Mead making query

[tzirtizi]

I've only had one attempt at brewing previously - cider, which didn't go particularly well (it mostly just sat and didn't do anything). I've just started my second attempt, which is at making mead - I read a few recipes online and have set some going. The problem is that I managed to spill some of the liquid as I was decanting it into the demijohn, so there's now not quite the right volume, and a four or five inch gap at the top of the demijohn. I was wondering whether this matters? When doing the cider I'd read that it's important that the container be filled right up to the top - is that the case with mead?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[phettebs]

I don't do it with my mead/cider/beer but the instructions usually say to do it to minimize headspace and avoid oxidation. You can certainly top up if you wish.

Baz

 

[shearclass]

If you are jstu starting this, it will eb a good idea to leave some head space as if not, when fermentation starts it will froth up all over.
Best to top up once fermentation ahs died down.

 

[tzirtizi]

Thanks for the advice! I'll wait until it's not fermenting very visibly and then top it up. At that point, should I top it up with just water, or with water and honey?

 

[charlie_mead_face]

what was your recipe? if you want a strong mead you could do a second feermetation by making a mini batch with the same recipe and add it to the dj after your first rack with a bit more yeast
ps i wouldnt worry about oxidation, when it gets going the co2 will push all the air out

 

[tzirtizi]

what was your recipe? if you want a strong mead you could do a second feermetation by making a mini batch with the same recipe and add it to the dj after your first rack with a bit more yeast
ps i wouldnt worry about oxidation, when it gets going the co2 will push all the air out

Glad to hear that there's no need to worry about oxidation. It's now bubbling through the air valve quite regularly!

My recipe was just sort of the average of the different recipes I read online, with rather a bias towards easier ingredients which I actually had :P It ended up as 5 and a half jars of honey, a pinch of tea leaves, a pinch of lemon rind, and a pinch of ginger root; with enough water added to make up to a gallon, all simmered gently and the scum spooned off, then put into the demijohn when cool and yeast added.

Adding a mini batch sounds like an interesting idea! So that would be as simple as making the same mixture and adding it along with some extra yeast to this batch after racking it? I guess it would make the overall process rather longer, though?

 

[RobWalker]

as long as you're topped up (or havn't racked off yet) then you're fine - oxidization when ageing occurs in wine etc when you've racked and left headroom, or degassed and bunged but there's still headroom/oxygen then. or not used a syphon. >.<

 

[charlie_mead_face]

Glad to hear that there's no need to worry about oxidation. It's now bubbling through the air valve quite regularly!

My recipe was just sort of the average of the different recipes I read online, with rather a bias towards easier ingredients which I actually had :P It ended up as 5 and a half jars of honey, a pinch of tea leaves, a pinch of lemon rind, and a pinch of ginger root; with enough water added to make up to a gallon, all simmered gently and the scum spooned off, then put into the demijohn when cool and yeast added.

Adding a mini batch sounds like an interesting idea! So that would be as simple as making the same mixture and adding it along with some extra yeast to this batch after racking it? I guess it would make the overall process rather longer, though?

it will prob take another 2 weeks (?) for the yeast to process the extra sugars and nutrient but mead takes a long time to mature (min 3 months from bottling) another 2 weeks is'nt to bad.
good recipie i also like he simple ones, rarely adding anything other than honey, water, yeast and yeast nutrient and by using different honeys the taste range you can get is amazing.
PS check out this post its got some great links :
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=25248

 

[tzirtizi]

Thanks for the link!

It's now stopped visibly fermenting - no longer bubbling through the airlock, and it has cleared dramatically over the last day or so. Would now be the time to transfer it to another demijohn and top it up with some extra mixture and yeast?

 

[charlie_mead_face]

Thanks for the link!

It's now stopped visibly fermenting - no longer bubbling through the airlock, and it has cleared dramatically over the last day or so. Would now be the time to transfer it to another demijohn and top it up with some extra mixture and yeast?

looks good for the first rack :thumb: now that i see it there's not to much lost you could just ass some water. most my brews end up loosing that much after racking

(far left and second to right have both been topped up with water)

 

[tzirtizi]

Great! I ordered some plastic tubing to syphon it from ebay earlier in the week - I'll move it across as soon as that arrives ^^. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[charlie_mead_face]

id get an auto syphon there great because you cut down the risk of infection, they're easy to clean, and cheap as chips as well

 

[Swift Pint]

Sorry, hope I'm not hijacking the thread. I've got a raspberry melomel thats been fermenting since monday, its only my second attempt at mead.
When I rack it off the raspberries I reckon I'll end up with another couple of inches of headspace, would you recommend topping up with water?
Can I purge the headspace with c02 instead?

 

[tzirtizi]

So after racking and topping up with a bit of the original mixture (I did go for this option because once I'd moved it across and left behind the sediment, the space at the top seemed very significant..), I've seen no further fermentation - it's settled, relatively clear, and hasn't been bubbling through the airlock at all. Given that, would it be ok to bottle it in a week or so? Or should I leave it a while longer in the demijohn? Or rack it again and leave it in a different demijohn?

Thanks! :)

 

[charlie_mead_face]

would it be ok to bottle it in a week or so? Or should I leave it a while longer in the demijohn? Or rack it again and leave it in a different demijohn?

Thanks! :)

keep racking it till its crystal clear if you bottle it now youll get a load of sediment in the bottle which will get disturbed when poring it :sick: i wait about 1 1/2 months give o take befor bottling

When I rack it off the raspberries I reckon I'll end up with another couple of inches of headspace, would you recommend topping up with water?
Can I purge the headspace with c02 instead?

water will be fine if its over 3 inches add a bit of honey as well :thumb:

 

[tzirtizi]

keep racking it till its crystal clear if you bottle it now youll get a load of sediment in the bottle which will get disturbed when poring it :sick: i wait about 1 1/2 months give o take befor bottling

Thanks! I'll do that :)