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I would add, Mead (when compared to beer and wine) is much more resistant to oxidation. I have left half filled meads on the counter for a month or two without signs of oxidation. When allowing a wine/mead to settle out over an extended period of time, replace headspace with liquid is net gain.

Congratulations and nicely done.

We have some Joes Ancient Orange mead that is 5+ years old. It is the only wine (<-- including mead as a wine) I have made that continues to improve after 5 years. It's also a good reason to use good corks if you intend to age your mead. It

Brewing has a few starting place that evolve to a variety of ending places. Put another way, it's hard to know what you want to be when you grow up. I started as an extract brewer + bottling. It was fun and I enjoyed the beer. I am currently a BIAB brewer and keg + keg condition most beers...

Bitter & Esters in NYC will sell grain by the oz. They will Crush it , not-crush, or double crush. Grains can be separated or all in 1 bag. I live in Florida and buy a majority of my supplies there. The service is good and quick. They answer the phone when you call. You will pay for...

On a few occasions when the kegerator started icing up, the keg closest to the chilling plate would start to freeze. As the process began, the beer seemed to have more flavor and depth. At first I thought the beer was aging well. It would continue to improve, but only to a point. As the ice...

This is a good reason (if we need a reason for another keg) to have a smaller 2.5g keg on hand. Pushing clear beer into the smaller keg (for the travel day - assumes 2.5 gallons is enough <-- possibly a flaw in the plan) then both beers stay clear.

A small amount of water isn't going to have much flavor and body impact on a 6-gallon volume of wine. Some alternatives would be Fill the head space by adding sanitized marbles to the wine. This is safer to do with plastic vs glass carboys. It is also possible to recover some additional...

IMO you are fine. The fermentation will start to produce CO2, which will drive out an 02. Oxidation is a significant concern post fermentation as the beer de-gasses and is more willing to take on 02. IMO - at this point in the ferment, you could transfer, leave it covered with a cloth (for a...

Skeeter Pee that is kegged, force carbonated and poured off the tap is excellent. It's in the regular rotation.

I have the 10 Gal Clawhammer 120 Volt system. It does what it is supposed to do. I love it. It comes with all you need. IMO for those going BIAB one question to consider is gas or electric. If you can manage the propane burner, it’s a lot less expensive and faster. I went with electric...

It all gets kegged or bottled. If I don’t much like it The beer gets set aside while I “hope for the best“ in it future development. If after 30 to 45 days I’ve lost all hope, it goes To the backyard and hydrates the Morning Glories.

Fantastic idea. I love the picnic tap bottle filler.

I have several Better Bottles and think they work very well. Making additions during aging (Oak, fruit, spice...) it's very easy with Better Bottles. The risk of breaking is greatly reduced. Wine is very receptive to oxidation. A half empty bottle of wine will pick up vinegar notes in a...

I have a couple of kegs and I bottle. Certain beverages I prefer to be bottled. These tend to be age worthy brews: Barley Wines, Hopped Meads and higher ABV beers. I also bottle for practice reasons - I want to move a beer into the keg but the kegerator is full. Bottling can solve that...

I don't boil the honey when making a mead. I don't believe it's needed if once the must is made you are ready to pitch the yeast and the yeast is viable. If you choose to let the must sit for an extended period of time (3-24 hours) , sulfites or boiling would be appropriate. One reason I...

"Produce my own honey" how fantastic is that? Honey, when fermented dry, is a pretty subtle flavor. Most meads get their flavor by adding flavor to the mead in the form of fruits, hops and spices. Where as a wine gets the flavor from the grapes. As a result, beverages made with honey hit...

Secondary vs not I - I haven’t observed a difference. I’m relatively new and can’t offer a scientific analysis. I am under the impression (possibly wrong - appreciate any input here) that oxidation is delayed/minimized when the CO2 from the final stages of fermentation are retained. If I...

“There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness” Dave Berry. I met a home brewer who was a general contractor and made his own sausage. He built a room in his home that was humidity and temperature controlled. I thought he might have gone to an extreme and I was a bit jealous...

IMO 1-2 lbs of honey will add ABV with no residual sugar and no perceivable flavor. Honey will likely ferment to completion. In contrast, grains will add ABV and residual sugar + grain flavors (depending on the grains). The honey flavor addition will be very subtle at that ratio. Depending...