Hi all. Newbie here. I've been reading a lot of books as well as posts here on the forums to better understand the mead making process. I have one 1 gallon batch of JAOM under my belt and was pleasantly surprised by the results. I also have a 3 gallon batch of traditional mead going where I'm trying to get used to the overall process.
While that 3 gallon batch is going, I thought I'd start a bigger batch of JAOM to share with family and friends. My question is: If I were to bump up the recipe to a 5+ gallon batch, would you suggest a 5 gallon carboy of a 5+ gallon plastic fermentation bucket? I have a 6.5 gallon plastic fermentation bucket but I'm thinking there might be too much headspace for the mead to sit there post fermentation. I'm also thinking I might need to open the top periodically b/c I can't see if the mead has cleared or if the fruit has settled. This might release a lot/all of the CO2. What are your thoughts and what have you done in the past?
I'm looking forward to hearing from you and have enjoyed reading your responses to other members' posts.
While that 3 gallon batch is going, I thought I'd start a bigger batch of JAOM to share with family and friends. My question is: If I were to bump up the recipe to a 5+ gallon batch, would you suggest a 5 gallon carboy of a 5+ gallon plastic fermentation bucket? I have a 6.5 gallon plastic fermentation bucket but I'm thinking there might be too much headspace for the mead to sit there post fermentation. I'm also thinking I might need to open the top periodically b/c I can't see if the mead has cleared or if the fruit has settled. This might release a lot/all of the CO2. What are your thoughts and what have you done in the past?
I'm looking forward to hearing from you and have enjoyed reading your responses to other members' posts.
