# Have I done the wrong thing?



## superstock (26/12/13)

On 27/7/2013 I started a basic mead. Nothing fancy, just 2.1kg honey in 4.8 litres water, black tea, lemon juice, raisins. With Mad Millies cider yeast. OG 1140
Took off like crazy and by 30/8 was down to 1 + minute bubbles, but was very cloudy. Racked and on 4/9 cold crashed until 15/9 -- still cloudy.
On 24/9 I did the eggshell trick, was looking good, lots of movement. By 2/10 it was still not clear but had changed to a browner colour and a noticeable amount of fresh sediment. 4/10 racked and did the eggshells again.10/10 fresh sediment, no colour change, still cloudy. Racked and then strained through a coffee filter--didn't seem to do much. Sg 1006
5/12 Racked again SG 1005. Fed 400gms honey and topped up with water to 4.8 litres. SG 1028.
10/12 Still cloudy, gave it a good swirl, although no lees were apparent. No other action.
25/12 No yeast sediment apparent SG 1025. After bottling the small amount of sediment was brown and looked dusty, not like yeast.
Anyway I have bottled into swingtop bottles in the hope that if there is some yeast and it wakes up, the pressure may be released before the bottles let go. Thoughts, have I done the wrong thing?


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## Yob (26/12/13)

What's the current alcohol level?

Damn that's s lot of racking...


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## Dunkelbrau (26/12/13)

Are you looking for it to be carbonated or still?

The mad Millie yeast (from what I have just read on a few topics here) is around 18% ABV tolerance, so I'd doubt you would get any carbonation unfortunately.

The alcohol content should be around 18-19% at the moment as OG was 1.140, plus 25 points of honey... So 1.165 down to FG of 1.025. 

I'm not sure why it's brown, maybe the tea? Or dead/dying yeast?

You only need to rack once then bottle later, I wouldn't be racking every time I check it.

Just wait till it starts to finish (3/4) then rack to secondary. Let it clear then bottle.


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## superstock (26/12/13)

Yob said:


> What's the current alcohol level?
> 
> Damn that's s lot of racking...


18% before additional 400gms of honey. I am supposing that the alcohol or all the racking has killed off the yeast as the additional 400gms has not been utilised.

What I would like to know is, if there is some yeast left and it wakes up, will the swingtops relieve the pressure before the bottles blow.

Would only rack twice normally, but in this one I was trying to clear before bottling.


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## superstock (26/12/13)

Jurt said:


> Are you looking for it to be carbonated or still?
> 
> The mad Millie yeast (from what I have just read on a few topics here) is around 18% ABV tolerance, so I'd doubt you would get any carbonation unfortunately.
> 
> ...


Still, it's a sweet desert mead.
Yes 18% is the yeasts tolerance. Your alcohol specs agree with mine.
Not tea -have made several meads with higher tea levels and all have cleared. Yeast lees were normal white/cream colour.
I suspect the honey. Dark honey, bought at a farmers market.
I normally rack twice. When it's nearly finished and again some time later before bottling.

Not concerned with all that. I want to know if the swingtops will release pressure before the bottles pop if there is any yeast left and it wakes up.


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## Yob (26/12/13)

No.. Swingtops will either contain it or explode.. They won't 'release' you can always lift the lid in a week or so and check they aren't carbing up...

Do you want them to carbonate?


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## superstock (26/12/13)

Yob said:


> No.. Swingtops will either contain it or explode.. They won't 'release' you can always lift the lid in a week or so and check they aren't carbing up...
> 
> Do you want them to carbonate?


Don't want it sparkling, it's a sweet desert mead.
True can release and check easily. Wasn't thinking.


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## Airgead (27/12/13)

A brown colour after racking could be a sign of oxidation. That is an awful lot of racking and every time you rack without using antioxidants, you run the risk.

Have a taste. If it tastes like sherry, it's oxidized.

With that high an fg you may also want some acid to add balance and prevent it from being cloying. Most desert wines are high in acid for that reason. 

Cheers 

Dave


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## niftinev (27/12/13)

if you forget to release they will explode and when swing tops go off (if grolsch ones) Kaboom........


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## superstock (27/12/13)

I have the answer! I'm going to do a stovetop pasteurise. That will kill any yeast and solve the problem.


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## Yob (27/12/13)

Better to leave them and release the pressure if any build up.. Though given the alc content... Unlikely


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## Airgead (27/12/13)

superstock said:


> I have the answer! I'm going to do a stovetop pasteurise. That will kill any yeast and solve the problem.


So you are going to take some bottles with an unknown amount of pressure in them and immerse them in boiling water which will increase the pressure inside.

Potential outcome - showering boiling water and shards of glass all over the kitchen.

I'd just pop the tops and see.

Plus heating the mead could do horrible things to the flavour. Plus if its already partially oxidised the heat will increase the oxidative damage.

I wouldn't...

Cheers
Dave


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## superstock (27/12/13)

Airgead said:


> So you are going to take some bottles with an unknown amount of pressure in them and immerse them in boiling water which will increase the pressure inside.
> 
> Potential outcome - showering boiling water and shards of glass all over the kitchen.
> 
> ...


You may be silly enough to put them in hot water without poping the tops first, I'm not.
At 160'f would do less to the flavour than boiling the must--which a lot of people do.
You have this thing about oxidation, there is no oxidation. The colour I suspect comes from the honey as mentioned previously and I failed to mention that the receiving vessel was given a shot of CO2 just prior to each racking.


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## Airgead (27/12/13)

superstock said:


> You have this thing about oxidation, there is no oxidation. The colour I suspect comes from the honey as mentioned previously and I failed to mention that the receiving vessel was given a shot of CO2 just prior to each racking.


Ahhhh... you did forget to mention that.

Normally a shift to brown after racking is a good sign that the wine has oxidised. Racking into a purged vessel though does reduce the chances.

Carry on.

Edit : And you might not be dumb enough to put the bottles into hot water without popping the top but others reading this might not be. Just making things clear for those with a little less experience...


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## Yob (27/12/13)

Do you like How they taste now? If so...

I think you are over complicating things a bit.. What even makes you think they will carb? If they have reached their threshold.. Well, that's it innit? No amount of love nor honey will make them do more..

Let it ride, in the unlikely event you get a touch of carbonation, release the top as suggested. 

Job done.


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## superstock (30/12/13)

So you think I have killed the yeast with alcohol?


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## Dunkelbrau (2/1/14)

Yeah, we think the yeast is no longer able to tolerate the environment.


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