Shaking/Swirling or stirring for De Gassing?

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Bigbeavk

Bigbeavk

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Does it really matter whether you shake or swirl to stir up the gasses? Or is slowly stirring the preferred method? It looks like more bubbles come to the surface and foam up by swirling it around for a few minutes.
Any opinions appreciated :mug:
 
Bigbeavk said:
Does it really matter whether you shake or swirl to stir up the gasses? Or is slowly stirring the preferred method? It looks like more bubbles come to the surface and foam up by swirling it around for a few minutes.
Any opinions appreciated :mug:
Click to expand...

I don't degas meads, except for during primary. During primary, I just stir.
 
Bigbeavk said:
Primary is what i'm referring to. Thanks Yooper
Click to expand...

Ah- well in primary, if you're going to stir, stir like you mean it! :D

Seriously, the whole idea is to get rid of the co2, add some nutrients (usually), and to aerate the mead. So, don't be gentle and stir thoroughly.

Once you get to about 1.020 or less (assuming the mead will go dry to .990 or so), you can airlock and stop stirring for both wines and meads.
 
In the primary you are trying to keep things churning, you are not going to have much luck driving off CO2 since its being made as fast as you try to get rid of it. Just make sure you get everything off of the bottom and give it a few good swirls. You ever go to the Flying Barrel in Frederick? WVMJ
 
WVMJ said:
In the primary you are trying to keep things churning, you are not going to have much luck driving off CO2 since its being made as fast as you try to get rid of it. Just make sure you get everything off of the bottom and give it a few good swirls. You ever go to the Flying Barrel in Frederick? WVMJ
Click to expand...

Hi WVMJ and thanks for the info. I go to the Flying Barrel all the time and volunteer when I can with Buck's class.
 
If you look at some of Curt Stock's on-line videos, you'll see that he uses a drill with a multi-paddle attachment for both initial stirring/aerating in of ingredients as well as to de-gas during the SNA period. So a vifourous stir is definitely in order. Still, try not to splash too much.
 
Off Topic but I see you are making a buckwheat mead, how is that turning out? WVMJ

christo65 said:
If you look at some of Curt Stock's on-line videos, you'll see that he uses a drill with a multi-paddle attachment for both initial stirring/aerating in of ingredients as well as to de-gas during the SNA period. So a vifourous stir is definitely in order. Still, try not to splash too much.
Click to expand...
 
Gosh. I guess I haven't updated that in a while. I made a Tradition Buckwheat hydromel (1.090). Finished at 1.000 and then sorbated and backsweetened with more Buckwheat honey to 1.008. It had a semi-dry finish (not quite semi-sweet). I also made Fireweed and Orange Blossom ones and liked those better but that's just because Buckwheat honey has just a strong flavor that's not really my favorite.

Edit: If I made a Buckwheat mead again, I would likely backsweeten with a more neutral honey and go sweeter
 
Buckwheat has some taste to it thats for sure. Its an aquired taste. Mine turned out great.

As to aeration, I found that vigorous swirling did the trick quite nicely. Like shaking a soda, the CO2 bubbles out. If you leave the air lock on while swirling youll see tons of bubbles being released. I didn't aerate my first few meads but I did the latest two. I found that the areatede meads finished dmuch more quickly. Both also have "rounder" taste and feel, if that makes any sense. Not as tart or astrengent. One was a pinapple/mango mead and the flavors really came ot very clear as opposed to the blackberry/raspberry mead which did not get aerated.

Ii need to get the drill attachment for the next mead. Swirling is a pain.
 
DrVertebrae said:
Buckwheat has some taste to it thats for sure. Its an aquired taste. Mine turned out great.

As to aeration, I found that vigorous swirling did the trick quite nicely. Like shaking a soda, the CO2 bubbles out. If you leave the air lock on while swirling youll see tons of bubbles being released. I didn't aerate my first few meads but I did the latest two. I found that the areatede meads finished dmuch more quickly. Both also have "rounder" taste and feel, if that makes any sense. Not as tart or astrengent. One was a pinapple/mango mead and the flavors really came ot very clear as opposed to the blackberry/raspberry mead which did not get aerated.

Ii need to get the drill attachment for the next mead. Swirling is a pain.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply

I forgot to mention I did leave the airlock in place and found the same
as DrVertebrae it foams up quite a bit and should do a good job of degassing. In the long run I will have to taste and see what the difference may be since I'm new to mead making. :mug:
 

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