Hi! So my first introduction to you all is that as I read more and more I realize I'm quite a mead idiot (meadiot?)
My very first batch that I made was Ken Shramm's Fall's Bounty Cyser on 10-7-17... sort of.
8lbs wildflower honey
3 gallons fresh pressed apple cider
2 tsp yeast energizer
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 lb dates
1/2 lb raisins
distilled water (because I didn't get 4 gallons of cider out of the pressed apples)
10g Lalvin D47 ... rehydrated ... 104 degrees, sit for 15 minutes then pitched
My first mistake is that I didn't sanitize the apple cider. We went out that morning and picked 1.5 bushels of apples, pressed them that afternoon {after washing each apple} and just left it at that. The juice was put into a sanitized bucket but the apple press wasn't sanitized, I didn't think of that ... I read after that I should have done so or at least used a camden tablet to to sanitize.
My second mistake was that we made this outside that afternoon, temp in the 80's on a lovely yet very breezy afternoon ... my understanding is that I probably added more wild yeast to the ones I already introduced from the fresh apple juice.
My third mistake was that I didn't take a hydrometer reading ... I read that Mr Shramm never did so I didn't think it necessary.
My fourth mistake is the big one (up to that point) ... I didn't aerate or stir this at all for the first 8 (yes I said 8) days. I can't even tell you what my thinking was as to why I didn't do it (mixed up the JOAM instructions with this one is the closest that I can come to guessing) No I didn't read that anywhere here on this forum, ... I just don't know where my mind was.
Everytime that I looked at the carboy those raisins and dates were riding the rip tide of activity and in my little head I'm wondering that if since the mix was so active that perhaps that was enough to help forgive the non stirring/aeration...?
My fifth mistake (?) was only really starting to punch down the fruit cap at day 8 because that is when I noted activity had slowed to where the fruit wasn't moving on it's own.
My sixth and I think deadliest mistake ... I went and added 1/4 tsp ferm K and 1/2 tsp DAP today and then whipped the heck out of it because I read that I should have been releasing the CO2 up to this point yet hadn't, so I basically had nothing to lose.
Before I added the nutrients (rehydrated in 1/2 c of the mead) some of the fruit was still suspended and small bubble activity was still visibly active and viewable through the carboy. After adding the nutrients and the vigorous mixing and releasing of the CO2 (there was lots to be released) ... just about all of the fruit has dropped to the bottom and there is no activity. Since then I have noticed that the temp is around 68, so I've moved it to a warmer spot but I'm not very hopeful.
To be honest I'm overwhelmed with the amount of information that I've been trying to absorb to try to fix my mistakes and I'm no better off than when I started.
This batch has no activity now so I don't know if my last mistake was a nail in the coffin type of mistake or if I can hold out on some hope that mayhap this isn't a lost cause?
I will be stepping back from making any batches until I can read/study more and have a better grasp on the concepts ... until then, is there something I can/should do to throw this a lifeline? Should I just rack this to get it off the lees and fruit and just hope for the best?
By the way, I did take a hydrometer reading the other day (day 15) and it came out to 1.006. I should have taken another today but figured that I best let the fruit and sediment settle down before I take another, so that is what I will do tomorrow.
One last thing ... ruining 8 lbs of honey and 1.5 bushels of apples would really suck, but I did have one of the best times ever mixing this up. My brother & sister-in-law were visiting from out of state, we went and picked apples, hand pressed the juice out of them and then mixed up the batch with 7 neighbors hanging out watching the 'festivities' ... it was such a fun and interesting time!
I will do better next time!
-Ruthie
My very first batch that I made was Ken Shramm's Fall's Bounty Cyser on 10-7-17... sort of.
8lbs wildflower honey
3 gallons fresh pressed apple cider
2 tsp yeast energizer
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 lb dates
1/2 lb raisins
distilled water (because I didn't get 4 gallons of cider out of the pressed apples)
10g Lalvin D47 ... rehydrated ... 104 degrees, sit for 15 minutes then pitched
My first mistake is that I didn't sanitize the apple cider. We went out that morning and picked 1.5 bushels of apples, pressed them that afternoon {after washing each apple} and just left it at that. The juice was put into a sanitized bucket but the apple press wasn't sanitized, I didn't think of that ... I read after that I should have done so or at least used a camden tablet to to sanitize.
My second mistake was that we made this outside that afternoon, temp in the 80's on a lovely yet very breezy afternoon ... my understanding is that I probably added more wild yeast to the ones I already introduced from the fresh apple juice.
My third mistake was that I didn't take a hydrometer reading ... I read that Mr Shramm never did so I didn't think it necessary.
My fourth mistake is the big one (up to that point) ... I didn't aerate or stir this at all for the first 8 (yes I said 8) days. I can't even tell you what my thinking was as to why I didn't do it (mixed up the JOAM instructions with this one is the closest that I can come to guessing) No I didn't read that anywhere here on this forum, ... I just don't know where my mind was.
Everytime that I looked at the carboy those raisins and dates were riding the rip tide of activity and in my little head I'm wondering that if since the mix was so active that perhaps that was enough to help forgive the non stirring/aeration...?
My fifth mistake (?) was only really starting to punch down the fruit cap at day 8 because that is when I noted activity had slowed to where the fruit wasn't moving on it's own.
My sixth and I think deadliest mistake ... I went and added 1/4 tsp ferm K and 1/2 tsp DAP today and then whipped the heck out of it because I read that I should have been releasing the CO2 up to this point yet hadn't, so I basically had nothing to lose.
Before I added the nutrients (rehydrated in 1/2 c of the mead) some of the fruit was still suspended and small bubble activity was still visibly active and viewable through the carboy. After adding the nutrients and the vigorous mixing and releasing of the CO2 (there was lots to be released) ... just about all of the fruit has dropped to the bottom and there is no activity. Since then I have noticed that the temp is around 68, so I've moved it to a warmer spot but I'm not very hopeful.
To be honest I'm overwhelmed with the amount of information that I've been trying to absorb to try to fix my mistakes and I'm no better off than when I started.
This batch has no activity now so I don't know if my last mistake was a nail in the coffin type of mistake or if I can hold out on some hope that mayhap this isn't a lost cause?
I will be stepping back from making any batches until I can read/study more and have a better grasp on the concepts ... until then, is there something I can/should do to throw this a lifeline? Should I just rack this to get it off the lees and fruit and just hope for the best?
By the way, I did take a hydrometer reading the other day (day 15) and it came out to 1.006. I should have taken another today but figured that I best let the fruit and sediment settle down before I take another, so that is what I will do tomorrow.
One last thing ... ruining 8 lbs of honey and 1.5 bushels of apples would really suck, but I did have one of the best times ever mixing this up. My brother & sister-in-law were visiting from out of state, we went and picked apples, hand pressed the juice out of them and then mixed up the batch with 7 neighbors hanging out watching the 'festivities' ... it was such a fun and interesting time!
I will do better next time!
-Ruthie
