Ok, I keep bees, now going on my 3rd year. Just now got around to making my own mead. 3 weeks ago started 2 batches. One 1 gallon, and added blackberries that I had in freezer that I had picked last summer. That batch took off like nuts! Used D47, one pack, one quart of my own honey. Next morning after starting it, it had spewed yummy liquid all over table I had gallon jug sitting on.
2nd batch, 5 gallon in 5 gallon bakery bucket with gasket lid. Sanitized everything same way, 5 gallon and 1 gallon batch. 5 gallon batch started out being traditional, with the exception of raisins used for nutrients. Left out that one gallon batch had them too, along with blackberries.
Ok, so like I said, 1 gallon went nuts, used 2 packs of D47 in 5 gallon batch, rehydrated same way as I did the 1 gallon batch.
What I'm getting at, is 5 gallon batch never seemed to take off like the 1 gallon. I'm thinking maybe not enough oxygen? Stirred like crazy before pitching yeast. Anyway after a few days, and doing some reading about fruit and such, got 4 fresh peaches from grocery store and cut them up and threw in there too. Backing up for a minute, before that added some more raisins, and when I took off lid of bucket, was convinced had fermentation going on. In fact when threw the more raisins in, u could actually HEAR the bubbling pick up. So a few days later, and still not seeing the bloop bloop in the airlock like I was seeing in the 1 gallon, thats when I added the peaches. well that seemed to pick things up, and let me know that perhaps the lid was not making a perfect seal, as liquid was bubbling out of certain areas of lid. Now the lid has a gasket, bakery bucket, sterilized, so I duck taped around the lid LOL. . still not blooping like I would like to see. But like I said, both times I lifted lid up to add raisins and peaches, smelling like a good fermentation. Don't have hydrometer yet, doing it hillbilly style for the moment. So, I know this is not really good info, but with what i've shared, any suggestions on the 5 gallon batch? Plus I started another 1 gallon batch of traditional with only raisins added, and it seems to be doing fine. My thoughts are with smaller batches it's easier to get more oxygen in by shaking the mess out of the must before adding the yeast. One thing I couldn't do with a 5 gallon bucket. Any input would be appreciated!
2nd batch, 5 gallon in 5 gallon bakery bucket with gasket lid. Sanitized everything same way, 5 gallon and 1 gallon batch. 5 gallon batch started out being traditional, with the exception of raisins used for nutrients. Left out that one gallon batch had them too, along with blackberries.
Ok, so like I said, 1 gallon went nuts, used 2 packs of D47 in 5 gallon batch, rehydrated same way as I did the 1 gallon batch.
What I'm getting at, is 5 gallon batch never seemed to take off like the 1 gallon. I'm thinking maybe not enough oxygen? Stirred like crazy before pitching yeast. Anyway after a few days, and doing some reading about fruit and such, got 4 fresh peaches from grocery store and cut them up and threw in there too. Backing up for a minute, before that added some more raisins, and when I took off lid of bucket, was convinced had fermentation going on. In fact when threw the more raisins in, u could actually HEAR the bubbling pick up. So a few days later, and still not seeing the bloop bloop in the airlock like I was seeing in the 1 gallon, thats when I added the peaches. well that seemed to pick things up, and let me know that perhaps the lid was not making a perfect seal, as liquid was bubbling out of certain areas of lid. Now the lid has a gasket, bakery bucket, sterilized, so I duck taped around the lid LOL. . still not blooping like I would like to see. But like I said, both times I lifted lid up to add raisins and peaches, smelling like a good fermentation. Don't have hydrometer yet, doing it hillbilly style for the moment. So, I know this is not really good info, but with what i've shared, any suggestions on the 5 gallon batch? Plus I started another 1 gallon batch of traditional with only raisins added, and it seems to be doing fine. My thoughts are with smaller batches it's easier to get more oxygen in by shaking the mess out of the must before adding the yeast. One thing I couldn't do with a 5 gallon bucket. Any input would be appreciated!
