Newbie Mead Question

[Eslais]

Hey, first of all thanks for entering my thread and reading

Last Wednesday I made a batch of 1.5 Gal (5 liters) of the basic Mead from the book "The Compleat Meadmaker". The recipe called for 5 gal, but I scaled down the ingredients.

This is the recipe, scaled down

Heat Method:
1.8Kg or 4 lb of varietal honey
4 lt or 1.125 gal of filtered water
Pitched 5g of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast, rehydrating it first (it's the only yeast that I have)
Wyeast Yeast Nutrient (don't remember, but scaled down also, no SNA)
LD Carlson Yeast Energizer (don't remember either, but scaled down, no SNA)

Took a hydrometer reading and got a SG of 1.123.
Double bubble airlock
Set aside in a room with a fluctuating temp of 16-19ºC(60 to 66ºF)
Aerated today (third day) and the must is producing foam along with CO2 bubbles in the airlock

My questions are, because I read a lot of posts but I can't figure out what to do, some people say "do this" while other say "it's not needed":

When do I take the next Hydrometer reading?
When should I rack? 2nd week? at a specific gravity?
When do I stop the fermentation, when I get the desired SG reading? Or should I wait for the one written in the recipe?
How do I stop fermenting? Does filtering it through a cheesecloth get's rid of the yeast, or it needs a cold crashing?
I have bentonite powder and Sparkalloid for fining, is it(fining) something usual to do in meads
Bulk aging or bottle aging?
When to bottle? After 2nd rack? after 6 months? sg?
I tried one lime Melomel after racking (4 week) and it tasted awful, does it really get better with age?

Thanks, and any help will be really appreciated

Sorry for the interrogation

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I'd let it be for now, the yeast know what they're doing. Wait till fermentation slows considerably or seems to stop & rack (siphon) off the lees (sediment), to another carbouy. Top-up (if needed), refit the airlock & wait some more. When racking, draw a sample for testing with your hydrometer. I wouldn't return the test sample to the carbouy, as there's a high risk of contamination, I usually drink it if it's not too bad tasting; young mead isn't very tasty.

I don't use fining agents, never saw a need for them as mead will clear by itself, given enough time. Don't think of mead in terms of days or weeks, think of it in months or years. Yes, time does make a big difference. I had the same concerns when I started making mead, young mead just isn't tasty, but with time & proper conditions, a kind of "magic" happens & that nasty, rocket fuel tasting paint thinner you made turns into clear, golden, delicious ambrosia.

I always bulk age my meads, mostly because it's easier, but it also gives you a more consistent product than bottle aging. I've bulk aged meads/melomels as long as 4 years & was not sorry I did. Proper & consistent temps are just as important during aging as they are in fermenting, and will make a big difference. I used to taste my aging meads every 6 months or so, now I only taste them once a year.
Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

 

[madscientist451]

When do I take the next Hydrometer reading?
When should I rack? 2nd week? at a specific gravity?
When do I stop the fermentation, when I get the desired SG reading? Or should I wait for the one written in the recipe?
How do I stop fermenting? Does filtering it through a cheesecloth get's rid of the yeast, or it needs a cold crashing?
I have bentonite powder and Sparkalloid for fining, is it(fining) something usual to do in meads
Bulk aging or bottle aging?
When to bottle? After 2nd rack? after 6 months? sg?
I tried one lime Melomel after racking (4 week) and it tasted awful, does it really get better with age?

Thanks, and any help will be really appreciated

Sorry for the interrogation

Answers in order:
1. Don't take any more readings until it stops fermenting and starts to clear.
2. Again wait for it to stop and let the yeast drop out before you rack it, this might take a month or more.
3. If you're just starting out, don't worry about stopping the fermentation, just leave it alone.
4. Running the mead through a cheesecloth won't accomplish anything, but cold crashing after its done will help settle out the yeast, and then you can rack it off.
5. You're going to have to let it age anyway, so there's really no need for fining agents.
6. I prefer bulk aging, that way you avoid too much sediment in the bottles.
7. Bottle after it clears and it tastes ok.
8. Awful taste can come from a variety of things. Staggered nutrient additions, a moderate fermentation temperature and a de-gassing routine really helps. An awful tasting mead might improve after a year, just let it sit and come back to it later.

Keep running 1 gallon test batches until you figure a way that works for you.

 

[Eslais]

Thank you all for the answer!