Hello everyone. This is my first post and I started my first batch of mead last night. I have my ingredients and process below. My question is about aeration of the must in the beginning. I have read some say do not touch it at all and some say aerat it 2 times a day for the first 3 days. I know those are the extremes but how do I know which method? Does it depend on the recipe, honey, or some other factors? Please let me know.
Honey - raw unfiltered, unpasteurized, unheated orange blossom honey
Water - store bought spring water
Yeast - Lavin D47
Yeast energized
Yeast nutrients
1. Everything was washed with hot soap and water the I used 1 step no rinse sanitizer per direction on package.
2. Heated spring water to 150 degrees and added nutrients, energized, and honey. Mixed till blended.
3. Added water till S.G. was 1.118 on a refractometer. Total volume was about 1.2 gallons
4. Allowed must to cool to 80 degrees
5. Rehydrated 2g yeast in 25ml spring water at 105 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. While yeast was dehydrating I used an air stone and pure oxygen to aeriate the must for 15 minutes
7. I pitched the yeast at 80 degrees
8. I sealed the fermenter and used spring water in the airlock.
Thanks for your help and any advice on my process, recipe, or the aeration question above would be appreciated.
Honey - raw unfiltered, unpasteurized, unheated orange blossom honey
Water - store bought spring water
Yeast - Lavin D47
Yeast energized
Yeast nutrients
1. Everything was washed with hot soap and water the I used 1 step no rinse sanitizer per direction on package.
2. Heated spring water to 150 degrees and added nutrients, energized, and honey. Mixed till blended.
3. Added water till S.G. was 1.118 on a refractometer. Total volume was about 1.2 gallons
4. Allowed must to cool to 80 degrees
5. Rehydrated 2g yeast in 25ml spring water at 105 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. While yeast was dehydrating I used an air stone and pure oxygen to aeriate the must for 15 minutes
7. I pitched the yeast at 80 degrees
8. I sealed the fermenter and used spring water in the airlock.
Thanks for your help and any advice on my process, recipe, or the aeration question above would be appreciated.