Newb- Rhubarb Mead

[WyoHunt]

Hello there! New to the group and new to the art of mead making. I made a batch of JOAM years ago and it turned out alright.

About two weeks ago, I started a gallon batch of Rhubarb mead using 3 pounds of local honey, 1 packet of Lavin QA23 yeast and about 4 cups of fresh picked (then frozen and thawed to break down). I soon learned I filled the carboy up too full, and it leaked all over for 48 hours. After it settled, i came back from vacation and found the volume dropped (see photo)

Should I top it off when I rack it to a second fermentor carboy (planned for 6/27 when my siphon and hydrometer arrive) or top it off now? What should I use to top it off?

Or leave it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kickass]

You have quite a few options. Honey and water, water, or fruit juice to name a few. If you’ve happy with the design and direction of this batch, I’d add water and honey of the same OG as the original batch to top off.

I’ve found that unnecessary tinkering and trying to “save” a young batch do more harm than good. When I let things ride and make minor adjustments before bottling I avoid needless errors.

Welcome to HBT!

 

[Maylar]

Rhubarb... ICK.

 

[Yooper]

Rhubarb... ICK.

haha- believe it or not, rhubarb wine is very very nice and so is rhubarb in mead! It’s got a ton of oxalic acid though, so I dealt with that by using some calcium carbonate to drop some acid before fermentation.

 

[Maylar]

haha- believe it or not, rhubarb wine is very very nice and so is rhubarb in mead! It’s got a ton of oxalic acid though, so I dealt with that by using some calcium carbonate to drop some acid before fermentation.

For some folks, I suppose. My mom made strawberry rhubarb pie for the family when I was a kid and I hated it.

 

[elf_brewery]

For some folks, I suppose. My mom made strawberry rhubarb pie for the family when I was a kid and I hated it.

I think you're in the minority about rhubarb and strawberry...

 

[WyoHunt]

My hydrometer and siphon should be here Thursday. At that time, I’ll rack the batch into a new carboy, removing the rhubarb, then top off with a honey/water mixture that matches the reading of the batch…

 

[WyoHunt]

You have quite a few options. Honey and water, water, or fruit juice to name a few. If you’ve happy with the design and direction of this batch, I’d add water and honey of the same OG as the original batch to top off.

I’ve found that unnecessary tinkering and trying to “save” a young batch do more harm than good. When I let things ride and make minor adjustments before bottling I avoid needless errors.

Welcome to HBT!

Siphon and hydrometer will be here today. I plan on transferring must to secondary carboy and checking gravity reading.
I also mixed 3/4 pound of honey with 1 qt of water (approximate ratio as initial mix) and plan on adding 1.5 pounds of strawberries (cooked down with some of the honey water mixture and pureed).

I will then topping off with the honey water mixture while setting aside a little of the original must in case I need to fill headspace later in a few days.

Hopefully it works, I understand the alcohol will be lower, but I’m hoping the strawberry adds a little bit of flavor.

 

[WyoHunt]

I took readings of the must after siphoning and also readings of the “honey water”. Must was in the “finish” section (1.02?) and the honey water was 1.10 if I read it right. Added the strawberry puree, topped off with a little of the honey water and here we are, waiting for bubbles to show up in the airlock.

I set some of the must aside in the fridge to “top off” in a few days in case it goes too crazy.

Anything I did wrong? Or right?

 

[WyoHunt]

This puppy is bubbling! 5 days in secondary after adding strawberries and a little honey and water mixture.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Rhubarb... ICK.

I bet he's one of those Sickos who puts rhubarb in Apple Pies!!!
Who do we call???

 

[WyoHunt]

I added bentonite for clarification and after 10 days, I racked it. I have quite a bit of headspace left. Should I just bottle and age in the bottles or should I do something else? It is pretty sweet as is and I don’t want to water it down anymore… I’m maybe 24 ounces short due to poor decisions at the start.

I could also pour into some half gallon mason jars for aging instead of the carboy and top them all the way up?

 

[DaveDiamond]

I'm far from an expert, but marbles are often used to reduce headspace.

 

[Raptor99]

I prefer bulk aging, because you have the opportunity to make adjustments before bottling.

I could also pour into some half gallon mason jars for aging instead of the carboy and top them all the way up?

Even if you fill them all the way up, the surface area at the top is too large, so you get too much oxygen exposure. For bulk aging, I use carboys of various sizes, including 1-gal and half-gallon jugs. I also use 750 ml and 1.5 L wine bottles. You can get a drilled stopper that will fit in a wine bottle, and add an airlock.

 

[WyoHunt]

I decided to bottle the mead today. Maybe a little early, but the SG is about 1.0000. Maybe the corks will push out… one wanted to… We’ll see. Taste doesn't seem too bad, maybe a little on the dry side. …