My first Mead

[DocWall46]

Hey everyone. New guy here. I've been thinking about brewing for a while now and last weekend decided to dive in. I have a simple (just honey, water, yeast, nutrients) 5 gallon batch going now in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, which I plan on trying different things with in secondary, i.e. I want to do a batch of apple pie mead for the 4th of July. I just wanted to get some feedback on my progress.

5 gallon spring water
15# clover honey
1 pkt Redstar Cotê des blancs yeast
5 tsp yeast nutrient (LD Carlson)
2.5 tsp yeast energizer (LD Carlson)
OG: 1.104 @ 105*F adjusts to 1.111 (1.1116 on a calculator)

I sanitized everything with StarSan. I didn't do a SNA. Mixed it all up front. I thought I messed up with the yeast. I rehydrated it and forgot to let it sit. Then I pitched it into a must that was still around 100* or so. Luckily I did start getting bubbling out of the airlock. I have a Lees Stirrer and aerated and degassed for the first couple days (some foam over but I wouldn't say MEA). I figured out the lees stirrer haha. I quit aerating after 4 days but degas every day. I also take hydrometer readings every day.

Today marks 1 week and my hydrometer reading is 1.050 adjusted to 1.051 for temp (68*F, 67*F ambient. Power in Phoenix is expensive so I can't go lower). I get an apple aroma and cider-like taste out of the sample I poured after taking a reading. I think it may have to do with the esters(?) the yeast give off. It was pretty warm and took it's time cooling down. I didn't cold-crash it either. Not sure I could really taste the honey though. Hoping it will come through with time.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback. I'm sure I left something out so please ask away. Here to learn!

 

[DocWall46]

Took a reading today after degassing. 1.047. Noticed sediment building up at the bottom before stirring it up. Color is still cloudy, reminds me of fresh squeezed orange juice. I wanted to push a month before racking into different containers, should I rack before then if my readings keep dropping at a steady rate?

 

[AkTom]

Let it go for a month or so. Don’t be in a big hurry. Read up some. There’s any number of ways to make mead. Some are better than others.

 

[bernardsmith]

In my opinion , you do not want to think about racking before the gravity drops to 1.010 and you don't want to begin racking until it drops to about 1.005. The problem with racking too soon is that you can leave behind too many viable yeast cells and so you effectively stall the fermentation. Certainly if you are routinely and regularly stirring the mead in the primary to degas you are also helping to ensure that the yeast does not flocculate too early and that problem is somewhat mitigated but there is really no good reason to rack before the active fermentation is coming to an end. Time is not money in home wine making. Time is quality.

 

[bernardsmith]

and I am looking at the photo - and I have two quick thoughts. The first is that handle is not, I think, meant to be used to lift full carboys. Five gallons weighs about 40 lbs (excluding the glass) and those 40 lbs will put an enormous amount of pressure and stress on the neck of that carboy. You want to lift those containers from the bottom... and so

My second thought is that the best way (IMO) to lift full carboys is to stand them in milk crates (or similar boxes) and lift the box. This also helps ensure that when you place the carboy on a hard surface (such as the floor) the crate offers some protection to the bottom and so reduces the likelihood that any movement (to rack the carboy it will need to be raised above the height of the second or target vessel)is not likely to result in a hard knock to the base that will crack the glass and cause the wine or mead to leak out or pieces of glass to break off and contaminate your wine.
The container you have the carboy sitting in is perfect to catch any overactive frothing (and that can happen if you add any powder (nutrient, oak, etc to a solution saturated with CO2 gas but you cannot safely lift and move the carboy using that container. Milk crates or those hefty plastic file boxes are great for this purpose.

 

[DocWall46]

I wasn't too sure about the handle either, but it allows me to tilt the carboy to get underneath it for lifting. Other than that I just slide it around in the containet it's in haha. As for racking, I was just gonna lift it up into the counter with secondaries on the floor. That way I can see where the autosiphon is more easily.

 

[DocWall46]

Took another reading today: 1.041. Took a sample to taste after reading. Less apple for sure, but getting acetone/nail polish in the taste and somewhat in the smell. I'm assuming this is normal and will fade with aging?

 

[DocWall46]

Little update...

I checked my SG on 4-19 and it was at 1.020 @ 68*F (1.021 for temp adjustment). This upcoming saturday (4-28) marks 4 weeks of primary. I haven't noticed any clearing in the mead at all, still looks like a fresh OJ. I will do another SG reading when I get home. I was planning on racking into 1 gallons this weekend, depending on SG, but am not sure with how cloudy it looks. Yeast is settling and my airlock activity is really slowing down (1 bubble every 7-thousand count). Any advice? Thinking of trying to cold crash it if my SG is low enough