Yeast Management - The 1/3 Sugar Break

[Airgead]

measurement or known rate of O2 delivery

I suspect that will be the hardest to achieve at homebrew scales. I'm not sure what the micro ox rates are for a big commercial system (fractions of a l/hour?) but scaling that down to a 5-25l batch sounds very fiddly without a lot of gear. interesting to hear how your home system works.

Cheers
Dave

 

[pdilley]

Well the Amazon order arrived, a lot faster than May 6th estimated arrival!

Now I just need time to go through it all. I also got a Wild Fermentation book on Food and Beverage around the worlds cultures. That sucked my initial time away because it was just so interesting. They have an African mead in there that's good to drink in a few weeks, but again is best if aged a year or two. Books got me ready to make sake, miso paste, kimchi, sauerkraut and all sorts. Book also mentions how the whole grain health fad is not good for us because of enzymes in whole grains that block nutrient absorption and all our ancestors fermented the grains which got rid of these enzymes and made their grain fully nutrient absorbable to the body. Also in the book are ginger beers, sourdough breads, and other more familiar items to a Western person. Kefir grains, and the lot to Kombucha even. Meads, Wines, Ciders, Cheese, Yoghurt.... gonna have fun with this book!



Now I just need a weekend of quiet me time to digest all the goodies, then can fire off some 1/3rd-SNA experiments, might need to get 12 more demijohns at this rate

 

[pdilley]

Going through the book through the first 50 pages. Quick psuedo-scientific-historical tour of mead throughout the ages, and simplified getting started section.

Book was written in 2003, no updates or new additions which it will need as Ken Schramm in a radio interview Dec, 2008 said he is now strictly a "no boil" and a non-sulfating mead maker and that he has not personally done for ten years -- that would make it 1988. However, the 2003 edition of Compleat Meadmaker has beginners boiling away pastuerising the honey when preparing the must - and that was written 2003... 1998 vs 2003 ... hmm

I've just written lots of notes in pen rewriting sections of the book to update it according to Kens current methods and positions per the radio show interview at the end of last year.

So far, so good, but finding it hard not to get interrupted in order to properly read through the book... gotta go, take the wife out shopping

 

[pdilley]

Looks like the 1/3rd Sugar Break process works and works a lot better than any other I have used.

Fermentation is the cleanest I've done so far. 18 days even under cold temperatures and drinkable straight from the fermenter.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[pdilley]

News just came out of the States, I guess further putting this to rest as well, the methods and techniques in here are now part of the 2009 BJCP Mead Exam Study Guide as referenced reading material. Congratulations to Michael who's FAQs and posts have pushed the SNA and 1/3 sugar break as brewing methods applicable for Meads over the past few years.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete