1. This mead is ridiculously carbonated while in the primary. I've been degassing daily with one of the degassing tools (the whip-on-a-stick deals from
Northern Brewer) once per day until I hit 1.03. I've just been spinning the tool until I accumulate about 1-2" of foam atop the mead.
Have I been doing this correctly? The mead is so carbonated it affects hydrometer readings, even after spinning. I *may* have five seconds to catch a reading before the carbonation bubbles start making the hydrometer rise. There is a +/- 10 point differential between hydrometer readings before/after degassing.
When should I take the readings? Before or after degassing?
2. This stuff took off like a rocket from a 3-day starter! Temperatures 74-75*F. Dropped 15 points on the first day and averaged 10-12 per day ever since. It doesn't taste great though, even at 1.008. I suspect the carbonation is taking part in this, as it tasted better if I took a sample after degassing. It's not a vinegary taste at all it just tastes...fermented. And carbonated.
Like rotten fruit..not horrible but not pleasant either. I do not suspect infection as the must in the carboy is the most beautiful, uniform shade of golden (honestly it looks like I have a jug of orange juice on my table) with no scummy bubbles, tendrils, or accumulation anywhere. I've been drowning everything in 1-step sanitizer. I think I've gone through three gallons (25oz sprayer) in a week.
Is that taste normal for a very young mead? I remember Dr. Denard saying that the yeast needed time to "clean up."
3. Racking to secondary:
after I get my 3 or 4 consistent hydrometer readings signifying that the yeast has given up the ghost, do I rack to secondary for 30 day aging and get it off of the lees or should i leave it in the primary on the lees for 30 days? I've seen both replies in this thread and I am unsure.
4. As shown in the Northern Brewer kit link above, I have a 6.5 gallon Big Mouth Bubbler primary and a 6.5 gallon glass carboy for a secondary. I am making the 5 gallon BOMM recipe. I saw that extra headspace in the primary is good because it helps prevent MEAs, but what about the secondary?
Is the extra headspace going to cause problems/oxidation? It would be no problem to sterilize some glass marbles to fill up the void space in the carboy after racking to secondary, but I would have to go get them, hence me asking you all *before* I need them.