Mead has a lot of big bubbles at top

[Taimaiwine]

First batch so was wondering if it’s bad

I tried looking online for answers and the closest one I got was pellicle but my bubbles aren’t white. It’s been about 3 weeks into the primary and I’m about to rack. Thanks in advance!

 

[Yooper]

What's that brown stuff? Tea bags? Get those out, and rack. The big bubbles are not a good sign, so if you have any campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) that would be a good idea. It looks like a very small batch(?) but hard to tell from the photo.

 

[Taimaiwine]

What's that brown stuff? Tea bags? Get those out, and rack. The big bubbles are not a good sign, so if you have any campden tablets (potassium metabisulfite) that would be a good idea. It looks like a very small batch(?) but hard to tell from the photo.

yeah those are tea bags - I found some recipe with them in it. I’m currently waiting for my siphon tube to come in (I bought the wrong size) but I do have campden tablets. Can I throw them in as it is now or should I wait until after racking? It’s only a one gallon batch

 

[Yooper]

yeah those are tea bags - I found some recipe with them in it. I’m currently waiting for my siphon tube to come in (I bought the wrong size) but I do have campden tablets. Can I throw them in as it is now or should I wait until after racking? It’s only a one gallon batch

You can crush them and dissolve them in a little water or some of the mead and pour it in gently (without splashing). It seems like you have a wide opening there- but I can't tell from the photo. You want a very narrow opening with no headspace. Like a carboy shape, or glass jug with a bung, and filled to the narrowest part of the vessel.

 

[Yooper]

 

[Taimaiwine]

You can crush them and dissolve them in a little water or some of the mead and pour it in gently (without splashing). It seems like you have a wide opening there- but I can't tell from the photo. You want a very narrow opening with no headspace. Like a carboy shape, or glass jug with a bung, and filled to the narrowest part of the vessel.

The jug I have is this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07115V3F7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 so there isn't a narrow part for me to fill up to. However I have a spare jug that looks like the one you sent that I can transfer later. To get it to the narrowest part of the jug would I just add water until it gets there?

 

[Yooper]

Ideally you wouldn't add water, you would make a big enough batch to fill the jug to the narrowest part.
I sometimes use beer growlers, which are 1/2 gallon size, if I have less than a full gallon to fill a gallon size. I have a mix of sizes of wine bottles, jugs, carboys, etc, with stoppers to fit them and airlocks for all.
You want to protect the mead from air ingress after fermentation slows, because of the risk of oxidation and the risk of microbes being able to take hold.

 

[Yooper]

I have a lot of these, and these:

 

[Taimaiwine]

Gotcha, thanks for the replies man I really appreciate it

 

[Seamonkey84]

View attachment 682415

I have a lot of these, and these:
View attachment 682416

Gotta love the full 4L and 3L bottles for this hobby!

 

[Taimaiwine]

Ideally you wouldn't add water, you would make a big enough batch to fill the jug to the narrowest part.
I sometimes use beer growlers, which are 1/2 gallon size, if I have less than a full gallon to fill a gallon size. I have a mix of sizes of wine bottles, jugs, carboys, etc, with stoppers to fit them and airlocks for all.
You want to protect the mead from air ingress after fermentation slows, because of the risk of oxidation and the risk of microbes being able to take hold.

Its been a day after I put in the campden tablet and there's still big bubbles on the top - any suggestions?

 

[Yooper]

Its been a day after I put in the campden tablet and there's still big bubbles on the top - any suggestions?

No, except to make sure there is 0 headspace in a vessel without any headspace.

 

[BudNini]

You can crush them and dissolve them in a little water or some of the mead and pour it in gently (without splashing). It seems like you have a wide opening there- but I can't tell from the photo. You want a very narrow opening with no headspace. Like a carboy shape, or glass jug with a bung, and filled to the narrowest part of the vessel.

Yooper,you mention to pour the tablet and mead in gently
(without splashing). May I ask why?
thank you

 

[Yooper]

Yoope,you mention to pour the tablet and mead in gently
(without splashing). May I ask why?
thank you

Mead is not quite as susceptible to oxidation as wine, but it's not immune. S02 binds with the mead so that oxygen can't- but sulfite can't erase any prior oxidation. S02 helps prevent microbe contamination as well as oxidation. Any splashing, wide headspace, tea bags with that open area on top, etc, that allows contact with air is a big risk for oxidation.

 

[BudNini]

Mead is not quite as susceptible to oxidation as wine, but it's not immune. S02 binds with the mead so that oxygen can't- but sulfite can't erase any prior oxidation. S02 helps prevent microbe contamination as well as oxidation. Any splashing, wide headspace, tea bags with that open area on top, etc, that allows contact with air is a big risk for oxidation.

Thank you, that makes sense ( even to me)