barleyhole
Well-Known Member
I have a melomel that has been fermenting 13 days (my first mead attempt). Still fairly active. It was 12 lbs honey brought up to just under 5 gallons, and a bunch of grated ginger root (1.092 gravity). Used RedStar Premier Cuvee, so I'm expecting it to ferment out.
Primary has been in a carboy...my only carboy. My perceptions about racking mead are:
Use carboys if you can. However this is my only carboy. I have some 5 gallon buckets I could rack to, but is it okay to keep them in there long term? I could rack there for a couple weeks and then rack back to the carboy, that way I can see when it clears up...probably in many months. Or should I just buy another carboy.
When to rack? The fermentation is still pretty active. When should it go into secondary? My impression is when it has really slowed (still bubbling about every 10 seconds), then I rack. Or should I rack now, then again in a month...and every month til it clears. OR should I take a gravity reading and rack if it's below some threshold?
Thanks for any advice.
Primary has been in a carboy...my only carboy. My perceptions about racking mead are:
Use carboys if you can. However this is my only carboy. I have some 5 gallon buckets I could rack to, but is it okay to keep them in there long term? I could rack there for a couple weeks and then rack back to the carboy, that way I can see when it clears up...probably in many months. Or should I just buy another carboy.
When to rack? The fermentation is still pretty active. When should it go into secondary? My impression is when it has really slowed (still bubbling about every 10 seconds), then I rack. Or should I rack now, then again in a month...and every month til it clears. OR should I take a gravity reading and rack if it's below some threshold?
Thanks for any advice.