Just made - 2nd & 3rd mead

[Srimmey]

Good day!

Just finished up my 2nd & 3rd ever meads. My wife also made 5 gallons of hard cider because, why not! It’s Saturday.

I followed the Acerglyn recipe I found almost exactly. The Cherry mead was much more off the cuff and I worry I used a touch too much honey… that’s a lot of gravity. If I can keep the yeast going all the way through it will probably live in the bottle for a good 18 months.

I also had issues with the carboy bungs. Do they always just want to pop out? Seems like they weren’t really sized right but they came with the carboys I bought. Taping them down seems to work but I lost 2 into a 1 gallon carboy… pushed it too far in.

Mead #2 - Acerglyn
3.6 lb honey
.6 gallons grade a dark maple syrup
2 vanilla beans, cut in half
2 grams of white wine tannins
Rind of 1 orange
Full 3 gallon carboy
QA23 yeast
OG 1.108

Mead #3 - Cherry melome
8lb honey
4 vanilla beans, cut in half
3 lb of tart Cherry slurry
Split into 2 - 1 gallon carboys
EC1118 yeast
OG 1.142

 

[DBhomebrew]

For the 5 & 6 gallon carboys you can use the 'universal stopper'. Those are great. Hold well, a lip to prevent it going in. For the 1G jugs, I have the same problem keeping them in. Tape, rubber bands, string, hot glue, a stern talking to.

 

[Srimmey]

Happy little mead colonies doing their thing. Just gave them their first stir + a first dose of extra nutrients

 

[Srimmey]

.

 

[Srimmey]

Good day!

Racked the Acerglyn to secondary last night. The previous night I had dropped in some meta-k and campden tablets to kill off the yeast. Finished out exactly at 14.5%!

Problem is, my siphon is a bit short to reach the bottom of my 3 gallon and 5 gallon carboys. I tried tilting the carboy a little to siphon more out but ended up get some dead yeast in to my secondary vessel.

What is the best way to not get dead yeast/other funkiness while transferring? Are there super fine filters that can attach to a siphon hose which will keep the yeast from transferring? Should I just get a bigger siphon to reach father down to carboy and accept the loss of a bit of mead?

 

[bushpilot]

Should I just get a bigger siphon to reach father down to carboy and accept the loss of a bit of mead?

This is the way.

 

[eggey515]

I also had issues with the carboy bungs. Do they always just want to pop out? Seems like they weren’t really sized right but they came with the carboys I bought. Taping them down seems to work but I lost 2 into a 1 gallon carboy… pushed it too far

So I’ve also had this same issue with my 1 gallon carboys so I went to the man I knew would have an answer my grandpa he makes home made wine (not the best) but he likes it I think he’s the only one that does but he came looked at it told me I’m “Greener than the grass” ( I know I’m new to making mead ) took my bung and carbon and wiped them both down really well and stuck it back in tight as could be said it was residual moisture from shaking my must and sanitizing my carboy I thought I dried it enough apparently not though
But yea I now have some extra decoration in one of my carboys also

 

[Srimmey]

So I’ve also had this same issue with my 1 gallon carboys so I went to the man I knew would have an answer my grandpa he makes home made wine (not the best) but he likes it I think he’s the only one that does but he came looked at it told me I’m “Greener than the grass” ( I know I’m new to making mead ) took my bung and carbon and wiped them both down really well and stuck it back in tight as could be said it was residual moisture from shaking my must and sanitizing my carboy I thought I dried it enough apparently not though
But yea I now have some extra decoration in one of my carboys also

I’ve decided I rather it be a little moist from the sanitizing process and have to use a little tape or rubber band. Wiping it dry make me feel like I am adding bacteria to a danger zone and doesn’t feel like it’s worth the risk

 

[Srimmey]

Cherry mead has been busted out for new years.

Finished at 1.02 (stalled fermentation, was hoping for 1.005 and 18%) approximately 16%.

Carbonated it in my keg (15 psi @38 deg f for 3 weeks). It’s sweeter than I wanted but not bad at all.