First mead, is this infection?

[Amansh1]

Hi guys! So this is my first time ever making any type of alcohol. Primary fermentation went great for 3 weeks then tapered off. Racked to sterilized carboy and its been sitting for an additional 2 weeks. Most of the lees were left behind and now there is just a few mm of lees at the bottom. The film on top seems to form around the tiny bubbles still coming from the bottom. No funky smells. Still slightly hazy. Did I accidentally infect my mead?

I had a bit extra and threw it in a Mason jar. Its almost crystal clear. Is this a volume thing? Should I be concerned about lack of airlock activity? Pretty sure fermentation is done. Sg was 1.147 its currently 1.004. (I made the must before I knew this was a ridiculously high amount of sugar)
Thanks for any insight! I look forward to fun times.

 

[Golddiggie]

At almost 19% ABV, depending on the yeast, it's still doing things. Did you take at least a few SG readings spaced at least a couple days apart before moving the mead?

Did you mean sanitized instead of sterilized? There is a difference.

What yeast did you use for the batch?

I'd plan on it aging for many months before it goes to bottle (or drinking it). I made some mead in 2010 that went to 18% and it was good at about 12-14 months from start. It got even better over the years.

 

[CKuhns]

Dos not ;look infracted to me. Yeast floating with the CO2. I fit smells and tastes fine your OK.

 

[Amansh1]

I did actually take a few readings before moving. 1 week before I moved it it was 1.009. 3 days before was 1.006. Day of was 1.005. It sits now at 004.

Yes I did mean sanitized lol thank you. Using star san. Let sit in solution for 20 min then let dry. No wiping.

Used red star premier rouge(came with my kit) I didn't think it was tolerant to that level of alcohol....

Disclaimer: there is a possibility my sg is very slightly off, first time using a hydrometer.

I definitely get that "new" alcohol smell/feel.

Recipe ended up being 4.5lbs of honey in a bit over 1.5 gallons water. 1 cup raisins for nutrients. Pitched at 85°. Degassed every other day at a temp of 67° for 2.5 weeks then let sit.

I feel like there is NO way this is right... smells and tastes fine though if a little harsh. No sour to speak of.

 

[Golddiggie]

Don't let Starsan dry. Simply drain the item and then fill.

I never understood people using raisins "for nutrients" in mead. They offer actual nutrient powder that won't do anything to impact the mead flavor.

In the past I've used Lalvin Labs wine yeast for my meads (since it's honey wine). Solid results for every batch.

Since it was still dropping in SG when you moved it, you do so too soon. Give it a month, or so, and then check to see if it warrants another shift. I tend to let mead go a couple of months before I consider the first shift. My coming batch of mead (after cider season is over) will be using a conical fermenter. So I won't be moving it. Instead I'll simply dump the yeast out the bottom.

What was your total volume at the start?

Using the calculation tool on the Got Mead site (The Mead Calculator) there's no way you had an OG of 1.147. Most likely it was at/under 1.100 (1.092 is my guess with a total initial volume of 1.75 gallons). If you had a higher volume to start, the OG was lower.

I would avoid pitching yeast into something at the top end of the yeast's listed temperature range (from what I see, 86F is the top of the range). I always go for the lower half when pitching. With solid temperature control, it's easy to maintain a healthy temperature (typically I target the middle of the range, unless I have a reason to do otherwise).

 

[Amansh1]

Thank you!!!! I'll remember all this for next batch.
Total volume in primary was 2 gallons. With tasting and transfer I have 1.5 gallons left. I topped off the 1.5 gall with water and took reading after mixing.

 

[Golddiggie]

If the total was 2 gallons with 4-1/2 pounds of honey, then the OG was even lower.

Next time, use the calculating tool I linked to above to figure out what your OG will be ahead of time. That way you'll be able to better plan things out. IME, it's pretty damned close, if not spot on, for the results.

You can also use a good refractometer to get your OG so you use far less to test. Or get a digital hydrometer and not worry about pulling samples for readings (at all). I plan to use one in my next batch, since I have them (Tilt Pro models).