ok first off:
Mystical Mythical Melomel (from recipe archive)
--Orange Blossom Honey
sanitize primary fermenter + lid, wine thief, hydrometer, stirrer, cooking pot, thermometer, airlock
clean and prepare fruit
Freeze fruit to burst cell walls
bring 3 gallons water to 180* (for 20qt pot, use 2 gallons)
crush all fruit
add fruit and honey to water
bring must to 170*
steep 20 minutes (skim?)
sterilize 2g water
add water and must to primary fermenter
cool to 80*
pitch yeast
aerate the crap out of it with vented stirring spoon
drop airlock rubber bung into must and spend 10 minutes fishing it out with the (sanitized) Wine Thief
cover, airlock, keep at >70* until fermenting
ferment @ 75*
08/04/08 - added 5tsp nutrient, 5tsp energizer, aerate 3 times today
08/05/08 - STRONG fermentation, some out of airlock. Added blow off tube. Aerate 3 times today
08/06/08 - sulfur smell - aerate 4 times and add 1tsp nutrient
SG - 1.018 (!!!!)
08/07/08 - fermentation nearly stopped, added 1/2tsp nutrient. Fermentation resumed for about 2 hours then stopped again.
SG - 1.010
08/08/08 - airlock bubbles 1/1.5 minutes, added 2lbs strawberries, 1lb raspberries, 1lb blueberries, 1 peach to secondary, then racked.
08/09/08 - signs of secondary fermentation evident
08/10/08 - pushed down fruit cap, Very dry taste with some fruitiness, will likely need to backsweeten
SG - 1.000
08/15/08 - pushed fruit cap down
SG - 0.996
08/18/08 - swirled to reimerse fruit
08/19/08 - 1:10pm pushed fruit down, stirred gently to resuspend everything
SG - .0994
08/21/08 - 7:00am pushed fruit down, stirred gently to resuspend everything
08/24/08 - Stirred @ 3:00pm to prevent fruit drying
08/30/08 - racked to carboy, backsweetened with 3lbs boiled/skimmed Star Thistle honey
SG - .994
09/04/08 - added 2oz american heavy toast oak cubes
the cubes have floated to the top,and it looks like with it some of the lees at the bottom. Now however I am getting bubbling, etc with no fermentation activity and its concerning me...I don't smell anything funky yet, but the look of it is just wrong. I attached pictures, what do you guys think?
Mystical Mythical Melomel (from recipe archive)
--Orange Blossom Honey
sanitize primary fermenter + lid, wine thief, hydrometer, stirrer, cooking pot, thermometer, airlock
clean and prepare fruit
Freeze fruit to burst cell walls
bring 3 gallons water to 180* (for 20qt pot, use 2 gallons)
crush all fruit
add fruit and honey to water
bring must to 170*
steep 20 minutes (skim?)
sterilize 2g water
add water and must to primary fermenter
cool to 80*
pitch yeast
aerate the crap out of it with vented stirring spoon
drop airlock rubber bung into must and spend 10 minutes fishing it out with the (sanitized) Wine Thief
cover, airlock, keep at >70* until fermenting
ferment @ 75*
08/04/08 - added 5tsp nutrient, 5tsp energizer, aerate 3 times today
08/05/08 - STRONG fermentation, some out of airlock. Added blow off tube. Aerate 3 times today
08/06/08 - sulfur smell - aerate 4 times and add 1tsp nutrient
SG - 1.018 (!!!!)
08/07/08 - fermentation nearly stopped, added 1/2tsp nutrient. Fermentation resumed for about 2 hours then stopped again.
SG - 1.010
08/08/08 - airlock bubbles 1/1.5 minutes, added 2lbs strawberries, 1lb raspberries, 1lb blueberries, 1 peach to secondary, then racked.
08/09/08 - signs of secondary fermentation evident
08/10/08 - pushed down fruit cap, Very dry taste with some fruitiness, will likely need to backsweeten
SG - 1.000
08/15/08 - pushed fruit cap down
SG - 0.996
08/18/08 - swirled to reimerse fruit
08/19/08 - 1:10pm pushed fruit down, stirred gently to resuspend everything
SG - .0994
08/21/08 - 7:00am pushed fruit down, stirred gently to resuspend everything
08/24/08 - Stirred @ 3:00pm to prevent fruit drying
08/30/08 - racked to carboy, backsweetened with 3lbs boiled/skimmed Star Thistle honey
SG - .994
09/04/08 - added 2oz american heavy toast oak cubes
the cubes have floated to the top,and it looks like with it some of the lees at the bottom. Now however I am getting bubbling, etc with no fermentation activity and its concerning me...I don't smell anything funky yet, but the look of it is just wrong. I attached pictures, what do you guys think?
