Is my Meade infected

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manhattanksbrewer

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This is my first attempt at meade and none of my beer has ever been infected and ive never seen anything like this Help

2011-10-31_12-17-17_87.jpg
 
Looks fine to me. My first few batches showed nothing on top using D47, but my last few, using 1116 have all looked like that with large yeast bubbles and some scum on top.
 
its a Midwest kit with Minnesota Clover honey and Ive had it fermenting since Easter transferred it from primary to secondary waited 3 months then transferred it into this carboy!!!
 
A few of my meads have done this too, it also seems to depend on the honey used. As for the alcohol/vinegar taste, are you associating these together or does it actually taste sour and vinegar like. Alcohol and vinegar to two very different flavors to me. If it does taste more vinegar like, Jack Keller has some things that could be tried to stop any vinegar production. I'll try and find that link here shortly, Juggling brew and work right now... blasted jobs... ;-)
 
It doesn't look right to me. You didn't have any headspace in the carboy did you? It looks like it may have had some headspace in it and something took hold.
 
OK, so let's have some details here. Can you provide the full recipe? Did you use any nutrient? Did it ferment all the way out and then throw this surface film? And what yeast did you use? That could be 1118 going all gonzo and making a really dry 19% monster. It doesn't look like mold or a pellicle. If you didn't nutrify, gave it plenty of sugar, and used a high ETOH tolerance yeast, you may just be seeing its classic long, drawn out fermentation with plenty of cranky higher alcohols and phenolic character. It may end up aging out. Help us out with some info here.
 
Ok here goes recipe include 12 lbs. Minnesota Clover honey, Yeast nutrient, Acid Blend and White Labs WLP715 Champagne Yeast. this is supposed to be a dry meade from Midwest supplies It was done fermenting i was just letting it age in carboys till i bottle it. I brewed it on easter and was going to try it next easter!!!
 
Hmmm. I assumed it was mid ferment, I wouldn't expect it to suddenly appear after 3 months of aging. I guess you could rack from under it, hit it with camden/sorbate, top it up and see how it ages.
 
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