I haven't found any posts that bring this topic up, now that I am getting closer (guessing here in a week) to racking my first ever batch, this question has just hit me.
When I put my must together in my primary fermenter, I toped off up to the Five Gallon line in my bucket. I am making a five Gallon batch so that made since to me.
This has been bouncing around in my mind now for the last few days, but I wont have five gallons to transfer into my glass carboy. Which should be, as far as I know, should be as full as passable to help prevent oxidation.
Figure five gallons, minus what ever is left on the bottom after Racking, minus about a cup and a half that I take out each time I check my SG, What, about four times now? To make sure I didn't contaminate my mead I didnt dump it back into the bucket.
I am going to be considerably short of my five gallon mark.
Kinda confused as to what to do here in a few days or so.
Option #1 Do I have the air space and hope for the best?
Option #2 Boil some honey and water, top off, and hope for the best?
Option #3 Buy a 3 and 1 gallon carboy and fill them up completely and be glad for the weight loss from the wife chewing my butt off for not having this in the budget.
Gotta tell you guys up front. being a younger, dumber, red neck, I don't have a whole lot of butt left here, so I am kinda hoping against option three. But I am protecting this Mead with my life so what ever I gotta do is worth it.
What do you guys do?
Thanks Sabar
When I put my must together in my primary fermenter, I toped off up to the Five Gallon line in my bucket. I am making a five Gallon batch so that made since to me.
This has been bouncing around in my mind now for the last few days, but I wont have five gallons to transfer into my glass carboy. Which should be, as far as I know, should be as full as passable to help prevent oxidation.
Figure five gallons, minus what ever is left on the bottom after Racking, minus about a cup and a half that I take out each time I check my SG, What, about four times now? To make sure I didn't contaminate my mead I didnt dump it back into the bucket.
I am going to be considerably short of my five gallon mark.
Kinda confused as to what to do here in a few days or so.
Option #1 Do I have the air space and hope for the best?
Option #2 Boil some honey and water, top off, and hope for the best?
Option #3 Buy a 3 and 1 gallon carboy and fill them up completely and be glad for the weight loss from the wife chewing my butt off for not having this in the budget.
Gotta tell you guys up front. being a younger, dumber, red neck, I don't have a whole lot of butt left here, so I am kinda hoping against option three. But I am protecting this Mead with my life so what ever I gotta do is worth it.
What do you guys do?
Thanks Sabar