Search results

I dosed a mead to 150ppm free SO2, and, unfortunately, the SO2 can be tasted (not a good flavor, either). Therefore, whatever the taste threshhold is, it's something lower than 150ppm. So, at present, the prognosis doesn't look good for the brute force method of SO2 dosing.

OK, here's my QED "proof": if you're saying it doesn't matter, why not just always use a re-start yeast from the get-go? Maybe that way one would be more likely to avoid getting stuck in the first place.

If you have to resort to a specialized re-start yeast, then it may be a no-win scenario, because the re-start yeast probably won't have the flavor profile that you want for your mead. That might not be too noticeable if it's stuck at 1.012SG, but if it's stuck a 1.052SG.... The higher the SG...

I just now tried a version made with Welch's Sangria juice. Though still hindered by the hotness produced by using EC1118, when backsweetened it nonetheless tastes pretty good. I suspect it will improve greatly with age. It inspires me to ferment another Welch's Sangria pyment, but using M05...

I made a split batch and dosed one half with bentonite and left the other without bentonite. I did this at 1.085SG, after high Krausen. Interestingly, the bentonite version bubbles a lot more and has proceeded to ferment more quickly (SG decreases at a faster rate). I'm guessing that the...

I just now tried the version made with Welch's Red Grape and EC-1118. Fermented clear, but has a hot alcohol taste. This just seems to confirm for me that EC1118 makes for a lousy mead--at least if fermented at room temperature. Red Grape did, however, successfully avoid the overpowering...

I picked up a Titrets kit at my local homebrew store. If I add the SO2 just prior to bottling for the purpose of aging, how long do I need to wait before testing free SO2 levels? i.e. if there is binding after the SO2 addition which then needs to be compensated for by a calculated, further...

I also found that adding one drop of Costco pure Vanilla extract per 100ml of mead has an immediate sweetening effect and contributes a nuanced taste/aroma that helps disguise the overly dominating Concord grape scent/flavor.

Reporting back: As a separate test batch, I made a Joe's Quick Grape Mead, but substituting Welch's White Peach juice in place of Welch's Concord grape. I had low expectations for it, because, despite its name, it's actually a mix of different juices, but the fermented flavor turned out far...

This evening i noticed that Sam's Club sells the same brand of Austin Eastcider cider. It's actually a better arrangement than the Costco offering, because at Sam's Club you can buy six packs of the flavor that you like instead of being forced into a variety back, as Costco does. Cost is about...

I added 1/2 tsp of wine tannins and 1 ounce of glycerin. That fixed it and made it drinkable, although presently it tastes more like a wine than a mead. That would be a failure by my reckoning, because I can buy good wine for less than the cost of the ingredients (not to mention time) that I...

Is molecular SO2 any easier/faster to measure than free SO2? If so, maybe we can simplify this by relying on opti-white to handle anti-oxidation. After all, that seems to be job #1 for opti-white. Then we can ignore free SO2 and just worry about molecular SO2, if that's the part that kills...

Even the SC100A is a bit more involved than what I'd prefer. In contrast, it looks as though the Titrets are definitely the easiest and fastest way to test: Maybe 30 seconds and then done. Virtually no setup or cleanup. I like that. Just as the best camera is the one I have with me, the...

I don't know how to interpret that. How many grams/gallon of potassium metabisulfite does that translate into? Regardless, it would be nice to know the ceiling on the potassium metabisulfite additions.

It occurs to me that an overly simplistic way (perhaps not the optimal way) to approach this would be from the get-go to simply add the maximum about of potassium metabisulfite that can't be tasted--which would be how much exactly? That might give enough headroom to cover a multitude of sins...

One of them is around $300: https://www.thebeveragepeople.com/products/testing/vinmetrica-sc-100a-sulfite-tester.html Well, I guess in-for-an-inch eventually becomes in-for-a-mile. Is this Vinmetrica the best that there is, or is there anything faster/easier or more automated than the SC100A?

I added it at the very beginning, before even pitching the yeast. I figured that way it would get the benefit of all the fermentation "boiling" that happens around high Krausen (which peaks around 1.09-1.095SG in these 1.105OG Hornindal test batches). I'll try adding it later, as you suggest...

I've tried adding bentonite upfront in two separate Hornindal test batches, and both times it went sulfurous about half-way through fermentation. I guess maybe because the Bentonite is sequestering away nutrients? For that reason, until I get that sorted, I'm resorting to adding Bentonite...

Maybe in northern texas, but outside competition probably makes for low profit margins. So in practice: maybe at farmers markets, but not in industrial quantity like the state of Washington produces.

Hmmm.... According to this: ascorbic acid and/or tannins will throw off the results. Makes me wonder if opti-white would throw it off as well? If nothing else, I guess I would also need the fancier test kit just to answer questions like this.