Mead aeration

[bachus]

Hi people,
Just a good tip for a mead aeration & fermentation. I got €2.5 air pump at Dealz:
http://s7.postimg.org/k5wopostn/image.jpg
http://s7.postimg.org/4543cpuy3/image.jpg

Mead aerating:
https://youtu.be/b7jLx3ZYOic

yeast type: JOHANNISBERG M/35
Fermentation started after 12 hours:
http://s13.postimg.org/axd0r4q2f/image.jpg

starting gravity: 1.1150 (~27brix)


Some details:
Mead type: hopped 'CZWORNIAK' (quadruple mead - matures for 8-12 months).
  [    4:1 (3 parts (3L) of water to 1 part (1L ~1.4kg)  of honey)   ]

[Bzfeale80]

Is aeration of mead necessary? I have made a couple of batches in the past but don't recall aerating either of them.

[bachus]

Oh yes, it is very important for a sweet mead that fermentation starting gravity is ~1.130 (30brix) or more.  For dry/semi-dry mead (gravity 1.105 or less) more important is to check pH and add a good nutrient rich in Diammonium Phosphate (DAP). DAP works great for increasing the available nitrogen but it should be not more than 3-4g/10L of that "fertilizer" ;-)
http://homedistiller.org/wash/ferment
http://homedistiller.org/wash/ferment/oxygen

[Bzfeale80]

Cheers for the information bachus. When I made the 1st batch a few years ago I used some youngs yeast nutrient tablets and a champagne yeast and it started off very vigorously! Didn't have the means to check pH level either. I racked it about 3 times before bottling topping up with water in demijohn each time. It was then left in a cold storage place for over a year and it has turned out rather mild in taste but dry.

The second batch I had no hand in making it - my mum & dad had a go at it. It appears that the fermentation has got stuck or stopped and its is still rather murky looking. I think some ordinary youngs beer and wine yeast was used but not sure. I'm thinking of racking the 3 demijohns into an fv bucket adding some nutrient and champagne yeast to kickstart it again. Would it be good to aerate this batch? I have no idea what the og was, I suspect no og was taken at the time it was made

[bachus]

Bzfeale80,
I've done about 12 batches. In my opinion good aeration is most important thing in a high-sugar fermentation. Example:

- very sweet must (~1.1635), aerating (no, it is not my clogged toilet...):
https://youtu.be/Jkol5KEk8s8


-  12h after aerating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-cLBy_vXMk

[Bubbles]

Cocoa mead??    

[bachus]

Yeah, cocoa mead experiment ;-) I am expecting a lot of fun related to oils in cocoa....
- 10.5L batch
- 1.2L of forest fruit juice,
- 250g of 100% Cadbury Bournville Cocoa powder,
- 4.2kg of honey, ~5.3L of water (~1.1635 gravity),
- vanilla pod,
- - jalapeño 

We will see... Crap mead or liquid panty remover Next feedback 08/2016

[Bubbles]

liquid panty remover

I was about to say.. that's one way of attracting more women to the hobby - chocolate mead.. 

That ingredient list is MAD! 

[bachus]

Oh yes,  smell of cocoa must fermentation is lovely...

[Bubbles]

Looking forward to tasting that next year so!

[Hingo]

I wish I seen this a couple weeks ago, made up a 5l batch of some stuff Garry entered into the comp, 1.150 og, 1 satchet of d47  , yeast nutrients and it's only starting to kick off proper now.

Cocoa mead!!! What a time to be alive

[Bubbles]

Cocoa mead!!! What a time to be alive

[bachus]

Cocoa Mead 9th day: ~1.040



That sample never went back to the fermenting bucket - unnecessary infection risk 

[Bubbles]

And it's a shame to waste it...?! 

[bachus]

Just a quick update about the cocoa mead... Fermentation is over. Great colour; taste not bad, but low in tannins. I just expected more "power" from cocoa. Very strange smell. Next update in April or May.