Hi,
*I'm new to home brewing and too Mead, so I thought I would post a few questions about my first Mead batch, I was expecting from my searching a more vigorous bubbling mixture..
First of all, recipe and what'll have done so far :
* Honey: 2 kilos (4 lbs) - waitrose jar honey
* Juice from one Orange
*Juice from one Lemon
* 4.5 litres (1 gallon water)
* 1 level teaspoon of *youngs pectolase in 1/2 a cup of lukewarm water
* 4 level teaspoons of Tron O Zymol yeast nutrient and energiser salts
* 1 sachet champagne yeast
9 March 2012
* Cleaned everything with boiling water and rinsed*
* Sterilised with VWP the rinsed in cold water 5 times
* Brought water to simmer in large deep pan
* Added 2 kilos of honey
* Kept at simmering point for 20 minutes, while skimming frothy stuff off the top and stirring
* Poured mixture into 5 litre fermenting bucket
*Loosely laid lid on top of bucket to allow to cool
* 4 hours later, took temperature having cleaned and sterilised thermometer : 31 degrees centigrade*
* Added yeast into jug of boiled water that had cooled down to 30 degrees
Waited 15 minutes stirring yeast
Added yeast,fruit juices, pectin enzyme and nutrient into bucket mixture
Poured boiling water over metal spoon and used spoon to stir mixture
Place hydrometer Into bucket, reading was 1.121
Replaced lid loosely
Observed small bubbles over surface of liquid in bucket
10 March 2012
* had a look in bucket - a few bubbles *bubbling nothing vigorous , no froth
My questions:
* I should I be seeing a lot of bubbling and frothing more than the limited small bubbles I am seeing ?
* How long should I wait until I move the mixture into a glass demijohn with airlock ?
* How frequently should I use the hydrometer
* Can I pour boiling water over the hydrometer instead of boiling and sterilising each time i use it ?
Do indeed to stir the mixture or just wiggle the bucket or demijohn ?
Thanks for any pointers
Andy
*I'm new to home brewing and too Mead, so I thought I would post a few questions about my first Mead batch, I was expecting from my searching a more vigorous bubbling mixture..
First of all, recipe and what'll have done so far :
* Honey: 2 kilos (4 lbs) - waitrose jar honey
* Juice from one Orange
*Juice from one Lemon
* 4.5 litres (1 gallon water)
* 1 level teaspoon of *youngs pectolase in 1/2 a cup of lukewarm water
* 4 level teaspoons of Tron O Zymol yeast nutrient and energiser salts
* 1 sachet champagne yeast
9 March 2012
* Cleaned everything with boiling water and rinsed*
* Sterilised with VWP the rinsed in cold water 5 times
* Brought water to simmer in large deep pan
* Added 2 kilos of honey
* Kept at simmering point for 20 minutes, while skimming frothy stuff off the top and stirring
* Poured mixture into 5 litre fermenting bucket
*Loosely laid lid on top of bucket to allow to cool
* 4 hours later, took temperature having cleaned and sterilised thermometer : 31 degrees centigrade*
* Added yeast into jug of boiled water that had cooled down to 30 degrees
Waited 15 minutes stirring yeast
Added yeast,fruit juices, pectin enzyme and nutrient into bucket mixture
Poured boiling water over metal spoon and used spoon to stir mixture
Place hydrometer Into bucket, reading was 1.121
Replaced lid loosely
Observed small bubbles over surface of liquid in bucket
10 March 2012
* had a look in bucket - a few bubbles *bubbling nothing vigorous , no froth
My questions:
* I should I be seeing a lot of bubbling and frothing more than the limited small bubbles I am seeing ?
* How long should I wait until I move the mixture into a glass demijohn with airlock ?
* How frequently should I use the hydrometer
* Can I pour boiling water over the hydrometer instead of boiling and sterilising each time i use it ?
Do indeed to stir the mixture or just wiggle the bucket or demijohn ?
Thanks for any pointers
Andy