I made a 20 oz mead with the following recipe: 7.5-ish oz honey, 1/2 packet red star rapid rise bread yeast, 1 7/8 tsp lemon juice, pinch of lemon peel, 3 raisins, and water to fill. I originally messed up by adding cold water and then by adding everything at once. Then because I don't have an airlock I used a balloon stretched over the top of the bottle. The notes I took are as follows: 04/07/11 4:37PM: Added all at same time, shooke 5-6 minutes.
04/07/11 8:30PM: Balloon filled and venting.
Within 2-3 days(not sure): Has a little sediment on bottom with small floating particles, gases venting from balloon smell like a sourdough starter.
04/14/11 8:50PM: Strained into new bottle and tasted. Cold crashing to clear, was still fermenting. Smells like alcohol. The mead taste had a(for me) unidentifiable sweetness, with a little bit in the mouth(maybe acid or carbornation?), and very little alcohol burn going down. It is an opaque golden-yellow color. And it must be pretty strong because about 4 oz got me a little tipsy.
Sorry for being long winded about the recipe. Anyway, when I was looking at my mead this morning I noticed some white spots(wine flowers?) I didn't know what to do with it and how/if I messed up. Please help.
04/07/11 8:30PM: Balloon filled and venting.
Within 2-3 days(not sure): Has a little sediment on bottom with small floating particles, gases venting from balloon smell like a sourdough starter.
04/14/11 8:50PM: Strained into new bottle and tasted. Cold crashing to clear, was still fermenting. Smells like alcohol. The mead taste had a(for me) unidentifiable sweetness, with a little bit in the mouth(maybe acid or carbornation?), and very little alcohol burn going down. It is an opaque golden-yellow color. And it must be pretty strong because about 4 oz got me a little tipsy.
Sorry for being long winded about the recipe. Anyway, when I was looking at my mead this morning I noticed some white spots(wine flowers?) I didn't know what to do with it and how/if I messed up. Please help.