Ugly mead after 24 hours

[Orerockon]

Hello, I just started 20 gallons of mead, I've been making mead for 8 years or so and I haven't seen anything like this. I do it in 5 gallon batches, and did 4 last night. Today 3 are yucky looking, brown like tea and a gray/brown scum cap, something is going on but it isn't fizzy like I expected. 1 is exactly what I expected, yellow and fizzy. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, except I switched to EC-1111 because my Lavlin 71B batches have been very slow to get fermenting. So it's obvious from the photos what's going on, is the brown/gray one toast? I have 2 other buckets that look the same. It's about 24 hours since I added the yeast.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Is all of this traditional? Is it four different recipes?

 

[Orerockon]

The same, 10 lbs. of honey & 5 gal. water, EC-1111 started with GoFerm, a couple teaspoons of wine tannin and acid blend.

 

[CKuhns]

It looks like they are all fermenting. Is the gravity dropping on all four?

I have no idea why the differences between them but if fermenting i would let them run and see how they come out.

I have had some batches get a brown krausen similar to what you have here. No idea why. With that said they turned out well.

 

[Orerockon]

Well yes they were supposed to be the same, the only difference between them is the lsat one was half Walmart and half Amazon honey (don't laugh, I can afford Costco honey anymore it's doubled in a couple years). What's even weirder is the yellow one stopped dead in its tracks last night (Fermaid K didn't do much of anything to it), the others are still going but the scum has gone down a lot (but it's still there). Now I'm thinking it has something to do with my yeast tempering, I had the bring the first 2 down 10 degrees with cold water, the third didn't need anything and the 4th was 10 degrees lower than the must so needed tempering with some hot water. I've never had this much trouble with a batch of mead in 10 years. The only real difference was using the EC-1118, I started off with MO2 cider yeart (they tended to blow up), went to Lavlin 71B (they usually needed a second shot of yeast after a few days), then Lavlin 71B-1122 (I was told it's 17B with a new name), and this was my first batch with the 1118.

 

[CKuhns]

I do know EC1118 is a very high alcohol tolerant yeast. The only time i use it is when i get a stall. It very quickly out competes anything else and does tend to kick up a fuss if its a bit warm. (68F plus)

 

[bernardsmith]

More useful than providing us with where you bought your honey would be the varieties of honey you are fermenting. Honey is not simply a commodity. Clover honey is not identical to wildflower and wildflower honey pollen collected by bees in the spring is very different from wildflowers producing pollen in the late summer, while wildflowers from Brazil are different from wildflowers from NYS. Orange blossom honey is not the same as raspberry honey or tupelo or meadowfoam. Every honey has different flavor and color profiles. But you know that.

 

[Orerockon]

I think I figured it out I used Walmart honey in the brown ones and Amazon for the one that looked right. I only bought it because Costco had jacked up their honey by about half and I could run to the store and grab it. So never again, Walmart.

 

[Maylar]

Does the honey label show country of origin?

 

[Orerockon]

Does the honey label show country of origin?

The usual here there and everywhere. I didn't see China which from what I've read can be completely fake. I recycled the jugs already but I think it was US/Canada/Argentina (or Chile?).

 

[Maylar]

China sells through other countries to hide the origin. Vietnam and other S.E. Asian countries usually indicate Chinese honey. I think yours would be OK.