It took me four and a half years, but I have officially created my first mead eruption accident (MEA). A MEA happens when a batch overflows from its carboy or fermenting vessel, often resulting in the unintentional remodeling of the kitchen, basement, or closet you conduct your fermenting in. I missed the chance to take photos this morning as the accident was found minutes before leaving for work and resulted in a half hour delay of my arrival, but if the batch blows again I will be sure to update! Luckily, this was on top of my newly constructed shelf (next blog post, hint hint), keeping the mess contained. Only about a cup of mead was lost to the eruption, and it now sits bubbling along, ever threatening a repeat disaster.
So what happened?
Last night, I started a Blackberry Bliss batch, this time increasing the blackberry from 60 ounces to 84 ounces (seven large grocery store containers). The batch also has a pint of blueberries, approximately 17 pounds of orange blossom honey, 5 “mushy” raspberries, with water to 5 gallons. This was all mixed together in a 5 gallon carboy and Fleishman’s Active Dry Yeast was added (admittedly, most of the honey is still not dissolved, but the yeast will eventually make its way through the sugars). I thought I left enough headspace to avoid the dreaded MEA, but fate would have it other ways.
Can you avoid it?
MEAs are easily avoided if you have the right fermentation equipment. Your best bet is to always ferment in buckets, leaving the carboys for aging. Also, you should ferment in containers significantly larger than your must, think at least 1 gallon more space than you have in the batch. Unfortunately, I do not have a 5 gallon brewing bucket or anything larger (yet! My honey pail will become one as soon as I have used the remaining gallon of honey in another batch). During fermentation, be sure to stir the batch regularly early in fermentation to degas the mead (this releases the CO2 in solution so you don’t have it release unbeknownst to you in your fermenting closet). In heavy fruit batches, it is also a good idea to add anti-foam drops, but alas, I was unprepared.
If it does happen, you should split the batch into multiple fermenters. This will allow you to increase the headspace per fermenter, making it less likely to erupt again. Next, ensure to manage the cap (the layer of foam and must ingredients that forms at the top of the carboy/bucket during fermentation) by punching it down frequently into the must. This requires stirring the mead such that the cap is completely submerged, and the bubbles are minimal on the surface. This may be every hour, or just twice a day; it will depend on your individual ferment. In this batch, if I leave it more than 15 minutes it is likely to erupt again, even after extracting 1/2 gallon from the carboy.
Do you have a MEA to confess to, or any additional ideas on how to manage it? Let me know in the comments below. The Mead Eruption Accident Decrement Society (M.E.A.D.S.) is excited to hear about your experiences!