I've been officially making mead for a year now, and have had very few issues (besides misreading the dosage on the k-meta bottle a couple times ). Until now, I've only been making one-gallon batches. Since I've got a year under my belt, I decided it was time to scale up. This is also the first time I've used 100% raw, unfiltered, untreated, crystallized honey.
It's a basic three-gallon BOMM recipe, with 83% raw OB and 17% raw western buckwheat, OG 1.108. At the end of primary, it developed this yeasty, bubbly film on top, that I assumed was just yeast stuck to wax. I racked it 6 days ago at ~0.998 (14.37%), and it's been gradually clearing since. Since racking, though, the film has come back (pictures below).
Panicking, I moved it to the kitchen and took a sample to check the aroma and flavors. When I moved it, though, the film broke up and separated into a very light-colored, opaque, grainy layer on top. Flavor-wise, it's perfectly fine. Heavy on the OB, with a little citrus and some earthy, almost buttery notes. Very aromatic. It's slightly tart, but has absolutely no vinegar aromas or flavors. Basically, it tastes like mead.
Since moving it back and flushing the space with some Private Preserve wine spray, it has looked the same as it did when I moved it.
What is this layer? Is this something I should be worried about, or is it just grains of wax floating around with some yeast along for the ride? If it's wax, how do I rack this off?
Here are some pictures (note the white grains everywhere)
Before moving
After moving
After taking a sample with a pipette - layer fractured immedietely
This morning - layer mostly unchanged
It's a basic three-gallon BOMM recipe, with 83% raw OB and 17% raw western buckwheat, OG 1.108. At the end of primary, it developed this yeasty, bubbly film on top, that I assumed was just yeast stuck to wax. I racked it 6 days ago at ~0.998 (14.37%), and it's been gradually clearing since. Since racking, though, the film has come back (pictures below).
Panicking, I moved it to the kitchen and took a sample to check the aroma and flavors. When I moved it, though, the film broke up and separated into a very light-colored, opaque, grainy layer on top. Flavor-wise, it's perfectly fine. Heavy on the OB, with a little citrus and some earthy, almost buttery notes. Very aromatic. It's slightly tart, but has absolutely no vinegar aromas or flavors. Basically, it tastes like mead.
Since moving it back and flushing the space with some Private Preserve wine spray, it has looked the same as it did when I moved it.
What is this layer? Is this something I should be worried about, or is it just grains of wax floating around with some yeast along for the ride? If it's wax, how do I rack this off?
Here are some pictures (note the white grains everywhere)
Before moving
After moving
After taking a sample with a pipette - layer fractured immedietely
This morning - layer mostly unchanged