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My only other experience with homebrewing is making mead. For mead it is necessary to shake the must vigorously before pitching the yeast in order to make sure there is lots of oxygen in the must. Is this necessary for cider?

Hey all! I started my first mead back in December with Lalvin D47 yeast, and though it's not ready yet, I know I had it fermenting at a bit high of a temperature (which D47 is especially unforgiving about). So before the summer starts I'm starting another batch, this time it will be sweeter...

Any biologists or chemists know why a higher temperature can cause fusels? It's confusing to me that by simply raising the temperature of the fermentation can change the actual molecular structure and chemical composition of the products. I can't seem to find anything from a basic google...

As a physics student, I always think of the microprocesses and what exactly is going on and am always predicting the future. Now, I have a question about the rate of fermentation. The way I see it there are two possible trends at a given time frame. The rate could be either generally linear...

Racking to a new container will leave a sizable head space, so is it reasonable to just fill that up with more honey water? I know it will essentially restart fermentation, but it should finish quickly compared to the primary and on paper should end up with the same ABV. Do secondary...

I have a few questions about using an orange in the mead. Does the orange contribute much to the flavor of the mead? I was under the impression that it's more for the pH and nutrient, so I'm afraid it's going to completely ruin the flavor I was looking for. Also, my batch was put in the primary...

I just started my first mead ever yesterday, and it's not really a simple recipe at all. It's got a lot of flavors. It seems to be fermenting beautifully, so I think it will turn out great. Though, before I set it aside to ferment I took a whiff to see what I was dealing with, and I wasn't...

I'll be making this recipe for the first time in a couple of weeks, but I'm not entirely sure on the proportions. Suggestions and feedback would be great. For a 1 gallon batch: 3lb Clover honey 1 packet Lalvin D-47 yeast 1 large orange (more for pH than anything) 20 raisins 1 whole clove 1 and...

So with many wines and some meads I've seen people put oak chips in it. I guess that kinda simulates the taste of wines aged in oak barrels? If I'm making a 1 gallon batch of mead, could I just put a solid piece of oak in there to get the same effect? If so, should I do this during the...

I'm new to brewing and I notice some recipes call for oddly specific amounts of yeast. Does it really matter? Because yeast is a living organism that multiplies extremely fast (it can double its population in 20 minutes). So if the yeast reproduces, theoretically can't you put in a very small...

So after fermentation there will be a layer of dead yeast at the bottom of the carboy. I've seen tutorials where at this point you will rack your mead into a new container leaving the bottom layer behind. However a lot of people say you shouldn't rack your mead at all. My idea is to use a...

I've seen a few tutorials on making mead, and it seems what to do after the primary fermentation is not thoroughly explained. From what I can deduce from what I've seen, the following process is as such: After a month of fermentation, rack your mead into a new container leaving behind all dead...