Mead Headspace

Satokad · Oct 9, 2018

Good Afternoon Folks,

I am going to be making a mead with fruit. Is it OK to make a 1 Gallon batch in a 2 gallon Fermentation bucket, or would that be too much headspace? I plan to rack it to glass after the fermentation slows down in a few weeks.
Thanks.

RPh_Guy · Oct 9, 2018

Satokad said:
I am going to be making a mead with fruit. Is it OK to make a 1 Gallon batch in a 2 gallon Fermentation bucket, or would that be too much headspace?

I bought a 2 gallon bucket with no lid specifically for making 1 gallon batches of mead.

The extra space makes it easier to aerate and degas (multiple times daily).

bernardsmith · Oct 9, 2018

and it solves any problem of too much froth and foam that brewers solve with a blow off tube. During active fermentation the working assumption is that there is more than enough CO2 being produced to protect the honey and fruit from oxidation so no seal and airlock is needed. The most you might want to use is a towel or tablecloth to lightly cover the top to keep out bugs and dirt. After active fermentation has ended and the yeast are no longer pumping out CO2 that is when you need to be concerned about headroom...

ealu-scop · Oct 12, 2018

Kind of in the same boat. My brother and I have 2 gallons in a five gallon bucket. Been fermenting for 2 weeks. We're going to move it to secondary this weekend.

Our plan is to rack to two separate 1 gallon carboys. Should that solve the headspace problem?

bernardsmith · Oct 12, 2018

Should do - IF you began with say 2 gallons plus. But if you made precisely 2 gallons then you might find that after racking you have 1.9 gallons of mead and so while you can fill one 1 gallon carboy (and a gallon carboy in fact holds more than a gallon of liquid) you may only be able to fill the second carboy with 7 pints... and 1 pint of headroom is not peanuts...