Yes, I'm a noob. I'm sorry, please help.

[TheDogeMan]

Ok, so just shy of a month ago I started looking into brewing mead. Light forum reading and A LOT of youtube videos. Like upwards of 30 different videos from different youtubers. While all of their instruction correlated into a rather simple process for the most basic of brews, I've since learned it isn't so simple.

All of that to say, before I explain what's wrong, I know I don't know everything and I already have a lot of things I'm planning on improving for the next batch.

But right now I have an issue I can't seem to find info on, or at least I think it's an issue.

So I used clover honey in a one gal carboy with a white wine yeast. I had read citrus is a good source of nitorgen for the yeast and you can either add some lemon juice in or add the actual fruit in to also effect flavor. So I added some orange.

As of now (16 days later) it has stopped bubbling and is this sort of opaque yellow color. I've agitated it which causes bubbling to resume for a short while, but stops again within hours. Now, I know bubbling isn't the best method of gauging but hydrometer is still on order. My real concern is the color and it's opaqueness that I take as heavy suspension but am not sure. All the videos I watched showed an amber honey-glow, is this the orange and A-OK? Did my efforts to sterilize everything fail somehow? Is there something else I messed up?

Any ideas so I know if I should keep going with this brew or just pitch it and chalk it up to a learning experience and what not to do for the next one.

Thanks Lads

 

[landsknechte]

It could depend on the honey, how dark or light it is. My clover-alfalfa pear melomel is pretty light. The hydrometer will say for sure but you're probably either dry or very close to it.

 

[Transamguy77]

After 16 days I wouldn't be worried at all yet, after fermentation it will take a little while for it to clear up, the last mead I made took 3 months to clear.

Just let it ride and plan your next batch

 

[CKuhns]

As of now (16 days later) it has stopped bubbling and is this sort of opaque yellow color. I've agitated it which causes bubbling to resume for a short while, but stops again within hours. Now, I know bubbling isn't the best method of gauging but hydrometer is still on order. My real concern is the color and it's opaqueness that I take as heavy suspension but am not sure. All the videos I watched showed an amber honey-glow, is this the orange and A-OK? Did my efforts to sterilize everything fail somehow? Is there something else I messed up?

Perfectly normal - You are OK. At this point opaque is expected. If you agitate it them you will stir up the yeast and the cloudy / opaque will continue. Some yeast take a long time to settle and or if still lightly fermenting will suspend themselves in your mead casing haze.

I would suggest the following: (Be patient - Time is your friend.)
- At a total of 30 days after yeast pitch then rack off the lees (yeast cake gunk) and oranges.
- At 60 days check to see if there are any lees and rack off them.
- At 90 days check the SG and if rock steady between two consecutive readings a week apart then you are done with fermentation.

Oh and somewhere between 60 and 90 days it will likely have cleared up pretty well and will have that nice amber color you are after. If not, then you either have pectin haze from the oranges or you need to give it more time and or you could clarify.

The steps to clarify I use. (There are many more options out there that folks use.)
- Use KC Super Kleer (Or equivalent. ) Follow the label directions. KC Super Kleer settles out both the positive and negatively charged particles that are suspended that cause the haze.
- Cold Crash - Let it set in a fridge for 5 days. Settles out any particles that the KC Super Kleer does not.
- Rack off lees if any. (There will be some)

- If still hazy or opaque then it is likely pectin haze. Add pectin enzyme. (Pectin haze will not clear unless using pectin enzyme to convert it.)

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi TheDogMan - and welcome. The key things that you are not telling us is the specific gravity when you pitched the yeast and the gravity readings at the times when you agitated the mead and the most recent gravity readings. The only useful way to know what is going on is to have a handle on what the yeast is doing and how much residual sugar remains. That means you need to get hold of and use an hydrometer. So that is one thing.
The other thing is whether or not citric acid is a good source of organic nitrogen I cannot say, but I can say that honey has no chemical buffers that prevent the pH - the acid level - rocketing and crashing as the yeast ferment. A pH at around 3.0 is enough to stall any fermentation so the last thing you want to do when making a mead (literally, the very last thing!) is to add more acid. To feed the yeast you want to add raisins, or dead yeast cells (baker's yeast boiled in water for a minute or two) or DAP or Fermaid K or O. Adding citric acid is not a good idea unless you are monitoring the pH and have some means to neutralize the acidity.
Last point about color. Like the others say, there is nothing to worry about. Any carbon dioxide absorbed in the liquid will keep whatever particles suspended and suspended particles will create greater opacity. In due course, or if you do not have the patience to wait, you can assist, the mead will self degas. Each time you rack (every 60 days?) you can allow the mead to run down the inside wall of the target carboy or fermenter. That action will help force the CO2 out of suspension - Remember for every pound of sugar (or honey) you are fermenting, 8 oz of CO2 are produced. That ain't chicken feed... and if you have banged in a bung and airlock from day 1 then much of that CO2 is trapped inside the liquid - that is one reason that seasoned winemakers use a bucket loosely covered with a towel as their primary fermenter.
Good luck!