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Well spoken! As for what types are good for oak? Traditionals of any level sweetness are good candidates. Many melomels and metheglins are good, but some very delicate fruity mels I find better without oak.

Often a mead can tolerate air exposure that would destroy a white wine. Although 12% ABV will not stop acetic acid bacteria (they can tolerate up to 17% ABV in some cases), the fact that it doesn't smell like nail polish (and vinegar) means you probably don't have a significant acetic acid...

How big is your batch? The easiest way to screw up a good mead is to over-oak it. Unfortunately, I've done it more than once. As barrel size decreases, the wood exposure per amount of volume goes way up and increase the risk of too much oak. I've not seen a 2L barrel, and I'd be hesitant to...

Sourwood is a fantastic honey for mead. The aroma and flavor are somewhat "delicate" but it produces a fine floral aroma and a hint of spice in the flavor that is just terrific. It make a great traditional, but can also be used in melomels with some of the more delicate fruits as it doesn't...

It can take years for a really hot batch to smooth out. I have some fusel-ridden batches that are just getting to be drinkable after 3 years. Sweetening tends to cover it.

Wine making usually call for nutrients and aeration (even white wines in most cases) to ensure complete fermentation. I use aeration and staggered nutrients in ciders with good results, and in a high gravity braggots I'd use some SNA and some aeration as well. Although most barely wines wouldn't...

It probably isn't the sulfites. They generally don't cause headaches. For people who are sensitive to them (a very,very tiny minority) it tends to cause asthma and respiratory issues. If you oaked it, the compounds from oak may be a factor. As ArcaneXor points out, the biggest cause for...

Traditional meads can tolerate storage in the 70s without much harm. Will it shorten their lifespan? Maybe, but they will certainly be able to last for years. They will probably darken more quickly. If you make a sweet mead, there is probably a higher risk that a spoilage organism will be able...

If you used 3 pounds of honey in a gallon batch, your starting gravity was probably around 1.105. That suggests that your fermentation stuck. As a result, there is the possibility that the yeast may start up again in your bottles if the temp warms up, or if whatever triggers yeast decides to...

Brother Adam, the renowned mead maker of Buckfast Abbey, documented that in his high gravity batches that stopped, it was common to see fermentation restart when the temperature warmed up during the summer for up to two years. If you have a batch that still has residual sugar, and which has...

If you have any of the concentrate left, you can measure the gravity. You'll need to dilute it enough to do so, but then you can calculate the gravity/BRIX of the concentrate (most concentrates will probably be in the 60-70 Brix range). I take it you want a low ABV batch? Starting with a...

I'm interested to hear how this works out. If you have this carbonated at Champagne level pressures, I don't think the yeast will be alive at this point. After 6-9 months, Champagne level pressure destroys the yeast viability in most cases. So I doubt any sugar added now will be fermented...

At high enough levels alcohol will kill them.

It sounds like you added more than 500 ppm YAN. The good news is that the yeast should be able to consume that much. Massive overdoses can leave it tasting salty/metallic, but I suspect that won't be the case here. You do not have to dump it. The bad news is that excess nutrient tends to...

Why don't you give us the full details of your batch including how big it is, the amounts you added, the starting gravity, and yeast strain?

The recipe for JAO works fine at 80 F (though it may take a little longer to smooth out)

You might want to try some yeast hulls, a good aeration, and letting it warm up a couple of more degrees. It could certainly be a pH issue in which case these things probably won't help.. If you do decide to pitch another yeast, take the time to acclimate it to your must and the chances of...

It sounds like it definitely stalled. High gravity starts are tough on yeast and often cause them to stop before reaching their tolerance. This becomes more true if they are not pampered during fermentation. With high gravity, you definitely need aeration - did you do that for this batch...

Kegs work great, and in fact, I find the aroma coming from kegged batches to be stronger in many cases as the gas bubbling out pushes the aromatics up into the glass (and your nose). If you use CO2 to push it, you wind up with mead that is at least petillant which I don't necessarily want. If...

Auto-siphon - don't rack without one. 2 stoppers. (and possibly a second airlock). Capper/corker (and caps or corks) depending on how you want to bottle this. Bottling wand A large fermentation bucket for primary will make life much easier. Otherwise I'd get a 6-gallon and a...