H2O
0.5 TBS + 0.5 tsp GoFerm
SG 1.060 @ 104*
added 0.5 TBS Lalvin K1-V116 yeast
First, a mea culpa. I now realize I should have rehydrated the yeast in water only, then added it to the starter mix. Another lesson learned.
The Must sat for a day before pitching the yeast, with two (sterilized) aquarium bubblers running in the Must during this time. The yeast starter mix was next to the Must so that temps equilibrated. I pitched the yeast after 24 hrs, then stirred the combination every 8 hrs for the next 24. Then I sealed the container (5 gal "Deluxe Fermenter" plastic bucket).
That was 3 days ago. The bucket is in the garage, on a table next to the water heater. The temperature strip on the bucket indicates between 66* and 72* F. I have seen NO evidence of activity. Not a bubble. I just opened up the bucket and saw no bubbles on the surface of the liquid. There were floating "clots" of...orange colored material that looked something like pulp. There was no pulp in the Must before. I stirred the mixture (which immediately foamed) and checked the SG (1.060).
The taste was Fantastic! Easily the best tasting product of the three I've tried so far. It even seemed to have a bit of tingle, almost as though it were carbonated. Though there was no alcohol taste, I'm feeling just the tiniest bit tipsy as I type this. However, I'm concerned about the complete lack of bubbling when sealed, especially after three days.
That brings me to the first question. How active should these liquids be? I read about active fermentation for a week or more. The first batch I made, straight mead, was not very active, bubbling only every 10 minutes for a day and a half. The second batch, essentially Applejack, bubbled very well for maybe three days. Both batches bubbled within 24 hours of sealing the bucket.
Should I be stirring these mixtures, trying to aerate them? I read that I should, I also read that it's unnecessary. I'm not clear on the life processes of yeast. Do they go through an aerobic phase, followed by an anaerobic phase? Does stirring the pot, so to speak, slow the onset of fermentation? Is fermentation strictly an anaerobic process?
How long should I leave the liquid in the plastic bucket before racking to a secondary fermentation bottle? I've been waiting two weeks. Too long? Too brief?
Finally, does anyone else struggle with removing the lids on these plastic buckets. I thought at first that I was never going to get the lid off. It is VERY difficult to pry the thing off, even holding the bottom of the bucket tightly between my feet. I need to really strain to get a small portion over the lip, then work around the lid until I can lever it off. I'm not a small guy, nor a particularly weak one. I have two buckets and they are both a challenge to open.
Sorry, long post. Thanks ahead for your responses.
--V
