Recent content by WheresOurFish

I have ordered honey online from - http://www.flyingbeeranch.net/ They currently list pumpkin as one of their offerings.

From the various sources I've seen on the Internet, most seem to agree that 3.8 is a good pH to aim for. I've seen ranges listed between 3.7 and 4.4, so there is a bit of room for movement. I have a digital pH meter, and have had ferments drop to about 3.4 before any noticable slowing of...

I started a cyser last year, (back in August, if I remember right), using pasteurized apple cider. It was quite cloudy, so I did add some pectic enzyme to it when I put everything in my fermenter. It's been in my basement bulk aging, and has been racked twice since the primary. Last time I...

My experience is that liquids tend to use volume measure, where dry ingredients use weight. So, I would measure honey by volume, but I would measure grains by weight. (If you see a dry ingredient listed in something like tablespoons, it's probably been converted at some point from weight to...

There should be instructions on the container, telling you how much Sorbate to add. It's usually half a teaspoon per gallon, if memory serves me right. You can add Sulfite, as well, but it's not technically necessary. I usually do, but your mileage may vary. I've been using Campden tablets...

At 64F, I'd say that everything sounds normal. Increasing the temp might speed things up a bit, but honestly, that's not always a good thing. Warm ferments can often require longer aging times to get rid of undesirable results. (I've got a hot batch in my basement right now that's looking...

It's usually a good idea to check your ABV, and compare that to the alcohol tolerance of the yeast you used, before adding more fermentables. If the yeast hasn't hit its tolerance, chances are that fermentation will kick back in. Actually, even if the yeast IS at tolerance, and you make an...

If you stick around and keep brewing, you'll find that a lot of things affect how active the fermentation is, visibly. A lot of different things can either speed up or slow down a fermentation. Some are easy to control, like the type of yeast you use, your Orginal Gravity, and whether or not...

I use a bucket as my primary fermenter, and just float my sanitized hydrometer in it directly. You do have to make sure to be very careful not to break the hydrometer, of course. Also, if you use this method, make sure there aren't a lot of bubbles or yeast on the hydrometer, as this can...

I was practicing my Google-fu, and ran across this nice little reference guide. It lists faults that can be found in meads, and possible ways to fix them. Looked pretty handy, so I thought I'd share it. http://www.bjcp.org/meadfaults.php

I've been on an experimental phase with my meads lately, so I haven't made the same thing twice this year. I was wondering though, are there any meads people make regularly? Any specific recipes that you find yourself making over and over? Do you gravitate towards a certain variety of honey...

As Revvy mentioned, I got my refractometer on eBay for right around $20.

Personally, I would be concerned about contamination. Anybody stupid enough to do what you described would be suspect of not following sanitation protocols. How far along was the mead when it happened? If there was already a fair amount of alcohol present, you might be OK. If not, you might...

This. I made a batch of mead from a rock hard half gallon of honey two nights ago. I put a pair of cheap wood chopsticks on the bottom of my stockpot, then put the jug of honey on those to keep the jug off the bottom of the pot. I filled it with water and brought the whole thing to 150...

I started two batches of JAOM on New Year's Day, and the fruit finally just barely dropped below the surface of the mead this week. Prior to starting the batches, I decided that I was going to be patient, and wait to see how long before the fruit fully drops. So, just for reference, don't be...