Mead smells rubbery

[MBM30075]

I did a 1 gallon batch of mead about 3 weeks ago.

Recipe:

3 gallons wildflower raw honey
packet of Pasteur Champagne yeast
store-bought spring water to make 1 gallon

No heating.

It bubbled nicely through the airlock for about 10 days, and I left it after that for about 10 more.

Last night, I racked it (decanted, really) out of the 1 gallon glass jug and into a sanitized stainless steel brew pot. Then I cleaned out the carboy and poured the mead back in. It looks fine. Color was good and clarity was, too.

Smell was pretty good, like mead should be, except for a little bit of a rubbery aroma. It smelled like the rubber stopper I used was soaking in it for 3 weeks! Now, to my knowledge, the mead didn't ever touch the stopper.

This is my first batch, and this may be a completely normal thing. The small sip I took as a taste tasted pretty good, but raw (like beer when racking to secondary just doesn't taste "done"), with a hint of the rubbery aroma coming in on the flavor.

I'm going to continue to process this batch until it's obvious the whole thing is borked, which it isn't yet.

Couple of questions:

1. Is this possibly a normal smell and I'm just a mead newb?
2. How long should I let this batch sit in secondary before bottling?
3. I've never done a mead before, is it easier to go for still or sparkling?
3a. Based on answer to #3, how do I do it? For still, do I have to drive off CO2 and kill yeast like with wine? For sparkling, do I prime it like beer?
4. Anything else I should know?

Thanks!

 

[Confucius]

1: Off smells can be produced by too high of fermentation temperatures. Champagne yeast can take quite a bit of heat though, so I'll let someone else answer that one.
2:As long as you can handle, it just gets better with age.
3: Easier to go for still, just bottle. Better or not, that is a matter of opinion.
4: If you go still, you should let it age quite a while before bottling so most of the gas should be gone, killing the yeast is not necessary unless you wish to backsweeten, but Campden is a good idea if you plan on aging for an extended period of time to prevent oxidation (although it is less of a problem with mead than with wine). For sparkling, if it is totally dry, prime and bottle just like beer, if not then you will have to force carbonate it.

Also, three weeks isn't nearly long enough for a good product, so don't expect much for several months.

 

[Nurmey]

Sounds like a pretty normal for a 3 week old mead. Your probably racked too early but it's done now. Tell me you didn't really pour your fermented mead back into the carboy. Mead is susceptible to oxidation.

Time in secondary for good mead = 12 months. You can push it up to 6 if you feel you must.

 

[Yooper]

Sounds like a pretty normal for a 3 week old mead. Your probably racked too early but it's done now. Tell me you didn't really pour your fermented mead back into the carboy. Mead is susceptible to oxidation.

Time in secondary for good mead = 12 months. You can push it up to 6 if you feel you must.

I agree. You should always siphon "quietly". Never, ever pour or splash a mead, cider or wine. Oxygen will bind to it, and oxidize it.

 

[MBM30075]

Well, then maybe I hosed it. I was using a 1 gallon glass jug and it just seemed like my beer/wine siphon wouldn't allow me to transfer enough. Oh, well, live and learn.

I "racked" after 3 weeks in order to prevent autolysis or something. I fully intend to let the whole process continue for close to a full year.

I'm also considering brewing a batch at my parents' house (so I have more room and am not tempted to rush it). How long is a proper primary?

Oh, for future reference, would this be a good recipe for 5 gallons?

Recipe
**********
15 lbs. raw wildflower honey
2 packets champagne yeast
store-bought spring water to fill to 5 gallons

Also, I put my bottles of honey into hot water to get it warm enough to pour well, but didn't heat the wort/must in any way. Is that appropriate?

Thanks!

 

[will_cbe]

I suspect some of your problem may be from the wildflower honey. There's no way of knowing what types of flowers the bees visited to make that honey. Depending on where the hive was located, it could contain pollen from clover, goldenrod, thistle, dandelion, or a great many other flowers.

As for your recipe, four things.
1. Verify your honey tastes good before you start. Good honey improved the odds of good mead.
2. Mix thoroughly.
3. Yeast nutrient. Instructions on the bottle.
4. For 5 gallons, you probably will only need 1 pack of yeast.

 

[wayneb]

BTW, "Rubber" smells can be the result of mercaptans, which are organic molecules that form from Hydrogen Sulfide and ethanol. The production of H2S often occurs in fermentations where the yeast isn't provided with enough assimilable nitrogen. If you do a traditional mead (honey and water only) with no nutrients added, H2S is often formed. It is no surprise that you may have a hint of a rubbery smell remaining, if you added no nutrients to this batch.

 

[malkore]

i'd drink this mead early, as the exposure to oxygen is going to leave it oxidized in a month.

1 gallon batches do suffer a lot of loss, even when using a mini-auto-siphon. 2 gals is the minimum I'll do, otherwise you work your arse off for a 6 pack of 12oz bottles by the time you rack and bottle.

 

[juliancarguti]

BTW, "Rubber" smells can be the result of mercaptans, which are organic molecules that form from Hydrogen Sulfide and ethanol. The production of H2S often occurs in fermentations where the yeast isn't provided with enough assimilable nitrogen. If you do a traditional mead (honey and water only) with no nutrients added, H2S is often formed. It is no surprise that you may have a hint of a rubbery smell remaining, if you added no nutrients to this batch.

Hi,
Thanks for your post. Actually I had experience this issue already. What would you recommend for nutrients to be added to a batch?
Thanks in advance.
BR

 

[TheBluePhantom]

Hi,
Thanks for your post. Actually I had experience this issue already. What would you recommend for nutrients to be added to a batch?
Thanks in advance.
BR

I believe the favorites currently are Go ferm and Fermaid-O. These are applied in staggered additions. there is a website dedicated to the timing and amounts, but I am blanking on the name right now. Can anybody give him the website name?

 

[Maylar]

I believe the favorites currently are Go ferm and Fermaid-O. These are applied in staggered additions. there is a website dedicated to the timing and amounts, but I am blanking on the name right now. Can anybody give him the website name?

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[Redeemer]

Those could be phenolic compounds as well. I have had those rubber / Band-Aid smells in some batches, mostly using Belgian yeasts. Reducing your primary fermentation temperature may help.