Should I be concerned?

[Letthegirlsing]

Three weeks ago, I started a 'beginner' batch of mead... based on a recipe from the "JOY OF MEAD" website...

31/2 lbs Honey
almost a Gallon of water
Fleishmans' yeast
2 oranges and cranberries (it called for raisins as a nutriet, but I didn't have those, so I used Craisins)
balloon (as an airlock)

Now, I was happy to see that the mix started to bubble up, just as predicted. But now, three weeks in and the bubbling has just about stopped, so I planned on racking it off of the fruit into a 1 gallon secondary. I also tasted it, and I would NEVER drink this! Its strong like acid!!!!

Now, there was a day when the balloon popped and within a day, I discovered this and secured a new one on and tomorrow I am planning several 1 gallon carboy set-ups. Is it possible that its ruined? Or can it be saved? My instinct tells me to add some white grape juice or apple juice to soften the palatte, but would that be the right or the wrong thing to do?

Any advice would be GREAT!

 

[pkeeler]

Do they really say to use bread yeast? That just seems silly. What would be the point? Dried brewers yeast, while not always top quality, is hardly more expensive then bread yeast and actually produces decent tasting stuff and flocculates.

I don't know what to tell you. I'd put it down as a learning experience and retry the recipe with real brewers' yeast. It is entirely possible the bread yeast is done doing whatever it can do. Putting more stuff in is just going to increase the sunk cost.

I'm not sure where the acid taste is coming from, maybe some vinegar has been produced. Could be a byproduct of the bread yeast.

 

[Letthegirlsing]

Do they really say to use bread yeast? That just seems silly. Yes it did... all ingredients able to be purchased from the grocery store... there was even a picture to use as a reminder.

You mentioned "sunk cost"... I am less concerned about cost and more about trying to salvage the mead. Sadly, it doens't smell too appetizing either... so is it possible that its too far gone?

 

[klcramer]

Don't know if this is advice or just words of encouragement considering I only have two batches of mead under my belt. Mine smelled like vomit at the end of the first month and I considered sending them to the drain gods at that time but chose to let it ride and see where things went. Glad I did as last night my wife and I finally opened the first bottle of each and much to our surprise they both taste awesome. Thats not to say there isn't something wrong with yours. Just saying it can get better if nothing is wrong. You may have a recipe that is designed for grocery store items. The bread yeast is an area for concern. For your next few batches I would definitely get yeast that is meant for the job. I would search out other recipes as well there are many of them round. The other thing I would look out for is the balloon trick. I have heard of this being used and personally don't trust it. It may work just fine but I think an air lock will keep out more of the things that can cause bad things to happen. Hope this helps.

 

[klcramer]

One more thing that you most likely know is sanitation is key. Make sure everything that touches the mead or has a chance to touch the mead is sanitized. This is a big area for me I spend more time cleaning my equipment than I do cleaning my house. SWMBO has told me this more than once.

 

[Yooper]

I'd give up the ballons and buy a few #6 stoppers (they fit one gallon jugs) and some airlocks. The idea of the balloon is to let co2 out, while keeping room out from coming in. It just doesn't work that well. The balloons fall off, pop, etc. I'd also invest in some good wine yeast, dried is fine. That's for future batches, though.

For now, make sure you have no headspace in your jug, topping up with water so that there is only an inch or two below the stopper and airlock. Buy a hydrometer, and some good no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize a turkey baster, and take out a sample of the mead and check the specific gravity. (Do that before you add water, if you need to top up!)

From there, we can give you a few more pointers when we find out what's going on in there.

 

[Letthegirlsing]

Thanks for the words of advice and encouragement... I am heading out to my local homebrew store this morning to pick up some carboy set-ups, some additives and a hydrometer.

I have purposely held off making any other mead until I purchased such items, because I was leary of the 'grocery-store' items working. But, I will be making a second attempt within a few days; this time with the right equipment. I wasn't sure if 'brewing and wine making' were for me... but I should have known better

As for the first batch, I will rack it off of the fruit, take a reading and then figure out if some apple or grape juice may be in order, or just letting it sit in a secondary for a while. As of right now, there is little activity in the water jug set-up its in, so my making my purchases today are 'right-on-time'. I have a gallon of 'country-style wine' ( from juice concentrate) that is ready to rack too.

I will be busy this Mother's Day! YAY ME!!!

 

[Letthegirlsing]

Don't know if this is advice or just words of encouragement considering I only have two batches of mead under my belt. Mine smelled like vomit at the end of the first month and I considered sending them to the drain gods at that time but chose to let it ride and see where things went. Glad I did as last night my wife and I finally opened the first bottle of each and much to our surprise they both taste awesome. .

That was my first instinct too... and I will hold off for now, too.

I love a good science experiment!

Just don't know what SUPER GREEN mead should taste like vs. there is something wrong with this batch and I should send it to the 'drain Gods'

 

[bigzippo]

glad you didn't dump it. People can get really pessimistic on here. I'm sure your mead will be fine, if it was me I'd add some champagne yeast to clean things up but I have heard of people getting fine results from bread yeast

 

[chode720]

Mead can taste really terrible for the first few months. All of my batches have tasted like paint thinner for the first few months, but when teh alcohol mellows, they get really really nice.

As to the smell, I wouldnt be too concerned. Yeasts can produce a lot of funky smell. I have 2 batches going right now (in my 5x5 utility room) where both yeast strains produce a lot of sulfur smells. The room STINKS everything you walk in, but the meads are doing fine.

 

[Letthegirlsing]

Thanks for the encouragement.

The update is:

I sacrificed my country-style wine (CSW) to the drain Gods. I just didn't look like it was going anywhere ( in a good direction, that is )

The mead, on the other hand, is showing some promise. Case in point; when I racked both the CSW and the mead, I added a campden tab and potassium sorbate to both... the mead cleared beautifully... the CSW, not so much. So I am holding out hope that it will clear and 'come back to me'...

As for my second batch of CSW, a red, it looks happy so far. I will rack it tomorrow, add the campden tab and PS and see where it goes. THAT batch, I did right... real airlocks, etc...

Also, I may not be sanitizing my jugs thoroughly; ( there's a comment that sounded better in my head ) Perhaps that was part of my failed/lesson learned experience.

If the consenses is, that the mead and wine will both smell and taste rather poor a few weeks in/ after the primary fermentation, then perhaps I am not giving the 'brews' time to finish their journey?

One reason I like the CSW, was supposedly it had a 6-8 week turn around. Its to appease me while I wait A YEAR for the mead. Never said I was a patient person But I am trying to learn how to be.