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Stopping by Refridgeration

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scout

NewBee
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Sep 4, 2005
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Okay, so last night I transferred my latest batch of mead into a carboy with some cherries and vanilla in it. I had a lot left over. Too much to pour down the drain, and too much to into the "spillage" file. Luckily I had a Grolsch bottle and an Efferve bottle on hand. Filled the Efferve, and half filled the Grolsch. These have been in the fridge overnight, uncapped.

My question is, how long should I leave them uncapped before the danger of bottle bombs has gone past?

This mead has only been going 6 days at this point, and in the carboy, the yeasties are so active they are blowing mead out through the airlock. I'm planning on keeping the Efferve bottle for topping up purposes, but some cellar rats may migrate down for the winter from where they have cellars to find that Grolsch bottle. *grins*
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

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Sep 23, 2004
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Scout,

Let the pressure out of them once now that they have cooled. As long as you have them refrigerated, the yeast should go and remain inactive. But it will take a day or so for that to happen. If you are concerned, you can always pop the top for an instant to let off any pressure that might have built up.

Have fun,
Pewter
 

scout

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So I can go ahead and cap them up now, as long as I keep them refrigerated? They've been uncapped in the fridge for more than 24 hours now. And then maybe check on them every week or so, just to make sure I don't need to pop them to let some CO2 out. I'm just worried because this is the same mead that shot out of the airlock yesterday morning it was fermenting so hard.
 

Greenblood

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Oct 6, 2004
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In my experience, it rarely takes more than 24 hours for me to chill an entire 5 gallons to the point that the yeasties go dormant. Your 2 bottles should be plenty safe to close. Just keep in mind that if you remove them from the fridge, and the bottles still contain fermentable sugars, the yeast will likely begin to ferment again.

Cheers

Greenblood
 

scout

NewBee
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Sep 4, 2005
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Thanks, Greenblood. I'm not planning on letting them out of the fridge except to move them to the new house this weekend . . . .well, and maybe if those cellar rats show up. *grins*
 

byathread

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Mar 8, 2005
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I sometimes store unfinished mead in mason jars in the fridge. Usually 'burp' them after a day then keep them tightly sealed on the bottom of the fridge (sometimes for months). I've had no problems with this method.
 

JoeM

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Jan 9, 2004
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if you've kept the bottles uncapped in the fridge and you are going to use them to top up your main batch you may be risking contamination.
 

scout

NewBee
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I kinda doubt it, not for any scientific reason, but that since we are moving this week, there's NOTHING in my fridge that could contaminate it *grins*

Seriously, though, could you explain a little more, Joe? I left them uncapped for, say, 24 hours. And while there seriously is very little in my fridge, much less things I can think of that might contaminate in some way (thinking like a cook, though, I'm too new to think like a mazer), I would have thought that bring the temp down would have lessened the chances of any beasties successfully getting at it. Could you elaborate on what might contaminate it and how?

And whether you're talking contaminate like a cook does (raw chicken) or like contaminating the taste or some other thing that may make it unsuitable for topping up purposes, but makes the cellar rats very happy indeed. *grins*
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
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Dec 26, 2004
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Unless your fridgie is hermetically sealed and sterilized you'll have any number of contamination sources waitng to board and take over your mead. Never underestimate the power of the enemy! LOL

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

JoeM

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If there is air in your fridge, than there is something in there to contaminate the mead. Bacteria, yeasts, and molds from the air will most certainly enter an open container of mead sitting in a refrigerator. Think of a slice of bread or a piece of cheese, even if its wrapped and sitting under refrigeration it will still inevitably become moldy. It makes little difference what else is in the fridge, if the bottle is unsealed for any length of time its subject to invasion. If said bottle is then added to the larger batch you are then risking a massive take-over!
 

Greenblood

NewBee
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Oct 6, 2004
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In the future you may consider sealing your "left overs" with fliptops, before placing them in the fridge. You can then burp them after they are cold. Just be aware that if there is quite a bit of CO2 in the bottle, some of it will likely disolve into the mead causing it to lightly sparkle. So, you may need to agitate before burping to ensure you remove enough C02.

Cheers

Greenblood
 

Brewbear

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May 10, 2005
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I'm with them last 3 posters on this, remember that the air circulates in the fridge....The nasties will travel with it.
I'd say, since the mead is cold, enjoy ;D

Ted
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

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Sep 23, 2004
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I think it is safest to cork or cap immediately and then burp once or twice after that. It minimizes the chance of infection. Unless a batch is extremely active when bottled, realize that the natural shrinkage of the volume in the bottle due to chilling will offset the pressure created by fermentation TO SOME EXTENT. So putting a cap or tasters cork in, and then burping the bottle within the next 24 hours should be fine. Using a champagne bottle and setting it upright would eliminate the remainder of the problems for this type of storage.
 

scout

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Thanks for all the replies on this, guys. Okay, so these two bottles are definitely now going to be on the cellar rats' winelist. I told everyone at the house here (hubby and roommate) about all of your responses and the general gist of what we decided (since they have both been huge help in the whole brewing experience) is that while they won't be used for topping up due to concerns of ickies getting in the good stuff, we will all be more than happy to taste it. We figure since we have been known to eat stuff that's been left in the fridge on a plate overnight uncovered, we're not afraid of any ickies that may have crept into the mead while they were uncovered.

However, next time, I will know better! *grins* Thanks again.
 

Pewter_of_Deodar

NewBee
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Sep 23, 2004
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Remember that your body can digest nasties that would sit and grow and infect your mead over a period of time. The food you eat is "sterilized" of sorts by your stomach acids and that takes care of most of the ickies. But your mead feeds and nourishes those same ickies in a dark spot with plenty of sugar/honey to nourish them. So while the same ickies may have no affect on you when on your food overnight, they can destroy a batch of mead/wine over a period of weeks/months...
 

scout

NewBee
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Sep 4, 2005
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*evil grin* sounds like I need to get rid of that mead in my fridge sooner rather than later, then! And in such a way that it is thoroughly "sterilized" by stomach acids. . . . Mmmmm. :)
 

jrigal

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Sep 27, 2005
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I refrigerated a one gallon batch of cyser for 4 days and then racked over one campden tablet and 1/2 tsp K sorbate per the recipe. I airlocked it and set it aside. There is no activity in the airlock, but still there are a few small bubbles rising from the bottom. What's the deal? Is this supposed to happen? I stopped, or thought I stopped, fermentation at 1.020. I don't want it any drier. Should I put it back in and then add more K Sorbate?

I have one that is pretty much clear that is doing the same thing (still barely bubbling from the bottom).
 

Greenblood

NewBee
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Oct 6, 2004
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Jrigal,
Have you taken a reading to see if the gravity is still dropping? Was the batch fairly active when you put it into the fridge? Assuming that the ammount of K sorbate used was sufficient, (I wouldn't know, as I rarely use it), you may just be seeing some expaning CO2. Often times when an active batch is refrigerated the CO2 will disolve into the liquid. Then when it is removed from refrigeration, the disolved CO2 expands, and is released from the batch. The only way to be sure that fermentation has not restarted is to monitor the gravity.

Cheers!

Greenblood
 
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