I usually fill the bottle to the botle's top with the auto-siphon. The displacement of the wand when you remove it is usually a great level. I like to keep as little air space in the bottle to limit any spoilage over time. I would look into affixing a piece of plywood to the botton of your corker to give it a base and stability. You could make it a temporary base for easy storage. I also prefer the natural corks but to each his own. I go a lttle overboard and wax the ends and use a imprint a seal into the wax. Printing off some quality labels with my own artwork. Overboard yeah but its a hobby and love the look and all the work going into it! Again to each his own! Keep the great vids coming! Cheers!
Jon Samuda That makes sense! I agree, I should have filled them just a little bit more, and did on every other one I did. But, none the less it got the point across!
I used to bottle in wine bottles. But drinking a whole bottle before it oxidizes doesn't always happen. Hate to waste Mead, honey ain't cheap. So I switched to beer bottles. A single 12 oz bottle is a lot less waste, plus, you get about 10 bottles per gallon, 11 if you use the imported 11.2 oz beer bottles. I do 1 gallon batches mostly. More economical, I can drink different meads without waste, or lots of half full bottles, plus makes great gifts to share with friends.
I do use wine bottles, I also use 375 Ml bottles and now beer bottles! Beer bottles are definitely cheaper and easier to use frankly. However, there is the nice thing about using wine bottles because they do look nice. You're totally right though!
Very satisfying to watch lol. I just learned how easy it is to make mead last night and I've been learning everything I can about it since. I want to try just 1 quart mason jars before I go for gallons and I figured it would be a good way to test flavors before I make a whole gallon and not like it. Thanks for the informative videos.
You’ll get better performance from both corkers if you push the cork in faster. Going slow increases the friction. A wet cork will slip better when it’s moving faster. You should be able to rest a dime on top of the cork inside the lip of the bottle.
Ok I added a campden tablet the same time I added the yeast and the additives and them I found out u add the yeast after 24 hrs of making the honey and water must so is it ok if I wait and add another2.5gs of yeast then and should I add the additives again with it
I have never had any issues with my hand corker, It seems its issues with your corks. Ill cork my bottles faster with the hand corker and way faster. The only problem i have i have to make sure the metal press comes down square on the cork so it gives it nice even pressure. I use normal corks and i just boil them for a little bit doesnt take long.
I have a question. When we bottle the mead from the carboy. The siphon tube sucks a bit of dead yeast, when we are bottleing the last bottle. Is there any solution to avoid yeast to be transferred from the carboy to the bottle.
If I use the EC-1118 yeast with yeast nutrient and 3lbs of honey with water added to be a total volume of 1 gallon, would the mead be a dry mead or a sweet mead after 1 month? I want a dry mead that still has some sweetness, and was wondering when should I add potassium sorbate to stop the yeast at that point.
Brandon W. If you’ve take a hydrometer reading you need to base your end sweetness on that. From what it sounds like, if the yeast go through their full cycle, the mead will end up leveling out and will be dry. So what you need to do is take your beginning hydrometer reading, say it was 1.12 and end up somewhere around 1.02. Ultimately you want to end up a little above 1.00 to keep a little sweetness but it still be dry. So once the specific gravity is there you should kill the fermentation. I hope this has helped some!
I'm new to this. I was watching your use of the hand corker. It didn't look like you lubricated the cork with sanitizer. Also, It seems to me to have the corker cork square, all you would have to do is put a washer or gasket of some kind around the top of the cork to keep it from moving.
the one thing i see you didnt do! or didnt mention! no sanitizer on the cork for the hand corker? the hand corker also does not seem to get the cork down to size. 1L flip-top beer bottles for me or champagne bottles, more like a Belgian beer bottles(750ml like a champagne bottle) if im going to use a cork. i just dont want to have a range of bottles and crap, with no surprise bottle bombs. as for small bottles i would say go 12oz flip-top. flip-top gaskets also take up less space. as like every hobby!! its all personal preference!
I also haven't had the same issue with my hand corker, but I also use regular corks. I've also found that when using the bottling wand if I fill the bottle all the way up to the top so that the mead is almost spilling out, it gives me the exact level of liquid in the bottle. I've done that with both wine bottles and beer bottles and it's always been perfect. Takes a lot of the guesswork out when you have a lot of mead to bottle.
I should have filled them up just a little more but I do like a little space. I think my hand corker is just kind of weird and has it's own set of problems.
The Ferrari hand corker is significantly better then that or similar hand corkers. Its also adjustable and much easier to 7se when you put the bottle on the floor and stand over it. Of course its nowhere as good as a floor corker though. Thanks for the videos!
What might be the problem if I store the mead in sanitized empty plastic coco-cola bottles and put in the cap tightly instead of the glass bottles with cork ?
@@ManMadeMead yeah I degas it but it seems to have somewhat of a gas because when I crack the cork you could hear the gas release even after second fermentation
Wait that first mead fermented for 8 months? I’m so confused how long mead takes. I’ve heard 2-4 weeks, I’ve heard 1-2 months, and now you mean to tell me yours took 8 months? (I’m fairly new to mead obviously, just started my first mead a week ago)
Death Eater You don’t have to wait 8 months. Most meads can be drank at the 3 - 4 month mark, they just get better with age! My best meads are now 9+ months old. It’s all in your taste though, some people are fine drinking a 1 month old mead.
This is an old video, but I'm hoping you'll see this: Where do you get your bottles? The ones on Amazon are mega expensive, and the ones in my local homebrew store aren't much better. I've heard a lot of people say they've found cheap beer bottles, but I've never gotten a definitive answer where.
I normally ask for bottles back but I don’t always get them back haha. I normally just front the money for new bottles or peel labels off beer bottles/wine bottles after drinking them!
Im a newbie to the mead brewing world. When would I add my campden tablets. After primary and secondary fermentation is done in the carboy or when bottling?
If you want to stop your fermentation quickly you will use a mixture of potassium sorbate and campden tablets 2 weeks before you want to bottle. I would just let the fermentation die out naturally and then rack it on a regular basis.
Any tips on how you sanitize/clean your bottles before bottle day? I'm thinking of filling up a 5 gallon bucket with sanitizer and then just filling up and emptying the bottles before putting them onto a drying rack, but I didn't see any of that in your video.
Great video! and I used those swing cap bottles for beer once trying to carbonate them the gases got out somehow but if I leave it upside down for a day it wont leak?... I properly primed, I even tried it with soda to see if the gases are actually somehow getting out and same result, Anyone know why? Maybe faulty seal?
Awesome I'm from south east asia, thank you for your reply, I'm just starting to learn and planning to make my first mead this week once all my equipment arrive. Learned a lot from your awesome channel
Crap, I bought the hand corker but haven't used it yet. I wonder if I could stick a quarter or a washer on top of the cork when pressing it to get even pressure.
Quick question sorry off subject but my wife and I are new at this and apparently she couldn't wait for me to start , so she tried making a mead by her self but she only put in half the honey it called for she used 3# in a 2gallon bucket yesterday 4 20 20 Any way I can save it ? I was thinking let it just do its thing when done rack it with the other half would that work otherwise she will end up with like 1.5% alcohol or something like that.
Hey man, when you bottle do you not worry about purging your bottles? Is the concern over oxidation not as significant as I'm seeing on other threads? Thanks!
I don’t worry about it when I use a bottling wand. I think that’s only a big concern for people that just pour their meads into bottles. As long as you’re using a racking cane you’re good!
I don’t worry about it when I use a bottling wand. I think that’s only a big concern for people that just pour their meads into bottles. As long as you’re using a racking cane you’re good!
@@ManMadeMead ahh by using the wand you're reducing the amount of oxidation and aeration to the mead? So the small gap of air in the bottle isn't really a big deal?
Thank you for your channel. I just finished bottling my first generic mead. I noticed you have a plastic tip on your hose. That's way better than me pumping carefully and slow. Question, I have saved beer bottles with a press down bottle top method and bought bottles with a silicone seal type. I hope this is ok? Let me know your thoughts.
@@ManMadeMead thank the dogs. I appreciate the comment. Can you tell me what that little pin thing is that stops the mead when you raise it up when filling your bottles? Thanks👽
@@Mersipher It's part of a bottling wand! You can get one here! www.amazon.com/Home-Brew-Ohio-H8-PQQ5-T5KB-Bottle/dp/B007VFBLNC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=bottling+wand&qid=1606411918&sr=8-4
I got both at my local brew shop because it was far cheaper. Here are some links though, I would definitely find a brew shop around you if possible. Bottles: www.amazon.com/375-Clear-Bellissima-Bottles-case/dp/B0064OG1RW/ref=sr_1_7?crid=Z51JPCV7TSW&keywords=375+ml+glass+bottles&qid=1553648373&s=gateway&sprefix=375+ml%2Caps%2C242&sr=8-7 Corks: www.amazon.com/Straight-Cork-100-Pack-Non-Recycled-Synthetic/dp/B06ZZHN9V4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=synthetic+corks&qid=1553648432&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
Bottle caps work too! Basically any kind of cap that allows you to age the mead without air getting to it. Swing tops are only difficult because it's easy to open them and introduce new air into the mead and then we end up oxygenating it.
It just depends on how much honey you put it, what temperature it's been going at and how the yeast are doing. They could have had a slow start into fermentation and it just takes awhile or they could almost be done. Really you just need to watch the airlock and use a hydrometer to check the gravity. Compare your initial gravity to a current gravity reading and you'll find out if the yeast are close to done.
Fantastic video. You literally just saved me from wasting money from buying the cheaper method of hand corking. Is it possible to use the floor corker to make the cork flush with the top of the bottle by chance? Presentation means allot to me. Side note I started a mead using pineapple juice in the 1st stage in placement of water (not saying that nobody has done it), but i haven't seen it done yet. I want to make a couple notes. 1st it bubbles up like dish liquid and requires about an inch more air space than the others I have tried. 2nd its fermenting twice as fast as my other juice alternative (cranberry/cherry) juice. These are my meads 2 and 3. My 1st 2 are both traditional... The 1st in a jar similar to the size and shape as a 1 gallon jug and the second in a tall 1 gallon bottle. All ingredients identical, but the outcome is that the jar made a dry mead, and the tall one made a very sweet mead. The tall one started off slow for the 1st day, but by the second day picked up its pace and surpassed the other in fermenting speed. I would love to send you my alternative method vessels for experimental public knowledge if you want to play with it. Hit me up in a personal message to give me an address or P.O. box.
chris wiltse Every other bottle I did with the floor corker ended up flush, so yes it’s definitely attainable. Those are interesting results on your pineapple mead and your traditional ones! I’d love to try whatever you want to send, I’m working on getting a P.O. box up and running soon so I’ll get you more info when it’s ready!
There is an adjustable nut on the stem that pushes the cork in. You can adjust it to create the depth you need. If you look at his floor corker you can see it near the top.
Hi great video, is it okay bottling mead into twist cap bottles if you are planning to drink them within a couple weeks to a month? Do you refrigerate them as well?
I’ve heard that twist caps don’t seal as well, but I’ve also heard that they’re totally fine! I would say if done right you can age in a twist cap for up to a year or so. I think they let in oxygen easier than the normal beer bottle caps. I only refrigerate my meads right before I want to drink them.
@@ManMadeMead thanks again for reply, I'm brand new to this mead making and want to ensure I do everything right! Because I'm not using preservatives (e.g. potassium sorbate) I am anxious of bottle bombs haha!
That man brill vid, im thinking swing toppers as im looking to sell to pubs and once the corks out a large bottle just for one persons drink i dont know if it will go back in, unless i use the small ones and offer it as a small/large wine glass serving. What do you recomend??
Steven Dellangelo It shouldn’t! It might if you’re aerating with dust and stuff in the air, but I’m always careful about doing it when I know stuff is in the air around me. I hope this helped!
I really wish I watched all your videos before I went crazy and bought all my supplies. I have real corks with a hand corker. Reusing old cleaned wine bottles, and I don't even know if my corks are the right size. lol I guess that's what this is all about though. Learn as you go, and enjoy the journey.
Hand corker!? I hardly know her!
Hahaha! I love it.
lmao amazing
I usually fill the bottle to the botle's top with the auto-siphon. The displacement of the wand when you remove it is usually a great level. I like to keep as little air space in the bottle to limit any spoilage over time. I would look into affixing a piece of plywood to the botton of your corker to give it a base and stability. You could make it a temporary base for easy storage. I also prefer the natural corks but to each his own. I go a lttle overboard and wax the ends and use a imprint a seal into the wax. Printing off some quality labels with my own artwork. Overboard yeah but its a hobby and love the look and all the work going into it! Again to each his own! Keep the great vids coming! Cheers!
Jon Samuda That makes sense! I agree, I should have filled them just a little bit more, and did on every other one I did. But, none the less it got the point across!
I always wax the ends of mine too, then stamp my logo into the top and side of the wax
I used to bottle in wine bottles. But drinking a whole bottle before it oxidizes doesn't always happen. Hate to waste Mead, honey ain't cheap. So I switched to beer bottles. A single 12 oz bottle is a lot less waste, plus, you get about 10 bottles per gallon, 11 if you use the imported 11.2 oz beer bottles. I do 1 gallon batches mostly. More economical, I can drink different meads without waste, or lots of half full bottles, plus makes great gifts to share with friends.
I do use wine bottles, I also use 375 Ml bottles and now beer bottles! Beer bottles are definitely cheaper and easier to use frankly. However, there is the nice thing about using wine bottles because they do look nice. You're totally right though!
I used to hate bottling that way when I was doing 5 gallon beer batches, but I think this is the way to go with 1 gallon mead batches.
Hi, I stumbled upon your comment and I'm wondering. What do you use as the cap for the beer bottles? corks or did you get a bottle capper?
@@paulbunkk Bottle capper just like if I was bottling beer.
How do you store them after bottling can you put them in the fridge or is that a different process?
Wow, perfect tutorial for beginners like me
Very satisfying to watch lol. I just learned how easy it is to make mead last night and I've been learning everything I can about it since. I want to try just 1 quart mason jars before I go for gallons and I figured it would be a good way to test flavors before I make a whole gallon and not like it. Thanks for the informative videos.
Can you use swing top bottles instead of cork and just sterilise the whole bottle in a bucket
Yes you can!
You’ll get better performance from both corkers if you push the cork in faster. Going slow increases the friction. A wet cork will slip better when it’s moving faster. You should be able to rest a dime on top of the cork inside the lip of the bottle.
Hahahaha, that's what she said...
i’ve heard the hand corker works a lot better with the stiffer real corks because they don’t get squished and mangled as easily
Ok I added a campden tablet the same time I added the yeast and the additives and them I found out u add the yeast after 24 hrs of making the honey and water must so is it ok if I wait and add another2.5gs of yeast then and should I add the additives again with it
I have never had any issues with my hand corker, It seems its issues with your corks. Ill cork my bottles faster with the hand corker and way faster. The only problem i have i have to make sure the metal press comes down square on the cork so it gives it nice even pressure. I use normal corks and i just boil them for a little bit doesnt take long.
Maybe mine is just sort of weird, I've only used the one I bought. It might be that mine has it's own set of issues!
Indentation... other than that great video
I have a question.
When we bottle the mead from the carboy.
The siphon tube sucks a bit of dead yeast, when we are bottleing the last bottle.
Is there any solution to avoid yeast to be transferred from the carboy to the bottle.
You have to bottle carefully and tilt the container to try and not get that yeast at the bottom!
How come you didn't wet the cork on the hand corker?
If I use the EC-1118 yeast with yeast nutrient and 3lbs of honey with water added to be a total volume of 1 gallon, would the mead be a dry mead or a sweet mead after 1 month? I want a dry mead that still has some sweetness, and was wondering when should I add potassium sorbate to stop the yeast at that point.
Brandon W. If you’ve take a hydrometer reading you need to base your end sweetness on that. From what it sounds like, if the yeast go through their full cycle, the mead will end up leveling out and will be dry. So what you need to do is take your beginning hydrometer reading, say it was 1.12 and end up somewhere around 1.02. Ultimately you want to end up a little above 1.00 to keep a little sweetness but it still be dry. So once the specific gravity is there you should kill the fermentation. I hope this has helped some!
Man Made Mead Thanks! This’ll be very useful!
I'm new to this. I was watching your use of the hand corker. It didn't look like you lubricated the cork with sanitizer. Also, It seems to me to have the corker cork square, all you would have to do is put a washer or gasket of some kind around the top of the cork to keep it from moving.
the one thing i see you didnt do! or didnt mention! no sanitizer on the cork for the hand corker? the hand corker also does not seem to get the cork down to size. 1L flip-top beer bottles for me or champagne bottles, more like a Belgian beer bottles(750ml like a champagne bottle) if im going to use a cork. i just dont want to have a range of bottles and crap, with no surprise bottle bombs. as for small bottles i would say go 12oz flip-top. flip-top gaskets also take up less space. as like every hobby!! its all personal preference!
I also haven't had the same issue with my hand corker, but I also use regular corks. I've also found that when using the bottling wand if I fill the bottle all the way up to the top so that the mead is almost spilling out, it gives me the exact level of liquid in the bottle. I've done that with both wine bottles and beer bottles and it's always been perfect. Takes a lot of the guesswork out when you have a lot of mead to bottle.
I should have filled them up just a little more but I do like a little space. I think my hand corker is just kind of weird and has it's own set of problems.
The Ferrari hand corker is significantly better then that or similar hand corkers. Its also adjustable and much easier to 7se when you put the bottle on the floor and stand over it. Of course its nowhere as good as a floor corker though. Thanks for the videos!
I use a hand corker, never had a problem with it. But you have to be quick and intentional with the insertion.
Haha still love even your old videos. I bet they make you cringe a little bit though lol
They are definitely a little cringe!
5:49 Why arent you wearing any shoes is my only question hahaha very informative video bro taught me what I need to know for this
What might be the problem if I store the mead in sanitized empty plastic coco-cola bottles and put in the cap tightly instead of the glass bottles with cork ?
How do you make your Mead to Not Create Any Gasses when you Bottle it?
So you end up having a glass bomb you know
You can degas the mead before you bottle and that should any post fermentation gases. Also, make sure your mead is actually done fermenting!
@@ManMadeMead yeah I degas it but it seems to have somewhat of a gas because when I crack the cork you could hear the gas release even after second fermentation
Just use a mallet
If you have silicone handled real corks, do you still need to store the mead/wine so that the liquid is touching the cork, or is it unnecessary?
You don't have to store them on their side if when you use synthetic corks! Which is why I like them!
@@ManMadeMead ah, so silicone coated = synthetic? Thank you!
Hey man! I've learned to make mead thanks to you and your videos, good vibes from Argentina! By the way, cool security shoes 😂
Wait that first mead fermented for 8 months? I’m so confused how long mead takes. I’ve heard 2-4 weeks, I’ve heard 1-2 months, and now you mean to tell me yours took 8 months? (I’m fairly new to mead obviously, just started my first mead a week ago)
Death Eater You don’t have to wait 8 months. Most meads can be drank at the 3 - 4 month mark, they just get better with age! My best meads are now 9+ months old. It’s all in your taste though, some people are fine drinking a 1 month old mead.
This is an old video, but I'm hoping you'll see this:
Where do you get your bottles? The ones on Amazon are mega expensive, and the ones in my local homebrew store aren't much better. I've heard a lot of people say they've found cheap beer bottles, but I've never gotten a definitive answer where.
I get mine from my local brew shop or I just reuse beer bottles or wine bottles!
When sharing do you ask for bottles back? Short of going commercial how do you handle expenses related to bottling?
I normally ask for bottles back but I don’t always get them back haha.
I normally just front the money for new bottles or peel labels off beer bottles/wine bottles after drinking them!
Im a newbie to the mead brewing world. When would I add my campden tablets. After primary and secondary fermentation is done in the carboy or when bottling?
If you want to stop your fermentation quickly you will use a mixture of potassium sorbate and campden tablets 2 weeks before you want to bottle. I would just let the fermentation die out naturally and then rack it on a regular basis.
Any tips on how you sanitize/clean your bottles before bottle day? I'm thinking of filling up a 5 gallon bucket with sanitizer and then just filling up and emptying the bottles before putting them onto a drying rack, but I didn't see any of that in your video.
I normally do that! I've also just used a spray bottle with a water/starsan solution and sprayed in the bottled. Either way works well!
Great video! and I used those swing cap bottles for beer once trying to carbonate them the gases got out somehow but if I leave it upside down for a day it wont leak?... I properly primed, I even tried it with soda to see if the gases are actually somehow getting out and same result, Anyone know why? Maybe faulty seal?
STEN Gaming And Music Sounds like a faulty seal! Where did you get them?
@@ManMadeMead Thank you for replying, and just amazon (so probably low quality maybe)
6:50 If you screw the metal think on the floor corker, you can push the cork further down and have no indention of the cork at the top
hello, can I use those crown cap type of bottle cap for mead ?
Yes you can!
Awesome I'm from south east asia, thank you for your reply, I'm just starting to learn and planning to make my first mead this week once all my equipment arrive. Learned a lot from your awesome channel
Thanks for the video. Definately gonna go with a floor corker based on what I just watched lol.
I definitely would!
Bro the apple cinnamon mead is fucking beautiful in those bottles excited to start bottling my own in a few months
R. J. Denicola Haha Thank you! Let me know how yours turns out!
Great video. You should include some Amazon affiliate links in the desc! Are you using #9 or #8 corks?
I definitely need to add some! I use #9 corks
I thought #8 were preferable for the hand corker. #9 is putting 10 lbs in a 5 lb bag
Crap, I bought the hand corker but haven't used it yet. I wonder if I could stick a quarter or a washer on top of the cork when pressing it to get even pressure.
HomeValue Glass I think that could work. You should let me know if you fix yours! Although, it could have just been my individual hand corner.
Those personal bottles seem to be more trouble then they are worth really. Why not just bottle it all in full size bottles? Thanks for the video
Sometimes it's nice to have small sampler bottles. They are great for gifts!
interesting when you corrected yourself when you said “have to do” to “want to do”
great videos man thanks a ton
Thank you!
Quick question sorry off subject but my wife and I are new at this and apparently she couldn't wait for me to start , so she tried making a mead by her self but she only put in half the honey it called for she used 3# in a 2gallon bucket yesterday 4 20 20
Any way I can save it ?
I was thinking let it just do its thing when done rack it with the other half would that work otherwise she will end up with like 1.5% alcohol or something like that.
That’s totally fine! Go ahead and add the other half of the honey in, it won’t hurt the mead at all!
@@ManMadeMead now or after its finished fermenting the sugar that's in there?
I think you have an inferior hand corker. I never had a problem with mine.
Maybe so! Now that I have the floor corker though I will never need the hand one again!
Hello.How much honey is needed for 1 kg
I'm not sure I understand your question!
@@ManMadeMead how many honey?
Hey man, do you have an affiliate link on amazon? You just sold me on the floor corker. Thanks for all your videos my friend
I actually don’t have a link!
Hey man, when you bottle do you not worry about purging your bottles? Is the concern over oxidation not as significant as I'm seeing on other threads?
Thanks!
I don’t worry about it when I use a bottling wand. I think that’s only a big concern for people that just pour their meads into bottles. As long as you’re using a racking cane you’re good!
I don’t worry about it when I use a bottling wand. I think that’s only a big concern for people that just pour their meads into bottles. As long as you’re using a racking cane you’re good!
@@ManMadeMead ahh by using the wand you're reducing the amount of oxidation and aeration to the mead? So the small gap of air in the bottle isn't really a big deal?
could you store these in mason jars? bottles on amazon are so expensive! Thanks for sharing!
Beverly vankavelaar I’m sure I could! It sounds like it could work.
Thank you for your channel. I just finished bottling my first generic mead. I noticed you have a plastic tip on your hose. That's way better than me pumping carefully and slow. Question, I have saved beer bottles with a press down bottle top method and bought bottles with a silicone seal type. I hope this is ok? Let me know your thoughts.
The only bottle that's really discouraged from using in home-brew is screw tops because they are hard to reseal. It sounds like yours are fine!
@@ManMadeMead thank the dogs. I appreciate the comment. Can you tell me what that little pin thing is that stops the mead when you raise it up when filling your bottles? Thanks👽
@@Mersipher It's part of a bottling wand! You can get one here! www.amazon.com/Home-Brew-Ohio-H8-PQQ5-T5KB-Bottle/dp/B007VFBLNC/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=bottling+wand&qid=1606411918&sr=8-4
Can you link where you got bottles and corks?
I got both at my local brew shop because it was far cheaper. Here are some links though, I would definitely find a brew shop around you if possible.
Bottles:
www.amazon.com/375-Clear-Bellissima-Bottles-case/dp/B0064OG1RW/ref=sr_1_7?crid=Z51JPCV7TSW&keywords=375+ml+glass+bottles&qid=1553648373&s=gateway&sprefix=375+ml%2Caps%2C242&sr=8-7
Corks: www.amazon.com/Straight-Cork-100-Pack-Non-Recycled-Synthetic/dp/B06ZZHN9V4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=synthetic+corks&qid=1553648432&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
What did you do to sanitize the bottles / stabilize ?
You sanitize the bottle to just make sure nothing bad gets in the mead. You stabilize to ensure the yeast can’t deferment in the bottles!
What about bottlecaps? Is that a big no, no or could that work? Or will tha aging of the mead suffer as with the swingtop?
Bottle caps work too! Basically any kind of cap that allows you to age the mead without air getting to it. Swing tops are only difficult because it's easy to open them and introduce new air into the mead and then we end up oxygenating it.
oh thats great, i just started my first mead and i got bottlecaps in my "starter pack" and was worried that it would not work out that great
How long can d47 yeast take to finish fermentation? Going on 30 days
It just depends on how much honey you put it, what temperature it's been going at and how the yeast are doing. They could have had a slow start into fermentation and it just takes awhile or they could almost be done. Really you just need to watch the airlock and use a hydrometer to check the gravity. Compare your initial gravity to a current gravity reading and you'll find out if the yeast are close to done.
Fantastic video. You literally just saved me from wasting money from buying the cheaper method of hand corking. Is it possible to use the floor corker to make the cork flush with the top of the bottle by chance? Presentation means allot to me. Side note I started a mead using pineapple juice in the 1st stage in placement of water (not saying that nobody has done it), but i haven't seen it done yet. I want to make a couple notes. 1st it bubbles up like dish liquid and requires about an inch more air space than the others I have tried. 2nd its fermenting twice as fast as my other juice alternative (cranberry/cherry) juice. These are my meads 2 and 3. My 1st 2 are both traditional... The 1st in a jar similar to the size and shape as a 1 gallon jug and the second in a tall 1 gallon bottle. All ingredients identical, but the outcome is that the jar made a dry mead, and the tall one made a very sweet mead. The tall one started off slow for the 1st day, but by the second day picked up its pace and surpassed the other in fermenting speed. I would love to send you my alternative method vessels for experimental public knowledge if you want to play with it. Hit me up in a personal message to give me an address or P.O. box.
chris wiltse Every other bottle I did with the floor corker ended up flush, so yes it’s definitely attainable. Those are interesting results on your pineapple mead and your traditional ones! I’d love to try whatever you want to send, I’m working on getting a P.O. box up and running soon so I’ll get you more info when it’s ready!
There is an adjustable nut on the stem that pushes the cork in. You can adjust it to create the depth you need. If you look at his floor corker you can see it near the top.
Hi great video, is it okay bottling mead into twist cap bottles if you are planning to drink them within a couple weeks to a month? Do you refrigerate them as well?
I’ve heard that twist caps don’t seal as well, but I’ve also heard that they’re totally fine! I would say if done right you can age in a twist cap for up to a year or so. I think they let in oxygen easier than the normal beer bottle caps. I only refrigerate my meads right before I want to drink them.
@@ManMadeMead thanks again for reply, I'm brand new to this mead making and want to ensure I do everything right! Because I'm not using preservatives (e.g. potassium sorbate) I am anxious of bottle bombs haha!
I totally understand and can relate to that!!
That man brill vid, im thinking swing toppers as im looking to sell to pubs and once the corks out a large bottle just for one persons drink i dont know if it will go back in, unless i use the small ones and offer it as a small/large wine glass serving. What do you recomend??
Swing tops are good! I use a lot of synthetic corks and they can go back into the bottle for temporary storage after you open a wine bottle.
Swing tops are good! I use a lot of synthetic corks and they can go back into the bottle for temporary storage after you open a wine bottle.
@@ManMadeMead thankyou 😀 ill take that into consideration
emrys you could also get tasting corks, they’re meant to come on and off
When you airerate does it introduce wild yeast or does it filter them out
Steven Dellangelo It shouldn’t! It might if you’re aerating with dust and stuff in the air, but I’m always careful about doing it when I know stuff is in the air around me. I hope this helped!
If you use natural corks would the hand corker work better?
Ellie Heard Possibly! I haven’t tried it frankly. I just like synthetics a lot because they’re pretty fail proof
@Ellie Heard if you use a #8 sized cork, and not a #9, they work a bit better. tho the floor is worth the extra $$
Where do you get your corks from?
chance kiki You can get them online or at your local brew shop. So I get mine from a brew shop in Oklahoma City.
1,000 subscribers! Good job!
Thank you!!
first lol love your vids
Thank you!!
I really wish I watched all your videos before I went crazy and bought all my supplies. I have real corks with a hand corker. Reusing old cleaned wine bottles, and I don't even know if my corks are the right size. lol I guess that's what this is all about though. Learn as you go, and enjoy the journey.
Real corks will be fine and the hand corker works, it’s just a little tougher to use in my opinion! Good luck!