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Sounds like a plan! Feel free to wait another day or two (at least until daytime in North America) for a second opinion, though. You can leave the spices unless it gets too spicy.

Emptying it to remove the fruit may be counterproductive. You want to do it in a way that doesn't really shake it up (don't introduce oxygen). But metabisulfite (which you have) can absorb oxygen, but it's too advanced for me so I can't advise you on timing or dosages. But it can protect your...

Have any of you priced out the cost per gallon of RO filtered water? I'm curious whether it's cheaper than ceramic+carbon "candle" filters, which are about the size of your forearm and can handle lead and chlorine, but need filter replacements after 600 gallons. (I think a replacement filter for...

Do let us know how it turns out! By the way, if the egg shell is an effective buffer, it will still take time to have any effect, right? Because egg shell takes a long time to dissolve in dilute acids. (I suppose it could be fast if the eggshell is powdered to dust.) Also, 71B will metabolize...

I suggest you add more sugars right away, even before you make the other decisions. This will probably restart fermentation, which will make more CO₂ which will give protection during the subsequent steps. Also, remove the apples if you can. The safe bet is to not leave fruit in mead for more...

@specialkayme I will read responses and reply in more detail later, but if you are getting oscillation, it is probably because your probe is too well insulated. By the time the probe notices a temperature change, the interior space is much warmer than the probe (and the probe's reading will...

It should work. The wattage and voltage are what I would choose, and it appears to be sized for a normal socket (though it doesn't list any number for the base, it should be E26).

If the issue is just getting a lightbulb to not blow, get your hands on a 240 V bulb and run it on 120 V. It will output less power than the intended watts, and it will probably not burn out in your lifetime. It's just a bit hard to find, and I'm assuming you like in a 120 V country. Edit: saw...

Let me preface this by saying IMO, this is a bit too dangerous to be a person's introduction to wiring. On the other hand, you've gotta start somewhere. Don't be too brave: there are brave electricians, there are old electricians, but there are no old brave electricians. I assume what you have...

Welcome to being a mazer! Note: I'm pretty surely less experienced than you with fermentation in general, so take this as food for thought rather than firm advice. (Personally, I think that's how all advice should be taken.) Is that nutrition scheme tested? I haven't really heard of people...

I like my hose stored perfectly dry, so after spinning it around, I do one of two things (or both): I use a magnet to pin it to the side of my fridge where it gets quite warm I spray the inside with 99% isopropyl alcohol to both mix with the water and help it flow out, and to azeotropically...

In the yogurt maker I built, I am heating with a 30+ watt metal load resistor. These are common and cheap, and have bodies made of aluminum to radiate head. I'm only driving it at ~10 watts, far short of its rated capacity. This would certainly be enough power to warm a well-insulated chamber...

How do you all feel about 71B for melomels or regular meads? I haven't tried 71B since the bad old days when I had no temperature control, so I'm not quite sure how it't supposed to taste.

The differences and different uses are explained here: https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_are_the_differences_between_polyvinylpolypyrrolidone_PVPP_and_polyvinylpyrrolidone_PVP It says PVP is used as a fining agent, but it sounds nowhere near as effective as PVPP. It is also water soluble...

Thanks, that's very helpful! I just shared my formulation for iodophor here, so it's helpful to know exactly what is missing. How did you narrow down which surfactant it uses? I don't see anything about that in the data sheets or EPA pesticide registration for BTF or IO Star.

Ordering liquids annoys me, since I always have to pay for shipping. I realized iodophor is sold as a powder, so I decided to make my own. This only makes sense if you want to make several gallons, or if you can get the powder in small quantity. Note that this is not the same as BTF Iodophor or...

That's a common claim, but I've never seen any science that supports it. Sanitizers are measured when in intimate contact with the soil (a liquid suspension), never on a hydrophobic (dry!) surface. Keep in mind that infections are rare, so if you've never had one, it still doesn't mean you are...

Precision at low speed is pretty important. A stir bar at the bottom of a carboy will fly around if it gets to be going too fast. And I don't need speed control when it's stalled. If stalled, the motor needs full power. But I think I can't use back EMF feedback anyway, because I couldn't detect...

Okay, gears it is. A friend just told me a decent motor probably won't have back-EMF I could use to detect rotation speed. It seems like for speed feedback/control, I'll have to use a stepper motor or something like a photodiode to detect a line painted on the shaft. Any thoughts on what's the...

So I made my own iodophor*, and was wondering if this sanitizer (and all others) need a surfactant. When you shake up some sanitizer in your carboy or bottling bucket, it would be ideal if it coats the surface and keeps it wet. This is why Star San makes foam and teat dip (bulk iodophor for...