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hiphops · 12-19-2012, 02:25 AM

I'm totally new to mead: I usually brew beer. Anyway, I made my first mead. It was a 1 gallon batch: 3 lbs. of honey (Gunter's Blueberry Honey), 1 tsp. yeast nutrient and I gram of Lavin 71B1118 yeast. With an OG of 1.110, the airlock has been bubbling now for over 2 weeks (16 days to be precise). This is atypical when making beer. Is this normal when making mead? If so, when should I expect to rack it into the secondary? (generally when brewing, I give it 2 weeks in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary and then bottle.) and when will this be drinkable? Thanks everyone!

**fatbloke** · 12-19-2012, 04:34 AM

Get a hydrometer and test it. Then you'll know what stage the brew is at.

You've got some nutrient in there so that helps, but is it a combined type nutrient or like DAP (tan coloured powder or white crystals)?

What temp is it at ? As with beers different temps give you different ferment speeds just like different yeast like different temps to do their thing.

Most meads are made more like wine than beer, plus one of the weird things is that you could have a finished ferment with wine or beer and be able to get some idea of the eventual flavour, with meads (especially traditionals like this) it can taste bloody horrible when young but give it a minimum of 6 months ageing and damn the transformation is amazing.

Time is on your side, but patience is necessary.

Just leave it until it stops bubbling. Then take a couple of tests each one a couple of days apart, if the give the same result, then rack the batch off the sediment

scottv · 12-19-2012, 05:27 AM

What fatbloke said. Not rushing mead is key. If it ferments for months let it go unless you are crashing it for specific taste.

hiphops · 12-19-2012, 07:31 PM

Its at room temp, which is approx. 70 - 75 degrees.

As well, I used fermaid (a brown powdery substance) for yeast nutrient.

**fatbloke** · 12-19-2012, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiphops

Its at room temp, which is approx. 70 - 75 degrees.

As well, I used fermaid (a brown powdery substance) for yeast nutrient.

Well the fermaid is probably fermaidk, as different from fermaidO. Either way it's fine. As is the temperature.

So its probably down to watching the gravity figures.....

hiphops · 12-19-2012, 07:53 PM

Another question: any thoughts on using a plastic bucket for mead making (primary and secondary fermentation)? I have 2 extra truebrew plastic buckets. All my glass carboys are reserved for beer.

**fatbloke** · 12-20-2012, 04:43 AM

For primary they're fine, but once the ferment has finished and you've racked off the gross lees you need to remove as much air space as possible to remove the chance of oxygen damage.

So glass or at least a better bottle.....