not clearing

smokepole · Apr 18, 2013

My February plain mead not clearing worth a ------
!0 lbs honey, bread yeast water
It was a fairly dark yellow, cleared about 1/3 down early april, reracked it and added bentonite, now its a lighter yellow and hazy top to bottom, Added hot sparkolloid last friday, still hazy top to bottom.
Storing on floor unheated garage, was 32f to 60 last couple weeks

Late Feb Blueberry Mead, cleared to a beautiful light purple, not as sweet as when bottled a month ago, but everyone loves it.
22 lbs honey, step feed from 12, 1 gallon crushed blueberry's added at 1.1, started with breadyeast, added premere cuvo (?speeling)when it slowed down, and started steping 3 lbs at a time

skunkboy · Apr 18, 2013

How long has it been since you mixed in the bentonite? It can take a 2 weeks+ to settle out in my limited experience using it. I haven't tried sparkaloid myself but that is supposed to work really well.

akueck · Apr 18, 2013

Do you know the FG of the mead?

It's still very young, I'd not be surprised if it is a bit cloudy still. Time helps.

smokepole · Apr 19, 2013

Mead was .99
I'd check it again but grandkids (1 1/2) were in garage again, need another hydrometer again
Supposed to go to 31 tonight, maybe I'll leave garage door open

Swordnut · Apr 19, 2013

Hazy sound good to me. Give it time and a good cold crash for a week. Then give it time, should clear up. Patience is golden with mead x3

WVMJack · Apr 19, 2013

If its gassy its hard to get those fining agents to drop sometimes. WVMJ

smokepole · Apr 20, 2013

cordless drill and a paddle got all that out weeks ago
will just have to sit on it longer I guess

WVMJack · Apr 20, 2013

Give it another good swirl, worst can happen is you mix it up good again. WVMJ

Chevette Girl · Apr 27, 2013

Yeah, you really do need to degas before you use fining agents. Stirring it all up again might help too, it will bring more of the particles of your fining agent into contact with the little particles you want it to stick to. As much as stirring up something sort of clear so it becomes really cloudy again does seem counterintuitive, the more particles that come in contact with each other, the more likely they are to stick together and become big enough particles to fall out faster.

smokepole · Apr 29, 2013

Its sitting there right now, trying to ignore it, and let it do its thing. Maybe a peek in a couple days

smokepole · May 27, 2013

YUCK
Still hazy but can see outline of my hand other side of 6 gallons
.998 still
tastes real citrus'y to me,
I did not add any citrisc acid
I suppose if it was lemonade I could backsweeten
No sign of any wine fingers on the drinking glass
Aroma, sorry my nose does not function correctly

No sign of nausea yet either

Is it saveable?
Add more honey and repitch?

smokepole · May 27, 2013

found recipe
maybe I did citric

5 gallon recipe called for 10 lbs honey (2 qt bottles)(dry mead)
6 tsp acid blend
2.5 pectic enzyme
4 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pack red star premier cuvee

Medsen Fey · May 28, 2013

Your best bet at this point is to put it away and forget about it for a few months. With time, most meads will clear, and the honey character will start to return. You added a lot if acid, and that may mean you'll need to backsweeten to bring it back into balance, but you can decide later, after it clears.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

smokepole · May 29, 2013

I may have to make beer.
I'm going thru alcohol deprivation waiting on mead

skunkboy · May 29, 2013

Its is a plan

kuri · Jun 3, 2013

smokepole said:
I may have to make beer.
I'm going thru alcohol deprivation waiting on mead

Yeah, that's a good reason to start with making beer first -- there's only a 1 month wait before you have something ready to enjoy. Or better, start with making 5 batches of mead your first week and then switch to beer for the next year or two while the mead matures.

Swordnut · Jun 6, 2013

I've had multiple batches, the same as yours with just the honey, water and bread yeast (i.e. super cheap, super basic). All of them cleared up on their own to become as clear as water, golden water that is. I've used no fining agents or other chemicals.

All I did was rack after primary, after secondary I put the whole thing in the fridge on its highest setting for a week. It would still be hazy after that but I blame it on the frequent opening/closing of the door. I placed them in a closet where they wouldn't be stirred and after a week = crisp clear.

In fact, I still have 1 10l batch in secondary, same recipe, which is already clearing up to near-total clarity without the cold crash and currently enjoying some oak cubes. I plan to rack off the remaining lees and oak and then give it its cold crash.

So not sure what could go wrong with this procedure, apart from the more experienced mead makers here objecting to bread yeast or the low-tech approach, etc, as far it comes to clearing up I've never had any problem.

Primary > Secondary > Cold Crash Secondary > Sit for a Week > Crisp Clear

smokepole · Jun 10, 2013

I just checked.
Sediment getting deeper still, but still cant see my hand on other side of carbouy.
Continuing to wait.
I"ve got time, I'm only 62

Swordnut · Jun 22, 2013

smokepole said:
I just checked.
Sediment getting deeper still, but still cant see my hand on other side of carbouy.
Continuing to wait.
I"ve got time, I'm only 62

And you're already in Hell anyway

Time is your friend I guess :/ Just how cold was your cold crash?

smokepole · Jun 23, 2013

In april we were still having subfreezing nights here. I left in the unheated garage, next to a open door.
No spare fridges here

not clearing

Worker Bee

NewBee

Certified Mead Mentor

Worker Bee

NewBee

NewBee

Worker Bee

NewBee

All around BAD EXAMPLE

Worker Bee

Worker Bee

Worker Bee

Fuselier since 2007

Worker Bee

NewBee

NewBee

NewBee

Worker Bee

NewBee

Worker Bee