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That's really too bad. Heat is unlikely to be the whole problem. Extreme cold will also cause mold, as it will slow the yeast more than the mold. Did you follow one specific tutorial? It would be good if you could tell us what you did. My thought is that if you heat the honey (and maybe the...

Sounds good in general. When I said tools, I meant which, drill mixer, aquarium bubbler, O2+shaking, basically anything except shaking the carboy by hand. Oh, and buckets are great! I hope never to have to use carboys again. I'm not experienced with potassium metabisulfite. My two suggestions...

1/3 sugar break in a week is on the slow side of normal. You under-pitched your yeast. 2+ grams per gallon is more typical, but 1.090 OG isn't considered big for a mead. Under-pitching is probably part of why your lag phase was long. Did you rehydrate it in 35-41°C tap water, letting the...

But can't you just imagine a dragon or serpent saying that word? Senescencessssssss

I was referring to senescence. Some people think there is a generational limit on yeast, that it gets weaker in each generation. That's why you sometimes need to re-pitch into a stuck ferment, instead of just letting the existing ones restart. They aren't like fresh yeast. The more I think...

I thought my question was perfectly clear! I want more information on going commercial with a co-founder. (I'm kidding, sorry for being naughty.)

Heat or iodine can do CIP as well, and iodine should cost less (based on the wholesale cost of iodophor powder). So is the main reason kill time or kill amount (near sterilization)?

The category is "acid anionic sanitizer", and it wouldn't work without both. Chemically, phosphoric acid is a mineral and DBS acid is organic. They probably don't work the same way at all. The DBS acid is the anionic surfactant. I'm not sure whether phosphoric has an effect of its own, but...

Breweries use it because it doesn't foam (unless foaming agents are added), and it's strong as hell. It is only cheap if you buy in quantity (or you know someone), since it's not a consumer product. There are good formulations and bad. Plain PAA takes ages to kill and needs a high concentration...

Thank you for the fantastic clarifications and tips! Yes, I had thought flavor compounds were also removed. So if you ferment apple cider dry so it's tasteless, then add more sugar, it will taste like apples again except for the amount that evaporated with the CO₂?

A couple sources told me that flavors and aromas may be volatile, and can be blown off with the CO₂ if the flavor is added during primary. For instance, I understand oak is usually added to mead after primary. Fruit is often added in secondary, as are dry hops. Supposedly these aromas would be...

@FatDragon Clever to notice that. I think I've done the same, but without realizing I was making that (correct) judgment.

And by the way, how do yeast labs overcome the generational limit (caused by cumulative cell membrane damage)?

For years, I've been thinking a vague title meant lack of communication skills. But I often click these posts to see what they're about, or at least mouse over them. Is it possible that vague titles sometimes get more responses, and do people do it on purpose to take advantage of that? Here's...

I didn't mean instead of stabilizing, but in addition. But the problem (aside from the time to get it cold) is that I don't know how to stabilize an active ferment except by pasteurizing. I gather there is a way, and it may involve filtering as you mentioned. I can't really give a full picture...

I just learned that if you want to enter competitions, the BJCP guidelines say mead should not have a "raw, unfermented honey character". Is it even possible to tell whether a mead is backsweetened or cold crashed early then stabilized? The latter seems the safe way to go for competitions, and a...

I assume it will vary by brand, but how long is peracetic acid sanitizer likely to keep its strength after being diluted for use as a no-rinse sanitizer? I imagine it will go bad as the hydrogen peroxide degrades and the equilibrium balance ensures that there is also less PAA in solution. Has...

I stand (mostly) corrected. Really, the context of what I wrote is for microscopic quantities of mold, and for cases where toxic molds do not typically grow. To give a concrete example, sauerkraut should be mixed under water if it's not completely submerged. There are mold spores on it, but the...

From what I've experienced/read about food fermentation, it would be a good idea to swirl it and submerge whatever is on the surface. Mold usually grows on the surface, and if you can keep the mold from becoming established, the product soon becomes too carbonated/acidic/alcoholic to support...

How did you test that they reacted? The paper I read suggested that a strong acid (sulphuric) was needed as a catalyst. On the other hand, I remember reading somewhere that with no catalyst, they will react a little bit but not a strong PAA solution (i.e., not suitable for further dilution)...