I'm a first time mead maker, and I've been following a lot of advice so far but i can't seem to find any on if i should rack my mead. it has been 6 weeks and is still fermenting. is it bad to leave it to long or should i rack it to stop the process? it is a very basic first recipe, my grandfather always made it this way but he doesn't remember all the details lol. any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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should i rack my mead?
- Thread starter alfredtb
- Start date
If you're at 6 weeks and still going I'm going to bet you haven't been using nutrients. And you probably dry pitched the yeast on top of your must. Is this so?
You need to be stirring the lee's (powder on the bottom) every 2 days or so, so they don't get smelly. If your batch has a sulferish smell to it already you will probably do best just to rack it off the lee's so the stink doesn't set in. WHat is your gravity? Tell us everything you can about what you used and when. If it stinks, go rack it now!
You need to be stirring the lee's (powder on the bottom) every 2 days or so, so they don't get smelly. If your batch has a sulferish smell to it already you will probably do best just to rack it off the lee's so the stink doesn't set in. WHat is your gravity? Tell us everything you can about what you used and when. If it stinks, go rack it now!
i didn't have a hydrometer when i mixed the batch up, but i checked it tonight and it is at 1.045. i used 3lbs honey and 5g of yeast for 1 gallon, i did hydrate the yeast before using. i used the juice of a single lemon for nutrients, grandpas recipe, very simple but he doesn't remember the whole process. it does not smell and actually tastes pretty good, drank the stuff i used for the hydrometer. i read that some people are basing it off of the bubbles from the airlock? mine was every 42 seconds lol. not sure on the science of that. thanks again everyone.
Read the newbee guide. You are not using nutrients correctly and not using a hydrometer.
Please do yourself a favor and read the guide before starting any new batches.
As far as the current batch....
You might have something drinkable in a year.
Please do yourself a favor and read the guide before starting any new batches.
As far as the current batch....
You might have something drinkable in a year.
Caduseus and Squatchy have already covered the current forum orthodoxy on mead making, so I feel comfortable going off on a tangent a bit. You say you got the recipe from your grandfather, who "always made it this way". I am very curious what the recipe is, how long your grandfather has been making mead, and where you and he live (Saskatchewan?)
Mostly from an armchair historian's point of view, having a data point for, say, 50 years of mead making from the Canadian Prairies would be interesting.
Mostly from an armchair historian's point of view, having a data point for, say, 50 years of mead making from the Canadian Prairies would be interesting.
Back to your original question...6 weeks and still fermenting, but slowly. From your description, and your addition of lemon juice per your grandfather's recipe, it may have been short a little on nutrient, but they didn't do what we do now with DAP and Fermaid and staggered feedings, etc...I would suggest that you just be patient. Time is on your side, and just let it do it's thing. At 1.045 and the rate you see, it may run down another 10 points, but will finish pretty sweet. You don't know your starting gravity, so you don't really know if your alcohol content is limiting the yeast, but at 3lbs per gallon you are likely pretty close to a 1.135 or so SG and are approaching a 100 point drop which is pretty normal for what I've seen in my meads...just speculating, but I think your fine. You can improve your practice on the next batch, but I wouldn't worry too much and just give it another month. When the SG remains steady for a couple of weeks, you can rack it one more time before bottling.
Actually, I posted a comment on this, but didn't see the date was last April...now I'm just curious as to how it came out?
