Topping carboy with beeswax?

[Rebeccaclendenen]

I had to dump a batch this year because of oxidation and I’m trying to find a failsafe strategy to top off my carboy before I start a cyser. I have a few little bricks of beeswax at home so I was wondering if there’s any reason why it wouldn’t work to top off my carboy (in addition to my rubber bung). I did a search for this but didn’t find anything. Anyone have any insight?

 

[Bilsch]

I would reconsider what material bung you are using since different polymers can be drastically different in their oxygen barrier properties. Silicone is actually pretty terrible at slowing the ingress of O2 while Buna-N rubber is a very good barrier. Typically the harder black stoppers are either EPDM or Buna-N and both are effective.

 

[bushpilot]

I assume this is for secondary? If so, top with unfermented must, juice, or (my favorite) another mead.

If you are talking about primary, oxidation shouldn't be a problem unless you leave it there for an awful long time.

 

[OleBrewing]

a balloon or un lubricated dong bag. no need for air locks in secondary.

wax would work depending if there is no more fermentation going on and type of vessel if there is fermentation still going.

i have always tried to secondary near the end of primary fermentation so there will be a layer of co2 formed.

Probably most important make sure the head space is at or near the neck of the carboy in secondary; there won't be any vigorous fermentation going on. may need to top off with sterile water or some more fermentable solution.

 

[VikeMan]

I assume this is for secondary? If so, top with unfermented must, juice, or (my favorite) another mead.

Probably most important make sure the head space is at or near the neck of the carboy in secondary; there won't be any vigorous fermentation going on. may need to top off with sterile water or some more fermentable solution.

Adding must, juice, or anything else that's fermentable will work against the main purpose of moving the beverage (cyser in this case) to the second vessel, i.e. allowing yeast and other stuff to drop out of suspension. Added fermentables will keep yeast active and in suspension and stir up some of whatever has already settled.

 

[OleBrewing]

Adding must, juice, or anything else that's fermentable will work against the main purpose of moving the beverage (cyser in this case) to the second vessel, i.e. allowing yeast and other stuff to drop out of suspension. Added fermentables will keep yeast active and in suspension and stir up some of whatever has already settled.

very minimal at best.

if using secondary assume its for a duration of time. any additional fermentation will drop out.

 

[Miraculix]

How big was your headspace in secondary? Headspace must be minimal, otherwise it will oxidize.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Sometimes I use wine preservation gas In carboys with too much head space. Seems to work fine.

 

[Raptor99]

@Rebeccaclendenen I usually do my primary fermentation in a bucket. If you are talking about secondary/bulk aging, then maintaining minimal headspace is important.

I usually make a larger volume of wine/mead in primary, so I have enough to fill the secondary. For a 3-gal carboy in secondary, I will start with 4 gallons in the primary bucket. It is also helpful to have a number of different sized containers for bulk aging, so that you can fill them all to the top.

 

[Rebeccaclendenen]

Yes, it was for secondary, but I saw signs of oxidation from primary and tried to save it. I know what I did wrong for the first fermentation but I didn’t know how to do better on the second and didn’t want to dilute the recipe by topping it with other fluids (since I’m trying to do it by the book for my first cyser). This gives me some good options. Thank you all for your insight!

 

[OleBrewing]

the journeys of brewing and learning from previous trials. even going by the book will have minor nuances show up in each individual's set up.

learn and grow.

 

[bushpilot]

Adding must, juice, or anything else that's fermentable will work against the main purpose of moving the beverage (cyser in this case) to the second vessel, i.e. allowing yeast and other stuff to drop out of suspension. Added fermentables will keep yeast active and in suspension and stir up some of whatever has already settled.

Not an issue, it will ferment and clear with minimal additional residue.