I started my first batch of mead (5 gallons) one week ago. My recipe was 4 and 2/3 quarts of honey, 2 teaspoons energizer, 2 teaspoons nutrient, 2 teaspoon calcium powder (I did that because this batch of honey is sharp tasting stuff and I figured it was pretty acidic), 4 gallons of water, and 2 packs of Lalvin D47 yeast that I hydrated per the packet instructions. I aerated the water by blending it in a blender that I had sterilized.
I am still trying to figure out how to read this hydrometer thingy. However, unless I completely don't understand how to read it, I think the starting gravity was between 1.080 and 1.090.
I put it in a bucket primary fermenter and used the airlock from the start. It had started to bubble by the next morning. It is still forming bubbles in the airlock about every 2 seconds.
I opened it today. I measured the gravity at between 1.02 and 1.03. I tasted it, and it tastes sort of like Kombucha with a lot of yeasty flavor and the floral character of the honey is still there. The must is totally murky, and it is still bubbling pretty well.
My questions are:
1. Generally, is this going okay? (Seems to be but I don't know what I'm doing.)
2. How do I know when to rack this off the yeast into a secondary fermenter?
3. Will the yeast settle out before I rack, or will it still be murky when I rack?
4. I'm planning to use a 6 gallon carboy for secondary fermentation, and it will have some headspace. Is it okay to have head space in the secondary container, or do I need to find a 5 gallon carboy?
5. Is this a good candidate for adding some oak blocks or an oak spiral? If so, what kind of oak (American/French and toasted/not)? Would that go in during the secondary fermentation?
I am still trying to figure out how to read this hydrometer thingy. However, unless I completely don't understand how to read it, I think the starting gravity was between 1.080 and 1.090.
I put it in a bucket primary fermenter and used the airlock from the start. It had started to bubble by the next morning. It is still forming bubbles in the airlock about every 2 seconds.
I opened it today. I measured the gravity at between 1.02 and 1.03. I tasted it, and it tastes sort of like Kombucha with a lot of yeasty flavor and the floral character of the honey is still there. The must is totally murky, and it is still bubbling pretty well.
My questions are:
1. Generally, is this going okay? (Seems to be but I don't know what I'm doing.)
2. How do I know when to rack this off the yeast into a secondary fermenter?
3. Will the yeast settle out before I rack, or will it still be murky when I rack?
4. I'm planning to use a 6 gallon carboy for secondary fermentation, and it will have some headspace. Is it okay to have head space in the secondary container, or do I need to find a 5 gallon carboy?
5. Is this a good candidate for adding some oak blocks or an oak spiral? If so, what kind of oak (American/French and toasted/not)? Would that go in during the secondary fermentation?