Hi all, below are the notes I kept from the batch:
Ingredients
Yeast Starter:
Date & notes
For the secondary I used a "Big Mouth Bubbler", link" https://www.northernbrewer.com/collections/big-mouth-bubbler/products/siphonless-big-mouth-bubbler-ported-5-gallon
Result
I have linked two photos.
First photo is before I shake the bottle; the mead is basically clear but with a thick layer of something resting at the bottom.
Second photo is just after I inverted the bottle one time and all the junk is beginning to swirl around.
I think this is mold? It's definitely some kind of nastiness and it's in every bottle. The flavor is a chemical off-taste. (I tasted before I noticed the junk floating in the bottle. :-X ) Best way I can describe what's floating in there is a like a liquid form of smoke.
I was very disappointed losing this batch as the honey was quite expensive. Guess I should have used a cheap honey for the first try.
Some questions, if I may...
Thank you fellow mead-sters.
Ingredients
- Honey: 18 lbs Carrot Blossom from Flying Bee Ranch in Oregon
- Bottled spring water to get to 5 gallons
- Yeast:Red Star Cotes des Blanc (E491)
Yeast Starter:
- 800 ml water
- 1 TBSP malt extract
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
- (1) mix in flask, loose-fitting tinfoil cap
- (2) heat over low/med to boil, simmer 5 minutes
- (3) allow to cool
- (4) add 1 package yeast, put on stir plate for 24 hours
Date & notes
- 10/08/2017 O.G. 1.122
- 10/09/2017 Degassed, aerated, added 1 tsp Fermaid-K
- 10/11/2017 Gravity 1.090. Degassed, aerated, added 1 tsp Fermaid-K
- 10/14/2017 Fermentation stopped
- 10/21/2017 Transferred to secondary. S.G. 1.022
- 03/19/2018 (hey, life is busy) bottled
For the secondary I used a "Big Mouth Bubbler", link" https://www.northernbrewer.com/collections/big-mouth-bubbler/products/siphonless-big-mouth-bubbler-ported-5-gallon
Result
I have linked two photos.
First photo is before I shake the bottle; the mead is basically clear but with a thick layer of something resting at the bottom.
Second photo is just after I inverted the bottle one time and all the junk is beginning to swirl around.
I think this is mold? It's definitely some kind of nastiness and it's in every bottle. The flavor is a chemical off-taste. (I tasted before I noticed the junk floating in the bottle. :-X ) Best way I can describe what's floating in there is a like a liquid form of smoke.
I was very disappointed losing this batch as the honey was quite expensive. Guess I should have used a cheap honey for the first try.
Some questions, if I may...
- You figure the bacteria got in during secondary? I used star-san to disinfect everything (primary bucket, secondary fermenter, bottles, all equipment) but perhaps I did a poor job of it?
- Next batch I'm going for a sack mead, syrupy sweet with high alcohol.
- How much honey for a 5 gallon batch? 20-24 lbs?
- Which yeast? I was thinking Lalvin DV10 ?
Thank you fellow mead-sters.
