5 gallons of mead into a 6.5ish gallon secondary?

[Aebrius]

This is my first batch (And first attempt with winemaking). I bought all the equipment second hand off someone selling it cheap, and at the time had been told my carboys were 5 gallons even.

I did a batch of mead up that has been in secondary for three weeks, and just decided to rack it over into the carboy. There's about six inches headspace between the top of the liquid and the top rim of the carboy.

Should I be worried about it oxidizing? Or is there anything I should to it at this point for the ideal situation?

 

[TheVenerableMead]

I wouldn't worry- especially if it's not quite finished fermenting. The CO2 will fill the headspace. If you're really worried, you could just top it of with a bit of water.

 

[Aebrius]

I've already gotten my gravity readings, so I won't have to crack the carboy at all until I've decided to either rack it again (It's already fairly clear, so I'll see how that goes- Also helps that I just bought two *actual* five gallon carboys in case I'll need to).

Based on what you said I suppose it'll be fine in there for the time being!

 

[Yooper]

Rack to an appropriately sized carboy ASAP. Mead isn't quite as susceptible to oxidation as wine, but it still can be oxidized from too much headspace.

 

[TheVenerableMead]

Okay. Glad someone else jumped in before I followed my own advice. Thanks Yooper!

 

[huesmann]

If you're racking out of a 5-gal into a 6.5-gal, you can just do a double rack: rack into the 6.5, then rinse out the 5 and rack right back into that. It's a little more complicated if you're not racking out of a 5-gal carboy (like an 8-gal bucket or something).

 

[StoneArcher]

If you're really worried, you could just top it of with a bit of water.

I am hoping you missed the part where he mentions that there is five gallons of mead and a six and a half gallon carboy. Topping off with a gallon and a half of water is certainly more than a bit and would be a tragedy to a five gallon batch.

I'm not poking here, just friendly hoping that it was a miss-read is all.

 

[TheVenerableMead]

Haha! Specific whatity? Yeah screw everything I said there.

 

[Aquabubbles]

I have a similar problem. I just made what I thought was 5 gallons of mead in a 7 gallon bucket but when I went to transfer it into my secondary 5 gallon carboy I have about 7 inches of space left. I don't know what to do because I just don't have the space to buy yet another carboy.