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Wigwuck

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Jun 13, 2022
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Grand Rapids
So I've recently returned to brewing mead after about 2 years, but even then, I only have 3 batches under my belt so far.

As part of my return, I decided to do a 1 gallon batch of straight mead, no fruits or spices, and I used the Go-Ferm and Fermaid-O amounts from a calculator online. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that it's difficult to mask any problems making a straight mead.

That being said, are there any common things I should be looking for when it's ready to taste that indicates I messed up somewhere in the process? I started the batch about 5 days ago, so it's gonna be a long, long while before it's ready, but I'm in a position where I don't know what I don't know. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance!
 
Welcome. There is a good deal of info out there about making mead, and for a beginner it can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. The folks here are as good a resource as any you'll find.

Since you mentioned the nutrient calculator, can we assume you'll be doing staggered additions? You do have a hydrometer, right?

Tell us a bit about your current batch - type and amount of honey, yeast used? Did you take an initial gravity reading?
 
Welcome. There is a good deal of info out there about making mead, and for a beginner it can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. The folks here are as good a resource as any you'll find.

Since you mentioned the nutrient calculator, can we assume you'll be doing staggered additions? You do have a hydrometer, right?

Tell us a bit about your current batch - type and amount of honey, yeast used? Did you take an initial gravity reading?
Thanks for the response!

Yes, I am using a staggered nutrient addition. The first 3 additions were 0.9g of Fermaid-O, and the last addition is 1g as per the calculator.

For honey, I bought some while ordering some other equipment from Northern Brewer (Clover Honey). It came very crystalized, so I had to take care of that, and I think I got a little less than the 3 pounds honey per gallon of water I was shooting for. I researched and found an apiary a couple minutes from my house, so I plan to buy from them in the future so this (hopefully) won't be a future problem.

For yeast, I used 1 packet of Lalvin 71B. Before pitching, I used 6.25 grams of Go-Ferm as per the calculator I used.

For the gallon of water, I just used a gallon of store bought spring water from Meijer (not distilled).

As far as my OG goes, it came up with 1.08.

To my untrained eye, fermentation seems to be going ok so far. Must seems "healthy" and the yeast seems to be doing their thing. I've tried to be good about sanitizing everything that touches it. Are there any common/obvious warning signs that primary fermentation is taking a bad turn?
 
Are there any common/obvious warning signs that primary fermentation is taking a bad turn?
You are doing a traditional, so fermentation should just progress along. In the first week or two of fermentation, I try and take a whiff every couple days to see if I detect and stressed yeast giving off a Sulphur smell. If I do, I whip a ton of O2 into the fermenter to bind it before it becomes a problem.

If that happens, catching it early makes all the difference. Some items like apple juice or wine grape seem to give off some of this aroma normally. You are looking out for something objectionable.

I did a session that I caught a bit late with a Sulfur smell, but was able to get enough O2 in there to salvage it with only a small affected flavor after the aroma cleared. The funny thing for that specific batch, that slight fault ended up being an item that enhanced the overall flavor when it was carbonated. 🤷‍♀️ I don't know how I would reproduce that batch.
 
I try and take a whiff every couple days to see if I detect and stressed yeast giving off a Sulphur smell. If I do, I whip a ton of O2 into the fermenter to bind it before it becomes a problem.
Ahhh, ok. The bits and pieces I've read and the "hows and whys" are starting to tie together now. I'll definitely be on the lookout for that. I appreciate it!
 
I only have a dozen or so batches of mead under my belt. After a lot of research (reading and YouTube), the TOSNA nutrient schedule (Fermaid-O), yeast strain and health (Go Ferm + Fermax), fermentation temp, stabilization and back sweetening have been my focus.

I sent three off for competition (Mead Stampede): two scored mid 30(s), one scored 42 and placed 2nd at its table. I also came in 1st and 2nd at my club’s people’s choice style comp at our last meeting.

So.. I am continuing the journey and learning something with each batch.
 
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