Hello to all. I'm new here and have started a batch of mead:
Honey, 3 liters
Grape juice, pasturized, 3 liters
Raisins, yellow, sliced frozen, .12 kilo
Water to 20 liters
Yeast, Nevada baker's yeast (Mexican)
Fermentation in loose lid bucket
Calculator gives SG 1.078 / ABV potential 10.49
The fermentation went well. Racked off at two weeks. Tastes a bit raw and yeasty off the primary.
It looked complete in the fermenter, no action... The fermenter is translucent plastic tapered up, so it is difficult to see what is really going on..
After racking, there is some fermentation, outgassing... Maybe some oxygen intrduced in transfer?
Two questions for you folks:
1. I do not have access to a hydrometer here in Mexico. Brewers are very practical. Hydrometers are used to test battery acid. Is the scale about the same for mead fermentations? Is there another rough way to get an idea of gravity?
2. I want to mess with other fruit juices in the same reciepe, apple, mango, pineapple, strawberry. Just swapping out the grape juice for others. I'm particulary interested in a citrus (lime) mead. Limes are readily available and cheap. In reading here, folks say you gotta watch it on the lemon/lime --> PH too low. Suggestions?
I'm an ex beer brewer relocated to Mexico. I understand the basic concepts of sterilization, fermentation, ageing etc... Impossible to get the right stuff to brew beer here, but we got bees down here and honey is very reasonable.
If you look at the above reciepe, you will see it is a light mead, between beer and wine. Had great success with honey beers previously...
Thanks for any input, GREAT website!! STM
Honey, 3 liters
Grape juice, pasturized, 3 liters
Raisins, yellow, sliced frozen, .12 kilo
Water to 20 liters
Yeast, Nevada baker's yeast (Mexican)
Fermentation in loose lid bucket
Calculator gives SG 1.078 / ABV potential 10.49
The fermentation went well. Racked off at two weeks. Tastes a bit raw and yeasty off the primary.
It looked complete in the fermenter, no action... The fermenter is translucent plastic tapered up, so it is difficult to see what is really going on..
After racking, there is some fermentation, outgassing... Maybe some oxygen intrduced in transfer?
Two questions for you folks:
1. I do not have access to a hydrometer here in Mexico. Brewers are very practical. Hydrometers are used to test battery acid. Is the scale about the same for mead fermentations? Is there another rough way to get an idea of gravity?
2. I want to mess with other fruit juices in the same reciepe, apple, mango, pineapple, strawberry. Just swapping out the grape juice for others. I'm particulary interested in a citrus (lime) mead. Limes are readily available and cheap. In reading here, folks say you gotta watch it on the lemon/lime --> PH too low. Suggestions?
I'm an ex beer brewer relocated to Mexico. I understand the basic concepts of sterilization, fermentation, ageing etc... Impossible to get the right stuff to brew beer here, but we got bees down here and honey is very reasonable.
If you look at the above reciepe, you will see it is a light mead, between beer and wine. Had great success with honey beers previously...
Thanks for any input, GREAT website!! STM