Hi guys, first time mead maker here from South Africa. I got the idea to make mead from a colleague, and decided to try it since I had a small amount of honey at home and my wife can't consume it fast enough due to low blood pressure. So I read up a bit, made some plans and decided to get to it. I didn't want to spend money on a "test" like this, so it was as cheap as I could get it. I used:
Old 750ml whisky bottles woth screw caps as the fermenting vessles.
Honey I had at home.
Just expired cider yeast from a local home brew store (SafCider, R25 for two packs, best I could get this time of the year).
Two bubblers (air locks), also from a local home brew store (R30 each).
Some potassium metabisulfate for later, R30 for a bag.
Total cost: R115 (around $9)
So I went home and got started. Drilled holes in the caps of the whisky bottles, and fitted the bubblers.
- Sterilized EVERYTHING with boiling water and bleach.
- Boiled bottled drinking water, let it cool down and poured a bit in each of the two fermenting bottles.
Added 250ml of honey to each bottle (one third by volume).
- Mixed my cider yeast with the same clean water, shook it up and added it to the bottles. I used a full pack for the two bottles (because it was 'expired').
- Sealed with the bubblers, added water to the bubblers and marked the date. 22nd December 2017.
Now, here is where things get interesting. Fermenting started off VERY fast. So fast that one of the bubblers filled up with must. I had to clean it out and reinsert it into the cap. I read up that fermeting should take around 4-5 weeks, but at this pace it'll be long done before then. Today (29th) I mixed up the must again (as I do daily) by just flipping the bottle and making sure it's mixed up, but the sudden CO2 release was very low. Now I wonder if the ferm won't be stopping sooner? How can I tell? How would I know it is time to siphon off for 2nd ferm? When do I add the potassium metabisulfate? When do I rack it to age and clear? If I want to make one bottle a melomel (berries sound awesome), when should I add the fruit?
Sorry for all the questions. I started out with this thing not having any idea what to expect and I tested the waters with both feet - and now I am lost. It is my own stupidity, I know, but I hope to make a success of this tiny, tiny batch of mine and then to proceed to bigger batches (wife seems to love the idea of this new hobby of mine). Any ideas for someone who's just gone and possibly tossed it up (in other words, me)?
Old 750ml whisky bottles woth screw caps as the fermenting vessles.
Honey I had at home.
Just expired cider yeast from a local home brew store (SafCider, R25 for two packs, best I could get this time of the year).
Two bubblers (air locks), also from a local home brew store (R30 each).
Some potassium metabisulfate for later, R30 for a bag.
Total cost: R115 (around $9)
So I went home and got started. Drilled holes in the caps of the whisky bottles, and fitted the bubblers.
- Sterilized EVERYTHING with boiling water and bleach.
- Boiled bottled drinking water, let it cool down and poured a bit in each of the two fermenting bottles.
Added 250ml of honey to each bottle (one third by volume).
- Mixed my cider yeast with the same clean water, shook it up and added it to the bottles. I used a full pack for the two bottles (because it was 'expired').
- Sealed with the bubblers, added water to the bubblers and marked the date. 22nd December 2017.
Now, here is where things get interesting. Fermenting started off VERY fast. So fast that one of the bubblers filled up with must. I had to clean it out and reinsert it into the cap. I read up that fermeting should take around 4-5 weeks, but at this pace it'll be long done before then. Today (29th) I mixed up the must again (as I do daily) by just flipping the bottle and making sure it's mixed up, but the sudden CO2 release was very low. Now I wonder if the ferm won't be stopping sooner? How can I tell? How would I know it is time to siphon off for 2nd ferm? When do I add the potassium metabisulfate? When do I rack it to age and clear? If I want to make one bottle a melomel (berries sound awesome), when should I add the fruit?
Sorry for all the questions. I started out with this thing not having any idea what to expect and I tested the waters with both feet - and now I am lost. It is my own stupidity, I know, but I hope to make a success of this tiny, tiny batch of mine and then to proceed to bigger batches (wife seems to love the idea of this new hobby of mine). Any ideas for someone who's just gone and possibly tossed it up (in other words, me)?