Home Brewing

[CGI_Ram]

So FG around 1.010?

Are you going to re-rack to a secondary? How are you planning to sweeten to taste without creating carbonation?

Like I said, I've never made mead. Just curious.

1.010 Yes, would be good

I haven’t quite figured my next moves... might rack one into a bucket with apples for secondary. The other will rack into the other once rinsed... then I’ll add something to it non-fruit.

Both sit thru secondary. At some point take the bucket back to carboy for aging.

I will kill all yeast with potassium sorbate. Then can sweeten without carbonation.

But I am still reading. I probably change my mind. lol.

I might try to carbonate. I need to taste first.

 

[FaulkSF]

1.010 Yes, would be good

I haven’t quite figured my next moves... might rack one into a bucket with apples for secondary. The other will rack into the other once rinsed... then I’ll add something to it non-fruit.

Both sit thru secondary. At some point take the bucket back to carboy for aging.

I will kill all yeast with potassium sorbate. Then can sweeten without carbonation.

But I am still reading. I probably change my mind. lol.

I might try to carbonate. I need to taste first.

It could be a struggle to carbonate with that high ABV if you try to go natural with dextrin or those carb tablets. Typically both have a ceiling around 10% ABV

 

[Loyal]

1.010 Yes, would be good

I haven’t quite figured my next moves... might rack one into a bucket with apples for secondary. The other will rack into the other once rinsed... then I’ll add something to it non-fruit.

Both sit thru secondary. At some point take the bucket back to carboy for aging.

I will kill all yeast with potassium sorbate. Then can sweeten without carbonation.

But I am still reading. I probably change my mind. lol.

I might try to carbonate. I need to taste first.

Maybe infuse some with your best weed?

 

[RamFan503]

1.010 Yes, would be good

I haven’t quite figured my next moves... might rack one into a bucket with apples for secondary. The other will rack into the other once rinsed... then I’ll add something to it non-fruit.

Both sit thru secondary. At some point take the bucket back to carboy for aging.

I will kill all yeast with potassium sorbate. Then can sweeten without carbonation.

But I am still reading. I probably change my mind. lol.

I might try to carbonate. I need to taste first.

Be careful on transferring too much. That is the single easiest way to introduce contaminants. The period while the brew is pushing CO2 at a decent rate is the safest.

I realize you will read up and research what you are doing but going from carboy or glass jug to bucket is generally the opposite of what I have always practiced when doing secondary fermentation. You would generally want more surface area during the more active period and less once the yeast has shot its wad.

Of course I've never tried killing off the yeast so there's that.

 

[CGI_Ram]

going from carboy or glass jug to bucket is generally the opposite of what I have always practiced when doing secondary fermentation.

Ditto. I know, it’s whack.

I have watched a ton of things, read, etc... what I have learned with mead is it’s best to add flavor in secondary. And into a bucket for 2-3 weeks in secondary for fruit is common practice.

Flavours in primary tend to get lost.

The other gallon I plan on spicing in the carboy for secondary, I think.

I sure appreciate the tips, so thank you. Don’t hesitate even if you think it’s basic stuff. You never know it might spark something too. Thanks @FaulkSF and any others too.

I might change my mind as I read the next 2 weeks. Those bottles are in the closet for a while. lol.

Good aggressive fermentation still going. Same as yesterday this time.

 

[FaulkSF]

Hit 1.108 this afternoon. Made a starter with London Ale yeast. Rather surprised, does not appear I need to rig a blow off.

 

[FaulkSF]

And damn was I wrong...

 

[CGI_Ram]

Hit 1.108 this afternoon. Made a starter with London Ale yeast. Rather surprised, does not appear I need to rig a blow off.

View attachment 44129

Oh yeah! Look at that!

40 pints out of that?

Mine continues to ferment. Not really slowing much yet. So... I got a good active fermentation underway.

No blow by issues, probably being gallon jugs... Just not enough volume to overwhelm the airlock.

I am planning to start 2 more gallons next weekend. That will give me 4 gallons in the works. I am eyeballing a recipe to add ginger to one... for a honey ginger mead. Simply chop and drop in secondary.

I also purchased a few emulsions. Basically concentrated flavours for baking industry. Lining up some options so as I taste... I can steer it. Blueberry being one... I’ve read it cuts back the effort to impart that flavour. Pumpkin is another I have in mind. Thinking of these as spices.

Who knows. I’ll probably make a mess of this.

 

[FaulkSF]

@CGI_Ram probably more like 35 pints.

 

[FaulkSF]

Woke up to this and the airlock and tubing thrown aside. May be closer to 30 pints now.

 

[RamFan503]

Woke up to this and the airlock and tubing thrown aside. May be closer to 30 pints now.View attachment 44136

Ouch! I have a couple pictures like that. One real mess was when I was building some yeast. I thought it was moving slowly enough. Next day it was like a bomb hit. Yeast all over the walls, the ceiling, stacks of grain, No fun to get that stuff off either.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Woke up to this and the airlock and tubing thrown aside. May be closer to 30 pints now.View attachment 44136

Oh,... wow!

Are you going to finish painting that ceiling brown? Or stick with white?

 

[FaulkSF]

I'll take some wall cleaner to it once the fermentation settles down enough

 

[CGI_Ram]

I'll take some wall cleaner to it once the fermentation settles down enough

Yeah. That’s crazy.

 

[RamFan503]

It appears I had a few pictures of my tap handles on my phone. These were handles I custom cut and shaped. Becky (my wife) did the graphics.

Kinda fun. Our slogan was "Get Twisted. Responsibly.

 

[FaulkSF]

It appears I had a few pictures of my tap handles on my phone. These were handles I custom cut and shaped. Becky (my wife) did the graphics. View attachment 44139View attachment 44140View attachment 44141Kinda fun. Our slogan was "Get Twisted. Responsibly.

Those are pretty nice looking. Nice detail on the wood working.

 

[FaulkSF]

Here we are about three weeks and change later with a yield of about 4 gallons. Primary fermentation has ceased at 1029 for a few days.

Racked to secondary on top of about 3.5 ounces of medium toasted oak and 10 ounces of port. The port and oak had a nice aroma of brown sugar and molasses.

Will probably let it age in here for a couple of months, rousting it twice a week. Then will add almost 2 pounds of toasted coconut for 10 days before kegging.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Here we are about three weeks and change later with a yield of about 4 gallons. Primary fermentation has ceased at 1029 for a few days.

Racked to secondary on top of about 3.5 ounces of medium toasted oak and 10 ounces of port. The port and oak had a nice aroma of brown sugar and molasses.

Will probably let it age in here for a couple of months, rousting it twice a week. Then will add almost 2 pounds of toasted coconut for 10 days before kegging.

View attachment 44547

That sounds freaking good. Like, real good. Heck yeah.

I’ll post update on mine tomorrow.

 

[FaulkSF]

That sounds freaking good. Like, real good. Heck yeah.

I’ll post update on mine tomorrow.

Thank you much appreciated. Too bad I lost 1.25 gallons / 5 liters during primary fermentation. I always learn something new when brewing.

Next time will rack into two carboys at 3 gallons each.

 

[Faceplant]

Sub. This is great. I have always wanted to brew. I mean, I have done some Mr Beer kits and such, but I want to try something more like what you guys are doing and talking about. A lot of my friends are big into it. Also..... I really like beer.

Cheers!