Strange lees in raspberry melomel

[Mikeymu]

Recipe:

4 lbs clover honey
2.5 lbs raspberries (frozen then thawed)
water to 1 gallon
1 teaspoon citric acid
yeast and nutrient

The mead was started without the raspberries, then the must was racked off into a bucket fermenter over the raspberries and after another two weeks I racked off the fruit into a demijohn again.

There were a few bits of fruit that found their way into the demijohn, but what gives me concern is the 2 inch deep white fluffy sediment - although it's fermenting well now - 3 weeks after racking off the fruit.

Should I rack again soon or has the ferment gone wrong?

[Chevette Girl]

Usually, sediments aren't cause for concern, it's probably raspberry bits that got into the must and are settling out now, and they turn white as the must leaches all the colour out.

If it smells OK, I wouldn't worry about it.

[AlphaGenetics]

I had this happen with cherries. It's white, almost fluffy looking, that never really "settles" into a sediment, although it falls to the bottom. I just left more fluid behind on racking, and put the rest into a narrow bottle where I could have a better chance at recovering more mead.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks.

It is curious as there were only a few raspberry bits that found their way into the demijohn, and there's a two inch 'sediment' now. I'd guess at about 20 times the original volume of the bits of fruit.

I'll try using a small bottle with some of the remainder that is left after racking, but what would be a good way of getting the remaining mead out?

[Chevette Girl]

It's possible that refrigerating it might convince it to compact a little. Maybe.

If you rack all the clear stuff leaving only the fluffy stuff behind and then put the fluffy stuff in a narrower container in the refrigerator, you might be able to get more clear stuff off of it.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks. I'll try just that.

[Mikeymu]

Looking at the deposits I think the yeast has formed a floculated lees. There are vertical lines that suggest closely-packed stalagmites.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks AlphaGenetics and ChevetteGirl, I did the bottle in the fridge thing and got some more out but there's still quite a large 'air-gap' on top of the mel in the demijohn. The specidif gravity is now 1.002. What would you do now?

Your advice greatly appreciated.

[fatbloke]

Originally Posted by Mikeymu

Thanks AlphaGenetics and ChevetteGirl, I did the bottle in the fridge thing and got some more out but there's still quite a large 'air-gap' on top of the mel in the demijohn. The specidif gravity is now 1.002. What would you do now?

Your advice greatly appreciated.

If the fermentation is complete i.e. 3 consecutive, identical readings, each one taken a couple of days apart, then the choice is yours.

Top off with something, water ? Vodka ? similar wine/mead ? back sweeten with honey/water syrup ? sanitised marbles to reduce/remove airspace (care needs taking, as it's easy to drop marbles in and crack the base of the fermenter/DJ plus you'd be surprised how many are actually needed, depending on the volume of the airspace), etc etc etc.

You can even just rack it/siphon into 2 x 2litre pop bottles and chuck it in the fridge, clear it that way and then get it into bottles afterward.

p.s. Oh and with a gravity of 1.002, there is a small amount of residual sugars, so if you're gonna back sweeten or add any other source of fermentable sugars, then don't forget it's wise to stabilise i.e. hit the batch with sulphite AND sorbate to prevent any chance of re-fermentation.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks Fatbloke. All those different things I could do!

Yesterday I racked off onto a crushed campden tablet and then added pot sorbate, and do you know what? it's started bubbling again!

Perplexed!

[Chevette Girl]

Originally Posted by Mikeymu

Thanks Fatbloke. All those different things I could do!

Yesterday I racked off onto a crushed campden tablet and then added pot sorbate, and do you know what? it's started bubbling again!

Perplexed!

Oh, don't sweat that, happens to me most times, I think it's just a chemical reaction or the must releasing the gas produced by the sulphites. Your SG shouldn't actually drop.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks Chevette Girl.

It did occurr to me that the present high temperatures (22-23 Celcius) might have lead to more CO2 being released by the liquid and that would explain the (very) slow bubbling.

Another idea was that the airspace produced by racking (which I've now eliminated by topping up with syrup to back-sweeten) was somehow to blame, as the slow bubbling started after racking but before adding the stop chemicals.

Perhaps I'll just wait and see if the bubbling stops when the weather cools.

[Chevette Girl]

Originally Posted by Mikeymu

It did occurr to me that the present high temperatures (22-23 Celcius) might have lead to more CO2 being released by the liquid and that would explain the (very) slow bubbling.

That's a good point too, I've noticed that one myself on occasion when I've brought something up from the basement...

[wildoates]

Originally Posted by Mikeymu

Thanks.

It is curious as there were only a few raspberry bits that found their way into the demijohn, and there's a two inch 'sediment' now. I'd guess at about 20 times the original volume of the bits of fruit.

I'll try using a small bottle with some of the remainder that is left after racking, but what would be a good way of getting the remaining mead out?

I learned long ago to make at least two gallons more than I wanted to get in the end when making a mel...always better to have a bit too much than too little.

South Yorkshire, eh? My daughter lives in North Yorkshire! I spent a lot of time there in July.

[Mikeymu]

Thanks Wildoats. North Yorkshire is a place we from South Yorks go on holiday - very picture postcard!

I think that the next one I do I'll make enough so I can have spare in the fridge (without any yeasties) for topping up. I'm of the current opinion that it's good not to skimp on racking.