Recent content by fatbloke

One of the handy things about using moulded plastic bottles, is that the shape of the feet make for good containers for the lees - but invariably you need to carefully cut the top off to be able to rack any mead from the lees if you use one of the "snorkel" type racking canes (straight ones work...

I doubt you'll end up with the result you mention m1k3. That's a tiny amount of honey made up to 5 gallons. Honey isn't like any mash. It's 100% fermentable and if there's enough nutrition that the live yeast can get from the yeast cake, then it will more likely ferment dry. Don't forget...

Bloody hell! That's very, very purple..........:D

Yes, the foam eruption tells you that fermentation was occurring because as soon as you gave it new particulates, the dissolved CO2/carbonic acid nucleated out as foam (which in turn tells you that primary ferment is easiest in airlocked buckets - then rack to carboy/jug once primary is...

If you are determined to sweeten it some, then if it were mine, I'd rack it into a bucket to get it off the lees, add the sulphite and sorbate for the total amount, then add some small increments of honey to raise the gravity to the desired level (I like mine at about the 1.010 level). Then...

Lemon ? Don't put them in whole.or chopped as the white pith can impart a bitter flavour. I'd suggest you get unwaxed lemon, zest the out side and add that, then remove all the pith and inner skin so you just add the flesh........

There is no real "set" temp. It's basically yeast dependent. For example, D47 has been found to produce high fusels when fermented above 70F/21C, whereas K1-V1116 has a much wider temp range yet lower temps produce more esters. EC-1118 works well with honey musts but many believe that it's...

And don't use that PITA sweet mead yeast either. D47 would be better just keep the ferment below 70F/21C until it's completed. It may taste hideous when young, and raspberry can be very weird, so you might need to consider more fruit and back sweetening.

Not a big fan of the "Americano" style drip type coffees. To watery for me. Turkish/Arabic coffee is devine, if sweet. Whether your fave choice is about the maker or the origin of the beans, I don't know (i don't believe it when I hear "America makes the best coffee" - Italy and the Arab...

buzzerj, just as a pointer/tip, K1-V1116 isn't a champagne yeast. It's the Montpellier strain. Very robust and has the "killer" factor, plus it has a mega wide temperature range and will do 18%...... Lalvin don't recommend it for restarting stickies. EC-1118 is their usual champagne yeast...

Charcoal filtering is often used in making certain spirits (often vodka), but it will strip out a lot of flavour. If you wanted some oaking, there's plenty of products that help. Oak chips, cubes, staves, spirals or even small barrels. Often available in different origins of oak and different...

I'd suggest that you used about half of the BC juice in primary (maybe 2/33rds max), about 3lb honey with the juice used and make that up to a gallon and measure it's gravity (maybe use 2lb honey first, then measure. You should be thinking along the lines of 1.100 to 1.110 sort of area for SG)...

Ok, so what would be the point of more yeast ? It's not a mechanical device that wears out....... So, 1.032 ? Under "normal" circumstances (if there is such a thing in mead making - hint ? There's not really) you'd have used a wine yeast. Now the better ones will have a published tolerance...

Or just ask Mr Google. He usually has the answers........

Indeed you could. But by far the easiest route, is to siphon it back into a bucket, then get some acid (for traditionals, I use a mix of 2 parts malic and 1 part tartaric), then add a very small amount (1/8th teaspoon) and stir it in gently. Once you are confident it's completely mixed in...