Open Aerobic Days...

Just been re-reading 'The Compleat Meadmaker' and Ken mentions that some people after pitching yeast, put a cloth or sterlized cotton over the container opening to allow the yeast as much oxygen as can be absorbed then airlock it for the rest of the fermenration time.

Anyone use this process? Or have any thoughts or opinions on the matter.

Thank you in advance!

open top fermentation is fairly common.
i under stand common in the wine industry.
using a bucket makes life easier but you still need to transfer to carboy before mead is finished fermenting.

there is also the thought of direct pitching the yeast and NOT stirring the must. the yeast sits on top where there is easier access to oxygen. how true that is i don't know but i've done the odd batch like that with no problems.

I'd love to try it out, but I don't think it'd be a possibility unless I was trying to make a dog hair mead. Oh, to have a completely sterile environment to brew...

But, uh... what that guy said. Yeah. I hear a lot of people do it, but I've never done it myself.

sterile? my shed is as dirty as you could get !
i have a cloth covering the bucket but also have the lid sitting on top to stop any bigger objects from going for a swim.

I almost always do primary with just a towel covering the top. It makes it much easier to do any stirring (often, twice a day) during primary. But it has to be covered, to keep out fruitflies, dog hair, bees, and so on. I usually go to a carboy by about day 5-7 depending on how well it's fermenting.

Yooper said:

I almost always do primary with just a towel covering the top. It makes it much easier to do any stirring (often, twice a day) during primary. But it has to be covered, to keep out fruitflies, dog hair, bees, and so on. I usually go to a carboy by about day 5-7 depending on how well it's fermenting.

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If I don't have a brew bucket...can I put a cloth or cotton over the mouth of my carboy?

liquidavalon said:

If I don't have a brew bucket...can I put a cloth or cotton over the mouth of my carboy?

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Sure- but what's the advantage then? It would still be hard to stir and take out fruit. The reason for covering with a towel is to make life easier on removing fruit, adding things, stirring down the cap if one forms, and so on.

liquidavalon said:

If I don't have a brew bucket...can I put a cloth or cotton over the mouth of my carboy?

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Lowes has food grade 5 gallon buckets for less then 6 bucks

Yooper said:

Sure- but what's the advantage then? It would still be hard to stir and take out fruit. The reason for covering with a towel is to make life easier on removing fruit, adding things, stirring down the cap if one forms, and so on.

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True. But I was just making traditional mead. Also, the main point was to leave the must open to air for the yeast...bucket or carboy...to let the yeast have access to air rather than slap an airlock on it.

liquidavalon said:

True. But I was just making traditional mead. Also, the main point was to leave the must open to air for the yeast...bucket or carboy...to let the yeast have access to air rather than slap an airlock on it.

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True, but if you're degassing and/or aerating a couple of times a day, it wouldn't really matter. Gas exchange isn't as easy through such a small opening- that's why they are used for secondary. The very narrow headspace helps prevent oxidation.

Yooper said:

True, but if you're degassing and/or aerating a couple of times a day, it wouldn't really matter. Gas exchange isn't as easy through such a small opening- that's why they are used for secondary. The very narrow headspace helps prevent oxidation.

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CRAP!!! I am undone =)

I spent my budget on supplies but none left over for a bucket. Oh well, I will just make it and use the carboy.

It should work...now only to find out if I use a whole packet of ec1118 yeast or half for a gallon batch. I have nutrient and energizer.

You can always call around to restaurants in your area and see if they have any food grade pails. Bakeries are usually a good bet too, icing comes in those things. A lot of them give them away for free, I've seen some that sell them for $3 each. I'm going to be going on a hunt for free to cheap food grade pails soon myself.

Oh, and I'd use the whole packet of yeast. That is what I have done for my single gallon batches.

turtlescales said:

Oh, and I'd use the whole packet of yeast. That is what I have done for my single gallon batches.

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Whole packet of ec1118 went in and it took off like crazy! I am only doing a gallon...but have a cloth over the opening and will airlock it here in a day or two.

Since CO2 is heavier than air, I'm thinking that once the yeast starts producing in the first 12 hours or so, the must would no longer have a fresh supply of oxygen since it would be blanketed by the heavier CO2. The only time it would get a fresh supply is if you went in and stirred it around and disturbed the layer of CO2. I would say this would be especially true in something like a carboy with only a small hole at the top. I could be wrong though.