Well... My first mead and looks like I screw up on OG....

[bolepa]

Thank you, DB! Sounds good. This is clear for me now.

 

[Raptor99]

This is why I start with more than I need, to accommodate racking. It's also why I have some 1/2 gallon glass jugs.

@bolepa If you keep watch in the winter/spring, you might find 1/2 glass jugs of apple juice marked down in the grocery stores. I acquired 7-8 of them that way, which I find very useful when need some more space for bulk aging.

 

[bolepa]

If you keep watch in the winter/spring, you might find 1/2 glass jugs of apple juice marked down in the grocery stores. I acquired 7-8 of them that way, which I find very useful when need some more space for bulk aging.

Thanks for the advice, Raptor! Exactly what I was thinking about...

 

[Maylar]

So, from what you all advised me to do, adding fruit juice or placing glass marbles in a carboy shouldn't be considered as a "good" or "preferrable" option and you are advising against it? Is this correct?

Marbles are a viable option. I've done that before for small amounts of volume.

 

[Maylar]

My "5 gallon" PET carboys are actually something like 5 3/8+ gallon, so if I want to fill into the neck area I have to have made more than a 5 gallon batch to start with and I need to account for racking loss as well as displacement if I intent to add honey to back sweeten. It is the same thing with my 3 gallon batches.

My Spidel is 20 ltr, which is 5.3 gallons. Start with close to 6 gallons in primary, rack to the Spidel for oaking then to a full 5 gal for aging. Over time I've picked up .5 gal, 1 gal, 3 gal containers so there's always options with no head space. A Little Big Mouth from Northern Brewer is 1.4 gallon so I can get a full 1 gal in secondary.

 

[bolepa]

Marbles are a viable option. I've done that before for small amounts of volume.

I am going to my local MoreBeer store right now to get glass marbles (3 #) and a half gallon jag.... Depending on headspace in my third vessel I will be using either glass marble or half gallon jag...

Over time I've picked up .5 gal, 1 gal, 3 gal containers so there's always options with no head space.

Like I mentioned before, this is exactly what I am thinking about now. I remember that before I started my first mead I bough 6 gallon plastic carboy but after I read and learned more I realized that I won't be able to shake 6 (or even 5) gallon vessel for oxidation. I returned that carboy. Now I am debating with myself about buying 5 gallon carboy AND a carboy cleaner/stirrer so I don't have to shake it in future for dissolving honey and must oxidation. This is what I am talking about:

 

[Maylar]

Lees stirrer.

 

[bolepa]

Hi everyone! It's been five weeks and two days since I started my mead and fermentation is either stopped or slowed down significantly...
I was waiting for 30 seconds and did not noticed any bubbling and either fermenters... One week ago SG was:
1.021 for D47
1.041 FOR Red Star Premier Classique

I measured SG today and it changed just a bit:
1.020 for D47
1.040 FOR Red Star Premier Classique

1.020 gravity is a bit sweeter then I wanted but I can live with that. 1.040 is way to sweet.... Should I consider a "stall" with mead? Should I add some nutrients to re-activate fermentation? Is there anything what can be done to reduce sweetness in my mead? Or sweetness can go away with time?
It's my understanding that I should wait for one more week and measure SG again. If SG stays the same - it's time to rack mead to one gallon (in my case) carboys for secondary fermentation. Should I keep fermenting mead for another month, or two and keep taking SG readings weekly? Or should I add some yeast to the carboy with 1.040 SG readings? What is schedule and what it based on? I know - on one hand I am asking too many questions but on another - you cannot learn without asking question...
Thank you all!

 

[bolepa]

Hi guys and galls! It's me again and I really need your help with my situation.... Still waiting for your advice and guidance.... Clock is ticking and I am not sure what I should do next: just rack the mead for secondary fermentation and then buttle it or I should try to re-activate primary fermentation.... The original fermentation is still going (one bubble every one minute or so) but SG isn't changing much.
Please, please, please...

 

[SimPilot]

As for suggestion for 1040 batch? Adding nutrient is too late at this stage (IMHO). You can wait, add more aggressive yeast or dilute it to liking.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Small point. SG = starting gravity.

SG = Specific Gravity
OG = Original Gravity

 

[bolepa]

Thank you, SimPilot. I appreciate your respond.

Small point. SG = starting gravity. You measure it before adding yeast.

As you can see this thread named "My first mead and looks like I screw up on OG...." so, I messed up and didn't read my OG properly and at this point I don't know what it was....

You can wait, add more aggressive yeast or dilute it to liking.

This is what I was thinking about (after googling it) but just wanted to confirm it with this forum.... I just bought and received Lalvin EC-1118 yeast. This is more aggressive yeast with alcohol tolerance up to 18%. I'll wait till Monday, measure SG and based on gravity readings will start either "re-activation" process or rack mead for secondary fermentation.... More opinions/advices are welcome!

 

[Rish]

advice and guidance.

You could move the 1040 batch to secondary to age and make a lower og batch to go very dry then blend them to get something you like better.

 

[bolepa]

You could move the 1040 batch to secondary to age and make a lower og batch to go very dry then blend them to get something you like better.

Thank you, Rish! Actually I like your idea.... This might work but only on condition that lower 1020 batch will go lower/dryer.
As of right now, I just prepared a starter in attempt to reactivate fermentation... I hydrated one pack of 1118 yeast with GoFerm and mixed it with some amount of spring water and a bit of honey. I keep it in 1/2 gallon jag with airlock and will check tomorrow if it's active enough to introduce in 1040 batch.... but I am going to take gravity readings first....