Q2XL

Recipes 

I made my first mead on 3/28/2010 with a starting gravity of 1.136.

So far it has gone like this.....

3 days- 1.110
6 days- 1.070
7 days- 1.060
9 days- 1.044...last check was 2 days ago.

I have added the usual nutrients and have oxygenated it every time with pure oxygen.

My question is when do I stop adding oxygen?

MedsenFey

Recipes 

Yeast need oxygen most during the rapid growth phase and typically this is done by the time you've reached the 1/3 fermentation point. After that, it isn't doing anything to help you in most cases.

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"Our results are merely the result of carefully managing the transformation of bee spit into yeast excrement."
--- Wayneb

malkore

Recipes 

Honestly I've never oxygenated a mead. You don't boil it, so there's oxygen in it already (unlike boiling 5 gallons of beer which drives off every O2 molecule).

I would only oxygenate prior to pitching and then do a staggered nutrient addition. but that's just me. I don't see a need to keep adding O2. Others will disagree but all my great meads will argue its not necessary

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Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10

shanecb

Recipes 

I usually aerate until the 1/3 sugar break. Compared to the times I haven't, it definitely seems to speed things up. Like malkore said, I also do a staggered nutrient addition. Gotta keep those yeasties happy!

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Primary - Nothing
Secondary - Wild Brett clementine sour beer


2010 - 62.5 gallons
2011 - 62.5 gallons