Mead infection? Advice needed.

[Sol_Om_On]

Hi all!

So I tried making my first mead in february which is conditioning since then, unfortunately a little too warm since I couldnt find a colder placer (18 degress celcius/64,4 fahrenheit). After a few months I noticed a little cloudy "sediment" at the top when the carboy was swirled, which I believe has grown since then. It also contains small white denser particles which have been there since the start, perhaps a part of the honey?

The cloudy part seems like it has tendrils if I swirl the carboy but only a little, seems like it wants to keep to itself mostly (see photo). If I swirl a lot it almost disappears. If I leave the carboy alone (which I do except for racking) the sediment will all come up to the top and take up a very thin layer at the space between mead and air.

The honey had never been pasteurized. What do you think, should I throw it away or is it saveable somehow? Thanks!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1473171830.689870.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1473171853.131693.jpg

 

[ACbrewer]

Well racking is a good idea. and as always TASTE!. some say nothing can grow in beer that is deadly. I tend to think the same with wine, which Mead is. or rather the yeast is about the same in both. So TASTE and see if it tastes good or not.

As for pasteurization, I'm inclined to think that unless you have a lot of extra sugar, and a high tolerant bacteria, that a good yeast pitch will get ahead and make it to inhospitable for more bacteria to survive.

My actual thoughts are that it is the yeast floating. How many times have you racked? each time you rack, you get some CO2 out of it (there is dissolved CO2 in the ferment which comes out as you rack, or gently stir).

Again, how does it taste.

 

[bernardsmith]

I wonder if this is wax? Do you have something like a pipette or a wine thief that you can use to take a sample and see if it will grow in a sugar solution?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Can you let it sit a bit, then take a photo from the top with the bung and airlock off?

This will help us tell better, as it's much harder to judge a photo through the carboy.

Here's a nice article on if it's infected
http://www.homebrewsupply.com/learn/is-my-batch-infected.html

 

[JJack887]

It's albumin protein. All my bottles have it (to a lesser degree).

 

[fossilcat]

It's albumin protein. All my bottles have it (to a lesser degree).

I have to ask this, but isn't albumin a component of human blood?

 

[Sol_Om_On]

Thank you all for your help. I have only racked twice if i remeber correctly, I'm gonna coldcrash and then rack it again soon, and have a taste!

What kind of sugar solution should I use if I would like to see if bacteria would grow?

And yes albumin is the most common protein in the blood stream of humans, I didn't know you could find it in honey! If I would like to remove this albumin/wax/whatever it is, how should i do it?

 

[bmwr75]

Suck it out with a turkey baster.

http://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/09/06-kitchen-applicances-turkey-baster.jpg

 

[bernardsmith]

or rack from below the layer.. leaving the white material behind

 

[JJack887]

You would have less of it if you boiled and skimmed, but that's a dying practice it seems. I don't boil.