First mead...

Picked up some cheap honey at the bakery yesterday to try as my first mead. Hopefully it will turn out ok, although this is more or less a trial run to see how fermentation goes, etc.

The honey is likely sourced from China, just going on the price. They wanted $1.95 per lb. I gave them a small plastic container that was once used to transport LME. They fit 11.4 lbs in it.

As I was leaving the store the phone rang of course, and I had the phone on my shoulder and trying to set the honey down I put it on the center console. The lid caught on the parking brake and it tipped a bit. Just enough let some honey run down onto the edge of the seat and carpet. indication of things to come? I hoped not!

With my friend coming the next day to brew, I decided to do up his starter. Got the yeast and DME in the flask and on the stirplate. Then mixed up the honey and water according to the sticky and rehydrated the yeast as I do for dry beer yeast. Started foaming even before I pitched, so my confidence was up! (No food for the yeast at this point. I only had Fermax, which was not indicated for rehydration.)

Took gravity and hit my target at exactly 1.10! (I wanted it a lighter mead). Pitched the yeast and went to eat dinner and watch the new Karate Kid movie with the family. We ended up watching the original first on netflix, then the new one. (Original was better, BTW, accordign to the whole family).

Afterwards went to bed, but before doing so I checked in on the mead and it was bubbling right along! Wow! I thought it might take overnight at least!

Today I added a bit of the Fermax and degassed it a bit while stirring it in.

Here's crossing fingers and hoping it comes out ok. I'm wondering if anyone's tried adding bourbon to mead. Seems like I've heard of this before. Maybe something I tried at the Siciliano's Homebrew Day Party? Memories are faint, but it seems I tried something like that there and really liked it.

Congrats on your first mead.

I haven't heard of adding bourbon to a mead. You could always take a little mead out once it is finished fermenting and add a small portion of bourbon to it and see if you like it.

I don't know about adding bourbon to mead but I have tried a few honey bourbons and fell in love.

Still chugging away! Smell is slightly more sulphury than I think I have ever smelled in a beer/apfelwein before. Not that strong though, actually.

I haven't had the guts to take a reading, but probably should. The instructions say to put more nutrient in at specific times.

Homercidal said:

Still chugging away! Smell is slightly more sulphury than I think I have ever smelled in a beer/apfelwein before. Not that strong though, actually.

I haven't had the guts to take a reading, but probably should. The instructions say to put more nutrient in at specific times.

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If you're following hightest's staggered nutrients addition schedule, my experience tells me that you're probably at ~30% sugar depletion right about now. You could add more nutrient without taking a reading if you want.

I am following his schedule, except that I didn't have the rehydration stuff, and added the first nutrient addition the day after I pitched.

I'm pretty excited about this. Sucks to have to wait so long for it to be ready though.

Read up a bit on bourbon mead today and winder if I should toss some oak chips in there too. I'm on a bit of a bourbon kick lately. I normally don't care for hard liquor, but the "flavor" of bourbon has been great in stouts and whatnot. Although I tried it in an IPA this weekend and didn't care for it. (just poured a capful in).

Has it only been 1.5 months?? Dang, this takes forever!! (sigh)...

keep holding out!

It sucks... The carboy has what I would consider normal for beer fermentation. Namely bubbles with what looks like tan yeast clinging to them. I've tried shaking the carboy to degas it a bit and sink that stuff, but it just comes back.

I thought surely it was time to rack and degas some more, but it's only 1.5 months in!!

Well... like so many people on the forums say wait for 1/2 to 1 inch of yeast sediment then rack. Some people even will rack 3-4 times till the mead is crystal clear. I've heard of a few who rack every 30 days regardless of sediment or gravity.

wait, 1.5 months in primary and its 'not done'?

something's wrong. at 1.100 OG and using staggered nutrient additions, you should have been fully fermented in well under a month. take a gravity reading, and more than likely you really need to rack it.

And check the pH if you can as well, as the acid swings of meads can be a PITA enough for it to drop below 3.0 and cause the yeast problems that way.

regards

fatbloke

I don't know if it's "done" or not. I've degassed it a couple of times early on, but thought it was still working about 3 weeks ago so I left it alone. It's been a bit cool in that room, so maybe the yeast was taking it's time. I'm trying to be patient, but maybe a sample taste would be in order again. When I racked from fermenting bucket it still tasted good.

I have PH test strips, but no confidence in them. I've never got one to change color at all and have been pretty sure they should have.

Homercidal said:

I don't know if it's "done" or not. I've degassed it a couple of times early on, but thought it was still working about 3 weeks ago so I left it alone. It's been a bit cool in that room, so maybe the yeast was taking it's time. I'm trying to be patient, but maybe a sample taste would be in order again. When I racked from fermenting bucket it still tasted good.

I have PH test strips, but no confidence in them. I've never got one to change color at all and have been pretty sure they should have.

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pH 3.0 is the magic number..... you can always test a pH strip by dipping it in vinegar.....

regards

fatbloke