8 replies to this topic

[Brewer Pete]

I though I'd start off with a post of the local water quality, *very soft* water where I am at. And ask for input on what to look for and how to amend your water for optimum honey must creation for mead brewing; although if any variations for beer wort brewing are different it doesn't hurt to respond in kind the differences.Hopefully, this can be a basis upon which other members can obtain water quality reports for their local water and amend accordingly.The water treatment plant has a production capacity of 250 megalitres (million litres) a day. The treatment process involves the following steps:• coagulation and flocculation • optional dissolved air flotation • dissolved air flotation and filtration or direct filtration • disinfection by chlorination • ultraviolet disinfection • pH adjustment and stabilisation with lime and carbon dioxide • fluoridation by sodium silico fluoride.No chloramine is used (hurray!) -- Only chlorine gas and chlorine gas + uv radiation during chlorination.pH between 7.5 and 8.5 pH unitsAlkalinity (total) 35.8 mg/L as CaCO3Colour (true) 2.38 Pt-Co unitsTurbidity 0.47 NTUFluoride 0.91 mg/LTotal Hardness 39.6 mg/L as CaCO3Iron 0.033 mg/LManganese 0.010 mg/LAluminium 0.033 mg/LCopper 0.018 mg/LLead 0.0004 mg/LSulfate: Important for brewing but none given in the water report--only that the detection level is 1mg/LLINK to the Water Quality Reporthttps://www.actewagl...alityReport.pdf

[Hightest]

I see nothing here that might adversely affect a mead fermentation.

[Brewer Pete]

I see nothing here that might adversely affect a mead fermentation.

Ok Hightest, that nubs that one. Why not move on to must augmentation :rolf:FYI, my digital scales and my Brix Refractometer arrived. I just need to get some items from the LHBS if they stock them over here to do a batch using the latest techniques, TCMM, 1/3 Sugar Break, 4 stage ammendments.What I'll add to my "to look for list":- DAP- Fermaid K- GoFerm- Citric Acid (figured one day I'd want to invert my own sugar into Glucose+Fructose to give the invertase an easy load)- Yeast(s) ???I already have Vinters Harvest, SN9 yeast: Saccharomyces Bayanus, Dry Form, (Aged Reds, Blush, Cider, Fruit Wine, Sparkling Cuvée, Whites, Young Reds), 68-75° temp range in F, 18% Alcohol Tolerance.Any alternatives, changes to add to the shopping list?I'm still debating what to use for a primary, large mouth item, bucket, etc. recommended. I have two 34 liter glass demijohns [35.9 Quarts or 8.98 US Gallons] and a 25 liter glass demijohn [26.4 Quarts or 6.6 US Gallons]. Only plastic is HDPE 30 liter plastic primary. I could just cut down the size to 25 liter range to fill the 25 up to the neck as bulk aging. Or I could go look for one of those large wide mouth 54 liter demijohns (for olive pickling) otherwise its lots of playing roulette with the plastic alternatives at the hardware store. I have a big new 57 liter storage container, but current aversion to plastic doesn't make me feel like I really want to use it."As your plastic bottles sit, there may be some migration of chemicals from the plastic into the water, but FDA spokesman Mike Herndon says the levels are “well within the margin of safety.” You may have heard about health problems caused by plastic leaching into water from bottles. However, that applies to containers that have a high percentage of polycarbonate (like many of the hard bottles people buy at camping stores to use over and over)."

[Brewer Pete]

Caught by a ?5 minute? limit to be in the post editor..Was going to add the blurb:SN9"An excellent neutral fermenter with high stress and ethanol tolerance. SN9 produces very little flavor or aromatic compounds by does produce glycerol. This makes it an ideal fermenter for Ciders and fruit wines which are often thin and welcome the added body conferred by this strain. Also, an excellent choice for sparkling wines given its neutral character and high ethanol tolerance."

[Hightest]

Your list looks good, except I really do not see the need for citric acid unless you think you'll be needing to adjust the acid balance of a fermenTED mead. If so, then an acid blend would be a better choice.I would add some StarSan to the list (sanitizing agent). I keep a 2 gallon bucket in my work area for tools, tubing, hands, etc. I've never used SN9 yeast so I can't comment on it. Yet, there are a number of dry yeasts that do well in a mead: D47, 71B, EC1118, K1V-1116, R2, BA11, Uvaferm 43, RC212, Champagne. I've used all of these, and others... Whichever you get, keep them sealed in the original packets in a refrigerator until you need to use them.

[Brewer Pete]

Your list looks good, except I really do not see the need for citric acid unless you think you'll be needing to adjust the acid balance of a fermenTED mead. If so, then an acid blend would be a better choice.I would add some StarSan to the list (sanitizing agent). I keep a 2 gallon bucket in my work area for tools, tubing, hands, etc. I've never used SN9 yeast so I can't comment on it. Yet, there are a number of dry yeasts that do well in a mead: D47, 71B, EC1118, K1V-1116, R2, BA11, Uvaferm 43, RC212, Champagne. I've used all of these, and others... Whichever you get, keep them sealed in the original packets in a refrigerator until you need to use them.

Do you program your meads?By that I mean do you say I want a sack mead, then I want to use say SN9 so the SG/OG needs to be X, if amending nutrients to the must then if on the high end of bell curve 18% should be treated as 19% so expect FG as Y?I know, probably on the SS file, but if shown one run through a design for a specific end result I can usually pick up and the run with it. -- gives me an excuse to calibrate and learn my refractometer as well.One thing I want to do is small batches, probably a bulk initial must with one specific honey to be tested but then divide into smaller bottles 330ml/740ml/1 liter and then use different yeast strains for sole purpose of learning what each strain does to a specific honey. When getting down to such small numbers the measurements might be too much for a .1gram incrementing digital scale?Either method should be good to learn the measuring and mixing from while dividing down and up the capacities.

[Brewer Pete]

This edit time limit is seriously too low...cut off from editor:I'm still a chlorine bleach sanitizer person. 10ml per Liter of water with 10ml of white vinegar added later to combine synergistically with the bleach (love working in metric now, just working with powers of 10). These levels taste/smell is not present but sanitizing happens in 30 seconds to two minutes. Hot water rinse neutralizes the bleach and any tastes/smells associated with it. -- I can always change in future but I've always used this method with no issues to date (knock on wood).

[Hightest]

Do you program your meads?By that I mean do you say I want a sack mead, then I want to use say SN9 so the SG/OG needs to be X, if amending nutrients to the must then if on the high end of bell curve 18% should be treated as 19% so expect FG as Y?

To some extent yes, but only to pick out a starting point (OG) within these general guidelines:

[*]Keep OG below 1.150[*]Never attempt to stop an in progress fermentation - I can always back sweeten[*]Aerate with pure oxygen at 24 hr intervals when OG >1.125 for 2-3 days[/list]FWIW, I prefer using a no-rinse sanitizer and do not use chlorine bleach.

[Brewer Pete]

FWIW, I prefer using a no-rinse sanitizer and do not use chlorine bleach.

Off Topic:WHOA!! SERIOUS EDIT MISTAKE. The previous post seriously should be deleted as safe guard for any future readers.The above should read 10ml of chlorine bleach per 5 Liters of Water, then 10ml white vinegar added. That is .5ml per Liter of water. Do not mix Vinegar and Bleach together in a cup (simple school chemistry) just toss one in the water then measure and toss in the other in the water.At this ratio this is a no rinse vinegar/bleach sanitizer with no taste/smell issues. At this level you can take a mouthful of bleach/vinegar "no rinse" solution and see if you can taste anything.I only add the hot water rinse step as an extra non necessary measure as I know hot water will instantly knock out bleach chlorine.StarSan has had export restrictions in the past do to its Acid nature, I think I might be able to find a source locally but it will be ~$35 for 32 oz of it.Now back onto mead, egad its past midnight and I got work tomorrow!