Honey Mead Questions!

[Landon Sharp]

It's been 11 days fermenting and it never really got a foam layer. It got bubbly looking a day or two but I don't know if it's done fermenting or what's going on. It looks normal. Is it done fermenting or what? Pictures are different colors due to flash.

Please help.

 

[Maylar]

We can't tell by looking at pictures. Only a hydrometer reading can tell you if it's done.
Is that a quart jar?

 

[dmtaylor]

11 days would be awfully fast for a mead. It's most likely fermenting. Probably needs about a month or more. Did you take a specific gravity reading prior to fermentation? What was your recipe?

 

[Landon Sharp]

I didn't take readings. It was just a quick batch to test the waters of mead making. And yes it is a quart jar. I put probably a pound of honey and 4 raisins.

 

[Landon Sharp]

It smells different for sure lol.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hiya Landon Sharp - and welcome. Let's see: One pound of honey with water to make a scant quart is the same as 4 lbs of honey to make a scant gallon and the gravity of such a must would be 1.140 which has a potential ABV of about 18 or 19%. Ignoring the fact that this is a mead and not a pseudo brandy or scotch most yeast cannot ferment anything like 19% alcohol. But what you also did was to hobble the poor yeast by pretending that you provided nutrients with those wizened, wrinkled, oxidized grapes we call raisins. Raisins in such nano quantities do not contain anything considered as nutrient for the yeast but providing the yeast with so much candy you might find that they reward you in much the same way as many kids do the morning after Halloween.
We know that the starting gravity should have been about 1.140 so if you take an hydrometer reading today you can tell how much alcohol the yeast have produced and how much more sugar they have to ferment.. If you haven't got yourself an hydrometer my advice would be to get one. It's really the only tool a wine maker needs.

 

[ShareBrewing]

Is there any way for the container to left off built up gas? It looks like the cap might be screwed on. Careful opening that sucker, it might explode in your hands. If you haven’t gotten an airlock, do so, and find a way to put it through (plus seal) the cap so there is a way for CO2 built up by the yeast to get out.

Forgive me if there is something in place for this already.

IMO, just try a one gal batch. It’s not that expensive.

 

[ellijayman]

Please be careful opening that if that lid is sealed. And what yeast did u use. I can see a bit of Lee's on the bottom so it did a little something at some point.

 

[NineMileStyle]

I would give it a good shake to degas it then give it a shot of Yeast Energizer and Yeast Nutrient....also, adding a little water to bring it closer to the 1.100 range might do you some good.