AWKWARD ZOMBIE

I murdered it with cling wrap just in case.

What are you making it in? How much honey did you use, and what kind of yeast?

8 lbs of clover honey, 2 gallons of spring water (not tap), one packet of active dry yeast, and 0.75 oz. of yeast nutrient. We're making it in an 8 gallon fermentation tub (food grade plastic) that we got at a homebrew store.

What kind of yeast, though? Did you get it at the homebrew store too? Because bread yeast doesn't really work for alcohol. It will make it smell and taste a bit off.


Also, I'm not sure just how much you should be able to smell it. Then again, you're making a larger batch, so depending on the shape of your container, there might be more CO2 pressure.

"Fleischmann's active dry yeast. All natural yeast."

Ingredients: yeast, sorbitol monostearate.
Product of Canada.

I didn't get it specifically at the homebrew store, but the guy didn't do anything when I mentioned that I'd already gotten it somewhere else.

Is it in those bright yellow packets that come in strips of three? because that's bread yeast. I mean, it's not like it won't still ferment, it's just that it'll probably have some off-flavor to it.


Out of curiosity, what air-tight setup do you have where you can still smell it?

Payday, time to get stinking drunk for a while

I have a one way bubbler that empties out into a balloon seal. I'm able to remove the balloon and keep the one way bubbler on, which keeps it airtight.

Also yes it is yellow and came in a pack of three. Is there one that explicitly says "use this one to make booze" I sould look for?

Not really one in particular, but RedStar has a whole line of wine and brewing yeasts, and they'll usually have a picture on them to indicate that they're not for bread. The site that I order my yeast from (since there's nowhere to buy it around here) has some information on each kind they sell, so that you can kind of get an idea of what you're looking for. I would recommend using wine yeast for mead, specifically the ones intended for lighter wines, so that you can still have the honey taste come through clearly.

http://www.ritebrew.com/category-s/1972.htm



(So on the balloon, there's no gas escape for the balloon? It just collects in there so that there's the residue when you remove it?)

It's a balloon with holes in it, so while it's inflated the CO2 is able to get out, but when deflated the O2 can't get in. I'm thinking residue from the gas gets collected on the ballon during that process.

EDIT: also thanks. I bodaciously started this whole thing Saturday for a sort of "I just turned 21" project.

Ah, yeah. I was worried that I might have sounded a bit snippy a couple of times. Also, for your next batch, if you do it again, assuming your homebrew store has RedStar, I'd recommend using the blue packet. It has the lightest smell, and it ferments really cleanly.


A few notes for while you're letting it ferment: In a few weeks, you'll notice a bunch of light-colored stuff collecting at the bottom. That's just the yeast and sediments from the raw honey, so it's not going bad or anything. Also, watch how much it's bubbling. Don't judge just by the airlock. (I don't know how well you'll be able to do this if you're not doing it in a clear container, and I"m not a hundred percent sure how long it will take if you're doing it in a 2 gallon batch, since I only run single gallon glass jars). Don't try to pull it until a week or two after it's stopped bubbling, just to make sure that it's finished fermenting.

Oh, no problem. I'm completely new at this so I still need all the help I can get. This was just going to be a trial run to get shit going and then in maybe a month or two I was going to transfer the stuff to more portable glass jars to age and do a second process with a little more stock and experimentation (assuming things go right with the first batch). To be honest, from all of the literature I've read 2 gallons is a small amount compared to the 5 gallon stocks people are talking abut elsewhere. I just wanted it small and simple in case shit hits the fan, I can tell where it is and be able to prepare for it later.

Yeah, but most of the people that run the 5gal have been doing it for a while. I like having the 1 gallon glass because it makes it easier to manage, and I can see the process of the fermentation without having to move it around (plus, we don't drink enough to go through a gallon all that quickly). Also, very important safety thing. When you transfer it to bottles, make EXTREMELY sure that it is completely finished fermenting, and if you're planning on storing it in an airtight bottle long-term, maybe even put some Potassium Sorbate in there to make sure a new fermentation doesn't accidentally start up. Otherwise, you risk ending up with a glass grenade.

Is there any sort of way to tell for sure when it's stopped or is it pretty much a crapshoot?

Well, when it stops bubbling, it's done. And since it'll be one-way airtight, it's safe to leave it in there as long as you want. So if you can see into the container, then just go until about two weeks after the bubbling stops, just to be on the safe side (the bubbles will be tiny, so you'll have to look closely). If you can't see into the container, then I don't really know how. I'd guess give it three months to be on the safe side and check it? A one gallon batch will run around two months, with maybe an extra week if you're being cautious. I've never done a larger batch before, though.