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Mead Lovers Digest #1060
From: mead-request@talisman.com
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Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1060, 6 December 2003
Mead Lover's Digest #1060 6 December 2003
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
kieselsol (MLD #1059) ("James P")
White Scum (MLD #1059, #1058) ("James P")
Re: Bubbler Speeds (Avraham haRofeh of Sudentur)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1059, 3 December 2003 ("john doerter")
Fw: Mead Lover's Digest #1059, 3 December 2003 ("john doerter")
Re:Bubbles ("Matt Maples")
Re: Shipping of Meads by hobbyists (Galenflys@aol.com)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: kieselsol (MLD #1059)
From: "James P" <jlp765@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 08:33:59 +1000
Rick,
>I bought some Super-Kleer KC to try, but the instructions are a bit vague.
>After stirring part 1 (kieselsol) into suspension, should I wait awhile
>before adding part 2 (chitosan)? If so, how long? Does it really matter
>which is added first and, if so, why? I'm assuming that chitosan is like
>gelatin. What is kieselsol and how does it work?
I have just bought something equivalent from my brew shop. It has two
bottles, one Kieselsol, the other Gelatin, which are already in solution.
The product is made in England.
The instructions say (from memory):
add 1 to 2 g of Kieselsol solution per 4.5L
wait 30 mins
add the same amount of gelatin solution
wait 24 to 72 hrs (until sediment settles) then rack
The amount to add is the upper amount for cloudy wine (mead), and the lower
amount for a clearer wine (mead)
It says it also works for beer.
HTH
James
------------------------------
Subject: White Scum (MLD #1059, #1058)
From: "James P" <jlp765@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 08:46:52 +1000
I won't comment on what the white stuff is, but I've had it on two or three
meads/wines so far, and it seems to be where I have acidic fruit.
It seems more of a film than a scum, and I either spoon it off, or top up
the carboy to over-flowing so that it flows off the top (and then have to
clean the carboy).
A more sanitary way is to rack wiith a gauze "filter" over the end of your
racking can to filter the "scum".
I can't comment yet on what impact it has on flavour, but my guess is it is
minimal.
If you bottle-age you mead, then it will leave a residue on the bottle neck,
but if you bulk-age, then you can eliminate most (all?) of it before you
bottle.
Cheers,
James
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Bubbler Speeds
From: Avraham haRofeh of Sudentur <avrahamharofeh@herald.sca.org>
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2003 22:03:34 -0500
> Subject: Bubbler Speeds
> From: "W. Andrews" <wiandrew@cs.indiana.edu>
> Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 14:55:05 -0500
>
> What is a good rate of bubbling for primary fermentation?
> What is a slow enough rate to indicate that it is time to rack to
> secondary?
I consider any rate of bubbling faster than none "good" for primary - and I
generally rack to secondary when the bubble rate drops to once or twice per
minute (every 30 to 60 seconds). IMHO, YMMV.
****************
Avraham haRofeh of Sudentur
(mka Randy Goldberg MD)
Random Tag: I'm from the government. I'm here to help you.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1059, 3 December 2003
From: "john doerter" <jdoerter@comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 09:34:24 -0600
> The first is a 5 gallon batch (15 pounds honey) with a one point starter
> of Wyeast Sweet Mead (liquid) yeast. The must was aereated the old
> fashioned-way -- lots of stirring.
Many people seem to post that they get very inconsistent
results with this yeast.
> As fermentation started, it reached a rate of 1 bubble every 4 seconds.
> Two weeks after pitch, it's down to 1 bubble every 9 or 10 seconds.
2 weeks? get into glass carboy and under an airlock
(Foam should be gone)
> The second batch was started only 5 days ago (Lalvin 1118) with 12 pounds
> of honey instead of 15 pounds, in a 5-gallon carboy. It's bubbling better than
> every second. The must was aerated with a bubbling stone for about an hour
> while it was cooling.
>
> What is a good rate of bubbling for primary fermentation?
> What is a slow enough rate to indicate that it is time to rack to secondary?
YMMV but I always rack to secondary based on the foam
head on the must (Kraussen or some such technical term IIRC).
This is assuming you are doing primary in a bucket. If you
are doing it in a glass carboy under an airlock, then racking
at day 30 or so will be just fine.
------------------------------
Subject: Fw: Mead Lover's Digest #1059, 3 December 2003
From: "john doerter" <jdoerter@comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 11:39:32 -0600
> Speaking of buckets, my primary was in one of those 'ale pails' ...
> 6 or 7 gallon bucket with an air seal and a bubbler sticking out of a
> little rubber ring in the top. We ended up filling mason jars with water
> and clean gravel and sinking them in the must to take out the headspace.
>
> It would seem to me, in retrospect, that making the mason jar depthcharges
> was unnecessary. CO2 being heavier than O2, the 'good air' would be forced out
> through the bubbler eventually and we'd have a nice thick layer of CO2
> sitting on top of the must.
>
> Any idea if this assumption is sane at all?
There is some truth to this. Also note that oxegen in the
primary is a good thing to promote rapid yeast propogation.
A third item of interest is that you can get a nice foam head
on top of your mead.. The air space allows the foam to
dissipate without entering the airlock. This last is why I
bucket primary my melomels (fruit meads) and cysers.
I don't airlock my primary, I use clear plastic shower caps
to keep stuff/bugs out of bucket, and rack to glass carboys
with airlocks after foam stops.
>
> > > of Wyeast Sweet Mead (liquid) yeast. The must was aereated the old
> > > fashioned-way -- lots of stirring.
> >
> > Many people seem to post that they get very inconsistent
> > results with this yeast.
>
> Perplexing, but I seem to be hearing that a lot. Oddly enough, the Wyeast
> 3184XL took off like a bat out of hell in an small batch of experimental
> maple-syrup/apple-juice wort last week.
It is posted a lot. I have heard little dispute of this from people who like
it.
Although there is one guy who uses sweet mead yeast almost exclusively making
7% ABV mead.
> > YMMV but I always rack to secondary based on the foam
> > head on the must (Kraussen or some such technical term IIRC).
>
> Now there's an idea I haven't run across yet! Can you explain to me the
> chemistry/physics behind doing it this way?
No not really.... but here is what i can explain.
the early mead has a tendancy for foam in the initial
stages... personally I think this has to do with some sort
of balance between the sugar and the water and the Alchohol.
Anyway while ABV is low and the SG is high the bubbles
join to form larger bubbles and have a 1/2 life on top of the
bucket slow enough to be several inches high. Kind of like
foam on a sink with Joy or Dawn in the water to wash the
dishes. This foam is fed from the bottom by the CO2
released by the yeast. (just as the sink foam is fed by air
forced under the sink water).
I can't say for sure if the foam is a direct function of SG
or is related to other factors.... what I can say is if you
shake a bottle of water, you don't get foam. You also
don't get this foam in Alchohol if you shake it. Nor
will any mixture of only Alchohol and water form it.
THERFORE it is related to the OTHER THINGS
in the must.
More rapid Fermentation = more CO2 bubbles = More Foam
More Alchohol = Lower SG = Shorter bubble life = less foam
Anyway foam is on a bell curve timewise in a must.
At a certain point the must no longer supports foam.
IME Foam is gone below SG of 1.050 (though I
haven't tried to measure to find upper limits.)
I'm sure a scientific explanation would be covered in
surface tensions of Various solutions. My explanation
is ...
IMO If you have a foam cap you have a very active
fermentation with plenty of food to keep going.
------------------------------
Subject: Re:Bubbles
From: "Matt Maples" <Matt_Maples@liquidsolutions.biz>
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 10:40:31 -0800
The bubble rate is not really a good indicator of much of anything. You
can't even assume that if it is bubbling it is still fermenting, it may
just be de-gassing. There are just WAY too many variables as to why your
mead is bubbling at the rate it is. From the amount of water in the
airlock, to temperature, atmospheric pressure, current CO2 saturation
and on and on and on. Different yeast will have different fermentation
profiles, from fast violent starters like your 1118 to slower more
steady ferments like ale yeasts (Wyeast Sweet). It doesn't mean one is
better than another or that there is a bubble rate you should be trying
to achieve.
What you should be doing is to try and hit the temperature range
intended for that specific yeast strain.
There is no way around it, your just going to have to take readings.
Matt Maples
Liquid Solutions
12162 SW Scholls Ferry Rd
Tigard, OR 97223
503-524-9722
866-286-9722
503-579-6493 (fax)
www.liquidsolutions.biz
Over 450 beers and 25 meads online, shipping available.
May mead regain its place as the beverage of gods and kings.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Shipping of Meads by hobbyists
From: Galenflys@aol.com
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 2003 14:04:16 EST
As many of you are doubtless aware, sharing for our product between
enthusiasts can be tricky......Common Carrier policies and Interstate Commerce
regs make it difficult to send a sample to a pal. But apparently NOT
impossible, as many folks are able to ship mead to the IMF or to shows.
Can we get some specifics posted as to which companies will accept shipments
of mead, wine or beer between persons (as opposed to between corporations)?
I'm sure that Ray Daniels, for one, is a fount of knowledge in this area. Want
to be able to ship domestic US as well as internationally.
Galen Davis, 17 Fred Jackson Rd, Southwick, Mass. 01077 (413) 569-5148
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1060
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