Mead Primary

Other Fermentables
1

Is 2 weeks for primary fermentation reasonable?  I’m trying to set my brewing calendar and I want to know how long my fermentation chamber will be tied up.  I was just asked to do a beer for an event in mid June which is cramming things up a bit.

I’m following the instructions on www.meadmaderight.com

1.Clean and sanitize all equipment
2.Rehydrate yeast at 104F (more info here)
3.Dilute honey into 2-3 gallons of water
4.Fill to 5-gallon volume
5.Gradually temper yeast with must until within 10F of must
6.Pitch yeast and ferment in low 60F (62F best)
7.Add nutrient additions (more info here)
8.Degas twice a day for one week to release CO2
9.​Once fermentation has ceased, rack to secondary
10.Age until clear or add clarifying agent

2

Or more to the point, when can I get it out of the 62* fermentation chamber and let it finish the primary fermentation in the 70* house?

3

You can. Not recommended, but I would think you should be near 2/3 sugar break at that point.

4

If your still converting a significant amount of sugar to alcohol you run a big risk of fusels at that temp. Its OK for secondary but if there are still a lot of points to drop you need it to be cooler. Do you have a cellar? There’s also the tub of water and ice pack method.

5

Thanks guys.  I’ll stretch it out as long as I can.  I just started the fermentation tonight.  Also I saw after massaging my calendar that I can leave it in for three weeks and still get the other brews in.  I win!

6

Doesn’t the oil ruin your calendar?

7

Ha!  I do it dry to remind it who’s boss.

Back to mead…  I just degassed it for the first time.  Do I need to get all the foam to disappear?

8

I degass until I don’t hear much fizzing.

9

I try to get as much of the foam out as possible. Help in case I miss a degas.

10

This Thursday will be 3 weeks in primary at 62*.  I’m going to bring it into the 70* house Friday because I need the fermentation chamber for a beer I’m going to brew that day.

Here’s the question: For best practices, how long can it (should it) be left in primary before racking to secondary?

11

I go by the production of CO2: when that fizzy sound you get when you stir it is way down. Usually 2_3 week, sometimes longer. I actually don’t mind a little active fermentation in secondary so I have no qualms about transferring a little early and in fact let a tiny bit of slurry come along for the ride.
More scientific mead makers will tell you the percentage of expected attenuation but co2 production works for me, it tells you the same thing: conversion of sugar to alcohol is almost done.
Same principle as beer applies in that you go by the fermentation not the calendar.

12

What Pete said… only I do use sugar break. I am a nerd.

I have left mead on must in primary for 2 months without an issue. That said, probably not a good idea as the pH is so much lower than in beer and can kill yeast quickly.

13

Thank you.