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You're right, sulfites aren't the end all be all, but none at all? I suppose gram negative is what I was afraid of. Environmental bacteria might rarely infect people, but the compounds they make especially from sugar carbon sources can be pretty nasty. Butyric acid 🤮🤮🤮

I'm gonna go reply to both those comments in one go. Trust a microbiologist here when I say potassium or sodium makes no difference when the concentration is so incredibly low and yes, there are viable dormant bacteria on those flowers. They don't need anything to feed on at the moment. Without...

I don't actually use tablets, I have a bag of metabisulphite but metabisulphite is the only component of Campden tablets, they are the same just a different name. I add it to sanitise the dried flowers, I buy them from a tea shop and I really want to make sure even the spore-forming bacteria are...

Is 36 hours not enough to get the excess sulfites out?

The temp range of CY17 is 16-24C and my house was at a pretty steady 20C while fermenting. Thanks for the tip on sulfites though..

I use MJ's yeast almost exclusively and I have never had issues with funky flavours using them for mead. I have tried M05 now for the first time but it is not done fermenting. The reason I picked CY17 actually, is because MJ recommend it for elderflower wine, so just changing the sugar source to...

Hi everyone, This is the second time I have tried to make a flower tea hydromel that resulted in sulfur smell and I really can't see what is so different about my recipe than what is shown on the internet. The first time I used less nutrients and staggered them, I read that I should add more...

Over the years I have seen so many people come and go, saying that freezing fruit is a way to sanitise it. Believe a mircobiologist here, when I say this is not true in the slightest. Look at the article Walker 2006 Freeze-Thaw Tolerance and Clues to the Winter Survival of a Soil Community...

Also, the packaging has 10 gram cubes, but the dosing says 5-30 grams per 10 liters. In 5 liters, should I only use one cube?

Hi all, Soon I want to make a 17% (Sack?) mead. I have these scotch whisky oak blocks to condition with. However, I'm wondering what else to do with this mead. Just wood seems a bit bland. Have you guys got any experience with oaking mead with infused oak? What would you add to a high ABV...

That is a really good idea, I didn't know these taps existed, thank you so much!

Well I already had to cut the wand off to use it for standard racking, so I doubt they will take it back.. I was hoping someone dealt with re-attaching it before

Hello all, Today I racked some mead with the siphon mentioned above. One problem though, it comes with a bottling wand pre-attached? I tried everything to get the wand off, hot water, heat-gun etc. but it wouldn't budge. I had already started the racking process and had to follow through, so I...

What tool do you use, that you know so exactly what amount of pressure you are squeezing at?

Interesting method, are you not afraid of oxygenation when returning the pressed juice to the fermenter?

Hello, Currently I have a cherry and berry mead in my fermenter with whole squeezed fruit. Naturally I am hoping to get the most volume I can out of this. Once the fermentation has ended I want to rack, but I was wondering, do any of you who don't use bags squeeze this fruit to get some more...

Hi, I am interested in making a berry recipe, but some recipes state to add almost 3 kg's to 5L??? For reference, 3 kg of berries take up 4.8L of volume according to this calculator: https://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/food-weight-to-volume How do you guys make a 5L batch with 3 kg's of...

"Honey will be fermented completely because it is almost entirely fructose and glucose". I hear so many brewers say this but from my personal scouring of the internet I seem to find that isn't entirely correct. In Lane et al. 2019 it is stated that 25% of the sugars in honey are...

Hi, Everyone seems to be talking about the pH during fermentation, but what pH should mead be in the bottle? I am thinking about making a lemon themed recipe at some point and I would love to hear if anyone has experience with a little more acidic tasting meads.

Honestly, thinking about it a little bit more there are so many factors (especially the percentage of non-fermentable sugars in honey). And you're right, what's the use testing these things if you are going to neglect other factors? I feel like malt is the same as honey in the non-fermentable...