first time brewing!!

[jesse2205]

I recently got into brewing and i have decided that i would like to make mead. I have never even tried mead but since you guys talk soo good about it how can it be bad!! so i bought (4) 1 gallon glass carboys with airlocks for each and stoppers. would this be all the equipment if need for making joes ancient orange? and also i am having difficulty understanding how to siphon..could somebody elaborate on that? any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!

[Dmntd]

Siphoning is exactly like drinking from a straw, but different.

Put the vessel with the mead or whatever on the counter, the other vessel on the floor, place one end of the tubing in the mead, get close to the container on the floor and suck on tubing, when the mead gets close to the end of the tube put it in the carboy.

You may want to practise this with water until you get the hang of it.

Dmntd

[Kwatt]

Jesse

We're starting at about the same time.
I started last night with a JOA and a Ad-Hoc Cyser. I was not going to start the cyser last night...but the apple juice looked so good I wanted to taste it. And I did not have room in the fridge for a gal jug.

Warning! I have never brewed or fermented before!

I'll answer what I can.
Yes that will get you started with a JOA.
Also, you need something to sterilize everything with. I.E. bleach only a little! Mixed with water. (make sure you rinse well)
I used a stainless pot to sterilize in. I put everything in and let it soak. When I needed it I rinsed it off and used it and then put it back in. I do not know if leaving things setting on the stove or counter top is bad or not. I just did not want to take the chance.
I used another stainless pot to heat the water to 90 F to make the honey mix better with the water.
And a funnel to get it into the carboy.

! Caution ! One of the airlocks I bought was no good and it had me confused for about 20 minutes. So, if there is action in the carboy and none in the airlock you might want to check that out. The airlock was one of the ones that look like 2 sets of 3 globes in series. Also, they have a ridge from the molding process that should be smoothed down. (I used emory cloth) It is on the stem that goes in the stopper.

As far as siphoning I am going to have to practice that myself. There appears to be 2 ways of starting it. Positive presure (blowing with mouth or compressed gas) and negative presure (sucking by mouth, filling the siphon hose with water, or a pump).

Another warning. I am working out of town and staying in a 30 ft. camper and the aroma is driving me crazy. The aroma filled the camper in about 15 minutes after the airlock started bubbling. Be prepared for the aroma. I think the people who have done this for a while have had patience training. Because I want to stick a straw in a carboy and try it now!


Kwatt

[WRATHWILDE]

Originally Posted by Dmntd

You may want to practise this with water until you get the hang of it.

Or on your rich neighbors gas tank, with prices being what they are.

Wrathwilde (Who still remembers the gas siphoning epidemic of the 70's... we were targeted more than a couple of times.)

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Wrathwilde

Or on your rich neighbors gas tank, with prices being what they are.

Wrathwilde (Who still remembers the gas siphoning epidemic of the 70's... we were targeted more than a couple of times.)

Be careful siphoning gas. I did it once and wasn't ready when it came down the pipe and swallowed a nice shot of it. To be honest it went down like a shot of very mellow whiskey but... What was I saying? Oh yeah, for the rest of the day I was burping high octane. Was tempted to try lighting one.
Of course you might want this effect when siphoning your mead.

[kace069]

Kwat,
Bleach and stainless steel don't mix. The bleach will ruin your stainless steel over time.