I pitched at higher temps...

[awilki01]

I pitched the yeast in my mead around 85-90 degrees. Is this a bad thing? At the time, I didn't worry about it, but I'm just coming here to double check......

Thanks in advance,
Adam

[Fast_Eddy]

From a canonical perspective - yes it's a bad thing. It can stun the yeast into inactivity, cause mutations, stress the yeast into creating excessive esters, etc.

BUT - if the yeast survive and become active you probably won't notice a difference...probably.....

[danno]

dunno how mead is going to react, but I did that with a beer last summer and ended up with waaay too much fusel alcohols... after two pints, there was an almost guaranteed next day hangover/headache from the fusels...

[awilki01]

Well, the yeast definitely survived it. There is activity like crazy right now.

I just hope I didn't screw up. I was just thinking, "Bah...it's close enough" as I pitched my yeast yesterday.

I guess the phrase, "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!" really doesn't apply here. I may have really screwed this up....

[crashbobo]

Don't fret over it too much. I'm sure what you end up with will be drinkable. Might need just a little more conditioning time for the fusels to mellow if they are in abundance. And you learned your lesson for next time :)

[awilki01]

Well, this mead will take about 6 months to a year to be ready. But, I may tap into it from time to time prior to that :) So, I hope the fusels will all but go away. Don't they start to turn into the ethanol after a while?

Also, keep in mind that the fermenter is in a room about 70F. I only pitched at a higher temp (85-90F). Could that many fusels be created in the short time it took the primary to cool to room temp - especially, since fermentation didn't start really happening until about 12-14 hours later, right?

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
From a canonical perspective - yes it's a bad thing. It can stun the yeast into inactivity, cause mutations, stress the yeast into creating excessive esters, etc.

BUT - if the yeast survive and become active you probably won't notice a difference...probably.....

No more using words I have to look up!!!

Especially when they are read fast and the reader is on meds or beer they look like another word. Took me three looks to figure out it was you that was crazy, not me.:D

[crashbobo]

Well, this mead will take about 6 months to a year to be ready. But, I may tap into it from time to time prior to that So, I hope the fusels will all but go away. Don't they start to turn into the ethanol after a while?

Yeah you're right. Just as long as your temps are not too high while the bulk of fermentation is goin on, it should be fine. And with it being 6 months to a year before it is ready, I'm sure everything should condition out smoothly.

Man I don't think I could wait 6 months to tap something. I guess thats why I haven't done a barley wine yet :D

[awilki01]

You ought to hear this thing bubble. I haven't seen my beers bubble this much and so often. Literally, there is about 1-2 seconds between bubbles.

Those yeast are in there having a party right now. All 500 trillion or so of them :)

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
No more using words I have to look up!!!

Especially when they are read fast and the reader is on meds or beer they look like another word. Took me three looks to figure out it was you that was crazy, not me.

I do use tenebrous words from time to time. :D

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
I do use tenebrous words from time to time.


My ex-wife always told me I am somewhat loquacious, but I could not understand how she would know as she never shut up long enough to hear me.

I am going to start calling you thesaurus boy! :D

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
My ex-wife always told me I am somewhat loquacious, but I could not understand how she would know as she never shut up long enough to hear me.

I am going to start calling you thesaurus boy! :D

Eschew obfuscation!!

[awilki01]

Argh!!!!

I just racked my Mead for the first time - will do it once a month. It is currently at 14% alcohol by volume. This is quite a bit of alcohol, but when sampling it, it tasted like a very cheap and sharp tasting alcohol. I assume this taste is due to excessive fusels. It was undrinkable. Do you think in the months to come, the fusels will mellow dramatically? Do they just mellow, or do they convert to ethanol or something?

Thanks,
Adam

[toneyc]

Yeah, that's just a young mead taste, give it a while, it will mellow.

:)
Toney.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

If your too worried about how the flavor will be effected, wait until fermentation activity stops and rack it off onto 5 lbs of frozen black berries for 5 gallons.
This will give the mead a pleasant flavor and a nice blush of color.
mead yeast is pretty tough though, I have made the same mistake and the mead turned out just fine.

As tony stated the mead is way too young to be drinking at this point. Mead gets drinkable at around 6 months and gets better from there.
My best mead I have on hand is about 10 years old, needless to say, I only break out a bottle on a special occasion.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by awilki01
You ought to hear this thing bubble. I haven't seen my beers bubble this much and so often. Literally, there is about 1-2 seconds between bubbles.

Those yeast are in there having a party right now. All 500 trillion or so of them :)

With my first and only batch of beer, the airlock was going about twice per second. Is this abnormal?

[toneyc]

Man, Otis, I can't imagine a 10 year old bottle of mead! I have so got to try and cultivate some patience for cellaring some of this stuff.

HoagieWan, twice per second is perfectly fine. The bubble rate varies during fermentation. During the peak of fermentation, you will see multiple bubbles per second.

:)
Toney.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

toneyc, she is a really wonderful drink, had a bottle for Christmas. That leaves me 4 bottles.

This was a sweet still mead with Pomegranate Juice in it 4 parts mead to one part juice in secondary fermentation. so the mead started out as a four gallon batch and then was cut a little with the juice. But enough ferments out so it balanced out well.

The bouquet is wonderful, the color is a ruby red glow, flavor a fine and delicate balance of the sweetness from the honey and slight sourness from the Pomegranate juice.

Before I bottled it I did switch it back and forth between carboys for about 4 months and left it another 2 months in the same carboy once all the yeast had cleared out.

One thing about mead you have to remember, patients is a virtue.
Never try to drink a mead that is young, there isn't anything I have ever drank that was as vial, But once the mead has aged in the bottle for about six months to a year you will be rewarded.