Homebrewing

[Onoff]

I crushed up 16 Camden tablets and half a teaspoon of citric acid (from the derusting stock) in a gallon of warm water as a sanitiser. Fingers crossed! Everything washed and scrubbed in soapy water first inc work surfaces, then sanitised with the made up solution then rinsed.

Went with the no boil Joe's Ancient Orange Mead recipe. Meant to reduce the honey from 1.6kg / 3.5lbs to make it a bit drier but forgot!

Got one of the elves to do most of it.

Placed the demijohn in the big fermenting bucket in case of froth over and put the 12W heating on half way up the glass just now. I've ordered a pack of 4 strap on / probe digital thermometers for at a glance checking.

 

[Onoff]

It's years since I've done any home brew. Have always lived in "cold" houses with high heat losses. Mum was a seamstress and made quilted demijohn and even fermenting bin covers from scraps, with drawstrings at the top to help keep mine, my Dad's and brother's brews warm. Dad would never have allowed a heated pad etc because of the expense. The belt I found above was still in the box! I think my brother bought it for Dad who promptly put it to one side.

Anyway I have this mead going.

A bit of an issue is SWMBO. It's built in to have a moan; "How long is that going to be there for?" etc. Doesn't matter I made it with the youngest etc, it will be deemed "in the way" wherever it lives!

At the moment it's in the corner of a room, Yes, next to the rad but that's not always on. Ditto the oil rad, there for standby when the room is that cold the rad can't cope. Behind that curtain anyway is an open, cold hall.

I made the brew last night and as above, sat the demijohn in the bigger bin. Lid is sat gently balanced on the airlock as it's a tad too high. I put the heating belt on it last night but got my lad to turn it off when he went to bed in the early hours (fear of fire etc).

Switched the belt back on and it's doing it's thing, about one "blip" of CO2 from the airlock a second.

Difficult to measure but around 30degC:

Does inconsistent heating like this matter?

Going to wrap the bin in an old zip up fleece too as it's supposed to be left in a dark, warm place.

 

[brewdexta]

30c is very warm, I'm not conversant with mead but I keep fermenting temp below 22c for beer. Above that temp you can get high levels of diacetyl being generated. This gives a buttery/butterscotch flavour. This isn't nice in high quantities in ales but not sure about mead.

 

[Guineafowl]

Not sure how much I’d trust that infrared thermometer aimed at the shiny glass surface. One of those stick-on fish tank types might be better.

Agree above that a cooler, slower fermentation is better, unless you’re going for a particular style. I used to find that wrapping the fermenter in a blanket (also excludes light, which can produce off flavours) allows the slight metabolic warmth of the fermentation to keep everything ticking along.

 

[Onoff]

30c is very warm, I'm not conversant with mead but I keep fermenting temp below 22c for beer. Above that temp you can get high levels of diacetyl being generated. This gives a buttery/butterscotch flavour. This isn't nice in high quantities in ales but not sure about mead.

Ta, I'll shift the heated band up a bit. The recipe says it "likes a little heat" like 70-80degC.

Actually measuring as best as, the bottom of the demijohn, it's about 25/26degC which is about right, circa 77-79degF.

Happy to buy a temperature controlled pad, any recommendations?

 

[Onoff]

All change, I've ditched the belt and wrapped it in a zipped up black fleece:

 

[brewdexta]

Before I moved to all grain, I used to brew in a polypin with the tap on top and shove it in the airing cupboard next to the chimney breast. So no temp control, beer was OK, but not memorable. It worked ok until my a**e of an elder brother closed the tap and the polypin blew up like a balloon. I caught it just in time, if it had burst, with 40 pints of ale filtering through the lounge ceiling, my house proud mum would have been a tad angry.

Now I have a temp controlled insulated fermentation cupboard. made from slotted angle and leftover insulated panels from the barn build. I use a PID controller with a thermostat as a fail safe, these control a plant room tube heater.

 

[Onoff]

In my opinion the mead is going like a good 'un. Airlock is rapidly bubbling faster than 1 blip a second:

The recipe says "After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it".

I wouldn't call this major foaming:

The liquid level is still 3" below the neck, at the point the recipe says to fill to, this to allow for the foaming...that hasn't really happened imo. Not the best angled shot:

 

[OJCar]

If it is happily burping at >1 BpS
Leave it to get on with it.

Is that a sausage on the centre right ?

 

[Onoff]

Is that a sausage on the centre right ?

A Winerschnitzel?

No, nor is it a Thames Trout.

It's a whole cinnamon stick.

I'm debating topping up with some filtered, boiled water now as in sooner rather than later to reduce the potential air gap at the top once fermentation finishes...

 

[OJCar]

How long does your recipe say it will be in the burp for?
Remembering your house is cool so it will be in the burp for longer.

 

[Guineafowl]

A Winerschnitzel?

No, nor is it a Thames Trout.

It's a whole cinnamon stick.

I'm debating topping up with some filtered, boiled water now as in sooner rather than later to reduce the potential air gap at the top once fermentation finishes...

Don’t water it down! It’s not Budweiser… The denser CO2 will be sitting on top like a blanket, so no worries there.

 

[Onoff]

Don’t water it down! It’s not Budweiser… The denser CO2 will be sitting on top like a blanket, so no worries there.

As above, the recipe says "in a few days add some water".

 

[Onoff]

How long does your recipe say it will be in the burp for?
Remembering your house is cool so it will be in the burp for longer.

About 2 months.

 

[Guineafowl]

As above, the recipe says "in a few days add some water".

Ah, didn’t see that.

 

[OJCar]

About 2 months.

Bet you start drinking it at Xmas.



Is this the recipe?
https://www.almostoffgrid.com/blogs/almost-off-grid/joes-ancient-orange-mead-recipe

"Recipe Notes

Racking --- Don't you dare

additional feeding --- NO NO NO

More stirring or shaking -- You're not listening, don't touch

After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that - You are not so important after all).

Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready.

You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away).

If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated. If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be if you followed the recipe, then enjoy your mead."

 

[slim_boy_fat]

For the heating thing, would something like this do the job? [random Google search, and different wattages are available]

CLICKY

 

[Bullet2012]

the beer is just a by-product.

Still awaiting mine

 

[Onoff]

For the heating thing, would something like this do the job? [random Google search, and different wattages are available]

CLICKY

Going to see how it goes with it's fleece wrap. Got a cheapo thermometer strapped to the demijohn now, about half way up:

 

[Jamie nixon]

lad/lasses,

is any of you all grain brewer into grainfather gear?

my local shop has some kit on sale for black friday!

You searched for grainfather - Brew At Home

brewathome.shop

GRAINFATHER BLACK FRIDAY DEALS Archives - Brew At Home

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