Hi!
Brand new here on this forum so I would like to introduce myself. I live in Las Vegas and thankfully have a small LHBS in the area now! A friend of mine introduced me to mead a few years back and have been loving it ever since.
There are 7 batches of mead under my belt so far:
-JAO (Tasty)
-JAO Pyment version (Tasty)
-Simple Cyser (Sewer!)
-2 batches Hard Cider (Sewer!)
-Cherry Plum Cyser (Tasty)
-Blueberry Hydromel (Awesome)
I find that I do not like bitter at all and have a preference to semi-sweet to sweet drink. To that end I usually back sweeten just a bit and have found that making my own leads to results that I very much enjoy.
Now on to what I hope I can get some help with.
You may have noticed that most of the Cyser/Cider batches have a "Sewer!" comment. That is caused by the Rhino farts, as I have learned they are called, and while most advise they will go away in time I have not found that to be the case. The gas goes away, but the must retains a rotten egg/sewer/dead body like smell.
I bottled both batches of cider, one batch I splashed back and forth between a couple of pitcher to help drive off the gas, and now 4 months later I get a blast of ass when I open a bottle. Just not drinkable...
From the first batch of cyser on I have been searching the forums looking for ways to counter them. So far nothing has worked. (The Apple Cherry Cyser worked though, but I also had 12 lbs of fruit in a 3 gallon batch so I assume that's the reason it worked out!)
So I am trying a variation of the Caramel Apple Mead recipe I originally saw posted by SummerSolistice. Not sure if he got it somewhere else or not...
This is my version with tweaks.
------------------------------------------
10 grams Lalvin K1V-1116 Yeast
3 Gallons Muscleman's Apple Cider
3 lbs. Clover Honey
1/2 Gallon Water
2 large sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
2 lbs. Cracked Crystal Malt 60L
1 1/2 tsp. Pectic Enzyme
3 grams Fermax
1/2 tsp. Brewmaster Yeast Nutrient
*Changes: I have left out the DME and reduced the honey in order to keep the OG down from 1.120. I have also added spices because I like them! =) The pectic enzyme is there as I've found unfiltered apple juice clears a lot better with it added.
As I have elected to exclude the DME from the mix I assume my nutrient levels are not going to be what the original recipe had so I supplemented with the Fermax and Yest Nutrient right from the get go.
*Notes: The fermentation will be carried out in a water bath with a temperature of 60F - 65F. As I've read that rhino farts can/could be dependent upon fermentation temperature with a low incidence correlating to low temperatures.
Regarding nutrients, I am going to be aggressive on this batch with them as I've also read that rhino farts are caused by stressed yeast and that is most often caused by lack of nitrogen.
Here is what I've done...
10/28/2010 - 05:00 PM - Finished brewing up the Spiced Caramel Apple Mead/Braggot/Cyser (Frankenmead)
*OG: 1.085
*1st Sugar Break: 1.061
*2nd Sugar Break: 1.036
*Target FG: 1.012
-Steep crystal malt, placed in muslin bags, in 1 gallon apple cider @ 155F for 45 minutes by heating on the stove to 157F and then storing in an insulated cooler for 45 minutes.
-Rinse 1 gallon of apple cider through the grain bags and back into the mash pot.
-Mix in 3lbs of clover honey to the must/wort and stir well.
-Pour must into 6.5 gallon fermenter and add last gallon of cider, cinnamon, cloves, pectic enzyme, Fermax, and nutrient.
-Adjust SG to 1.085 with cold water(~1/3 Gallon). Must temperature was 85F.
-Hydate yeast in 104F water for 15 minutes and then pitch into the must.
-Aerate the must using pump, filter, and stone for 5 minutes.
-Lid and airlock.
-Place in 63F water bath in garage. (30 Gallon rubbermaid Trashcan filled with water/ice)
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10/28/2010 07:00PM - No bubble acitivity yet.
10/28/2010 11:00PM - Small Airlock activity. ~50 seconds interval
10/29/2010 09:00AM - Iced bath to 59F. Added 1/2 tsp. Brewmaster Yeast Nutrient, 3g Fermax, 1.5g DAP, Aerated 5 minutes. SG @ 1.084
10/29/2010 10:05AM - Bubble @ 45.94 seconds. Water bath @ 61F
10/29/2010 01:38PM - Bubble @ 4.50 seconds. Water bath @ 62F. Added ice. Off like a ROCKET!
10/29/2010 04:43PM - BUbble @ 2.90 seconds. Added ice 20 minutes ago. Water bath now @ 61.5F
10/29/2010 10:36PM - Aerated 5 minutes. Add 3g Fermax, 1.5g DAP, 1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient. SG @ 1.077, pH @ 4.1, Water Bath @ 59.5F (Tasted very caramel, sweet, dark. A bit fizzy!) *Being agressive with the nutrients to stave off rhino farts/HSO2 formation. Will wait for 1/3 sugar break to add the last dose. Estimate 30th @ 9:00PM it will reach 1st break.
10/30/2010 10:00AM - Water Bath @ 65F. Add ice. Noticed a slight Rihno Fart Smell! Damn! Bubbles are erratic but much faster than last log entry, a flurry of bubbles every few seconds.
*******************************
Okay, so there it is. Comments welcome!
Thanks and sorry this post turned into a novel... hopefully I'm in the right forum.
Brand new here on this forum so I would like to introduce myself. I live in Las Vegas and thankfully have a small LHBS in the area now! A friend of mine introduced me to mead a few years back and have been loving it ever since.
There are 7 batches of mead under my belt so far:
-JAO (Tasty)
-JAO Pyment version (Tasty)
-Simple Cyser (Sewer!)
-2 batches Hard Cider (Sewer!)
-Cherry Plum Cyser (Tasty)
-Blueberry Hydromel (Awesome)
I find that I do not like bitter at all and have a preference to semi-sweet to sweet drink. To that end I usually back sweeten just a bit and have found that making my own leads to results that I very much enjoy.
Now on to what I hope I can get some help with.
You may have noticed that most of the Cyser/Cider batches have a "Sewer!" comment. That is caused by the Rhino farts, as I have learned they are called, and while most advise they will go away in time I have not found that to be the case. The gas goes away, but the must retains a rotten egg/sewer/dead body like smell.
I bottled both batches of cider, one batch I splashed back and forth between a couple of pitcher to help drive off the gas, and now 4 months later I get a blast of ass when I open a bottle. Just not drinkable...
From the first batch of cyser on I have been searching the forums looking for ways to counter them. So far nothing has worked. (The Apple Cherry Cyser worked though, but I also had 12 lbs of fruit in a 3 gallon batch so I assume that's the reason it worked out!)
So I am trying a variation of the Caramel Apple Mead recipe I originally saw posted by SummerSolistice. Not sure if he got it somewhere else or not...
This is my version with tweaks.
------------------------------------------
10 grams Lalvin K1V-1116 Yeast
3 Gallons Muscleman's Apple Cider
3 lbs. Clover Honey
1/2 Gallon Water
2 large sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
2 lbs. Cracked Crystal Malt 60L
1 1/2 tsp. Pectic Enzyme
3 grams Fermax
1/2 tsp. Brewmaster Yeast Nutrient
*Changes: I have left out the DME and reduced the honey in order to keep the OG down from 1.120. I have also added spices because I like them! =) The pectic enzyme is there as I've found unfiltered apple juice clears a lot better with it added.
As I have elected to exclude the DME from the mix I assume my nutrient levels are not going to be what the original recipe had so I supplemented with the Fermax and Yest Nutrient right from the get go.
*Notes: The fermentation will be carried out in a water bath with a temperature of 60F - 65F. As I've read that rhino farts can/could be dependent upon fermentation temperature with a low incidence correlating to low temperatures.
Regarding nutrients, I am going to be aggressive on this batch with them as I've also read that rhino farts are caused by stressed yeast and that is most often caused by lack of nitrogen.
Here is what I've done...
10/28/2010 - 05:00 PM - Finished brewing up the Spiced Caramel Apple Mead/Braggot/Cyser (Frankenmead)
*OG: 1.085
*1st Sugar Break: 1.061
*2nd Sugar Break: 1.036
*Target FG: 1.012
-Steep crystal malt, placed in muslin bags, in 1 gallon apple cider @ 155F for 45 minutes by heating on the stove to 157F and then storing in an insulated cooler for 45 minutes.
-Rinse 1 gallon of apple cider through the grain bags and back into the mash pot.
-Mix in 3lbs of clover honey to the must/wort and stir well.
-Pour must into 6.5 gallon fermenter and add last gallon of cider, cinnamon, cloves, pectic enzyme, Fermax, and nutrient.
-Adjust SG to 1.085 with cold water(~1/3 Gallon). Must temperature was 85F.
-Hydate yeast in 104F water for 15 minutes and then pitch into the must.
-Aerate the must using pump, filter, and stone for 5 minutes.
-Lid and airlock.
-Place in 63F water bath in garage. (30 Gallon rubbermaid Trashcan filled with water/ice)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/28/2010 07:00PM - No bubble acitivity yet.
10/28/2010 11:00PM - Small Airlock activity. ~50 seconds interval
10/29/2010 09:00AM - Iced bath to 59F. Added 1/2 tsp. Brewmaster Yeast Nutrient, 3g Fermax, 1.5g DAP, Aerated 5 minutes. SG @ 1.084
10/29/2010 10:05AM - Bubble @ 45.94 seconds. Water bath @ 61F
10/29/2010 01:38PM - Bubble @ 4.50 seconds. Water bath @ 62F. Added ice. Off like a ROCKET!
10/29/2010 04:43PM - BUbble @ 2.90 seconds. Added ice 20 minutes ago. Water bath now @ 61.5F
10/29/2010 10:36PM - Aerated 5 minutes. Add 3g Fermax, 1.5g DAP, 1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrient. SG @ 1.077, pH @ 4.1, Water Bath @ 59.5F (Tasted very caramel, sweet, dark. A bit fizzy!) *Being agressive with the nutrients to stave off rhino farts/HSO2 formation. Will wait for 1/3 sugar break to add the last dose. Estimate 30th @ 9:00PM it will reach 1st break.
10/30/2010 10:00AM - Water Bath @ 65F. Add ice. Noticed a slight Rihno Fart Smell! Damn! Bubbles are erratic but much faster than last log entry, a flurry of bubbles every few seconds.
*******************************
Okay, so there it is. Comments welcome!
Thanks and sorry this post turned into a novel... hopefully I'm in the right forum.