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Don't try this at home

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WRATHWILDE

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Mar 19, 2005
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Don't try this at home.
Started my 2nd ever batch, a Chocolate mead, yesterday, started in a plastic primary started bubbling in about 2 hours, 24 hours later I racked to a 6 gallon glass Carboy using an aerator to diffuse the must during the rack. 4.5 gal in the primary and another 1 gal in a glass bottle, so there'd be adequate head space. I racked because the foaming was very mild and I was planning to start another batch this weekend and needed the plastic bucket. No issues with foaming or blowing off. Oskaar probably sees this coming. Today went to stir / aerate the must with the lees stirrer, fairly slow and controlled. The liquid started to roll up and cote the sides, I started to slow the stirrer to keep the must from making its way up the spout. The centrifical force lessened and within a second of stopping the stirrer and before I could remove it... Old Faithful, a straight gush of mead (no foam) launched at least 10 inches straight up and continued for about 4 seconds at about 2-4 inches high. 8) effect but not what I had been planning for. I had a blow-off hose w/stopper and a 1 gal container at the ready but by the time I removed the stirrer and had picked up the stopper (within 1/2 an arms reach) the gushing had stopped. Lesson learned ::). Never aerate in a Glass carboy if you've fed your yeasts goferm and fermaid K, especially if adding DAP.

Lost almost exactly a gallon, refilled with the gallon jug and the carboy is right back where it was before, and bubbling nicely at several ticks a second.

Hope this helps others avoid this disaster.

Wrathwilde
 

WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Mar 19, 2005
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Re: it's all Oskaar's doing

I forgot to mention it was all Oskaars doing with his advice to aerate agressively over the first 72 hours. ;) Here's a new nickname... Oskaar the prankster.;D
Wrathwilde
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
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Dec 26, 2004
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Well,

The good news is that it sounds like you had enough to top back up. Luckily I don't have that kind of eruption with the meads that I make. Sometimes my cyser gets a little foamy when I whip it into a frenzy, but it still doesn't shoot out the top.

I've seen in recipes that chocolate, along with fruits in the primary have a pretty lively ferment. There are stories on this board about fruit eruptions that decorate the ceiling, or even the meadmaker! LOL

I'm glad you got it under control before it turned into a bona fide gusher. Whoo hoo, I've struck mead!

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Brewbear

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May 10, 2005
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There's mead in them there hills!!!! :eek:

You guys are too funny! It is a lot easier to learn from other people's mistakes :-X
Thanks for the post!
 

Zem

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Sep 14, 2005
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;D Wratwilde: thats one of the best brew stories ever

So I really want to try a chocolate mead and have no problem waiting the year if it's as good as I've heard.
My question: I've heard that chocolate meads can be prone to stuck fermentations (due to the oils? ???) whats the best processes for aerating, racking, etc for the best likely result?

tanks y'all

Wolfie
 

WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Mar 19, 2005
1,970
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Dubuque, Iowa
www.zazzle.com
No problems with fermentation here. Just follow the Goferm, DAP and Fermaid K instructions I gave you and you won't have a problem. You will have to rack under the oils though. Mine creatod a layer of oil 1/2 inch thick plus.

Wrathwilde
 
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