Ideas how to stop yeast activity in swing glass bottles, while keeping carbonization in mead.

[Vytautas]

Hello Brewers!

I Have a few questions.

I make a buckwheat mead at home with spontaneous fermentation . Last few batches turn out very delicious.

Basically I use fermentation bucket. Without airlock.

Question nr 1: Should I use a airlock, while fermenting mead spontaneously? If yes, whats the purpose?

Im using glass swing bottles. When mead in the bucket reach'es a desired flavor I pour it in to the glass swing bottles, to build up carbonization, and leave it in the cold storage to mature, while burping time to time. Some bottles have exploded, or mead turn out to be too sour.

Question nr 2: How to stop fermentation in bottles, while preventing flavor changes and extra carbonization build up?

I would like to try age a sparkling mead in this way.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Sour is just going to happen if you're doing spontaneous (wild) fermentation. If you want a milder flavor and more control of flavor, you need to isolate some good organisms out of your backyard and keep pitching just those, or switch to commercial yeast.

To prevent bottle bombs: ferment completely then add just the right amount of sugar for your desired carbonation level. Measured in volumes of CO2, a Belgian beer might be 3.5vols or so, a British beer might be 1.7vols or so. There are free online calculators for this.

 

[Maylar]

Carbonation and sweet are mutually exclusive.

 

[SimPilot]

Storing it in a refrigerator is an option with temp of >0C. But given that you had active fermentation - there will always be lees / sediment on a bottom of your bottle.

 

[Vytautas]

Carbonation and sweet are mutually exclusive.

That would be a goal to make a something good

 

[Vytautas]

I had thios

Storing it in a refrigerator is an option with temp of >0C. But given that you had active fermentation - there will always be lees / sediment on a bottom of your bottle.

Thanks for a reply. How about freezing? It should kill the yeast? Also I had idea to use waterbath 60C, and pasteurize bottles with mead for 30 min.

 

[Vytautas]

Sour is just going to happen if you're doing spontaneous (wild) fermentation. If you want a milder flavor and more control of flavor, you need to isolate some good organisms out of your backyard and keep pitching just those, or switch to commercial yeast.

To prevent bottle bombs: ferment completely then add just the right amount of sugar for your desired carbonation level. Measured in volumes of CO2, a Belgian beer might be 3.5vols or so, a British beer might be 1.7vols or so. There are free online calculators for this.

Thank you for reply . What do you mean by isolate'ing good organisms? By using an Airlock, to prevent spoilage? Also if you have experience, could you shortly describe, most pleasant yeast varaities for mead and if possible, flavor profiles?

 

[beren]

Measured in volumes of CO2, a Belgian beer might be 3.5vols or so, a British beer might be 1.7vols or so.

Just be careful you don’t exceed the pressure rating of the bottles. Glass grenades are no fun.

You coul pasteurize the bottles. I did this with a backsweetened cider. Fermented dru, added frozen concentrate, then priming sugar. Had to monitor temp and pressure, then put them in a 140° water bath for a while to kill the yeast. Little bit nerve racking it worked.

 

[SimPilot]

Thanks for a reply. How about freezing? It should kill the yeast? Also I had idea to use waterbath 60C, and pasteurize bottles with mead for 30 min.

Freezing doesn't kill yeast. Also glass bottles do not like being frozen...something about expansion and physics.
Pasteurizing works at killing yeast. I've done it, but sediment of dead yeast lays on a bottom which doesn't look great.

I stick to primary for a month to secondary until sediments drop and liquid is clear to bottles for aging.

 

[beren]

Yeah the only way to have carbonated plus crystal clear (and no trub) is to use a keg and force carbonate and then bottle with a counter pressure filler. I like to over carbonate by a few pounds because you will lose a little bit. If you want to back sweeten you will need to kill the yeast with either pasteurization or with sulfates

 

[Miraculix]

You can pasteurize your bottles in a hot water bath after bottling and carbing. Twenty minutes in the bath and they are stable. There is a dedicated thread in the cider forum for this specific topic.

 

[beren]

Yes you can but you will have trub at the bottom of the bottle.