Bjcp Mead Fault Causes And Controls

Front 1

Acetic

Back 1

Acetobacter infection in the prescence of oxygen

Hint 1

Check process and ingredients for sources of infection. Check health/purity of yeast strain. Check for post-fermentation oxidation sources (acetobacter is aerobic). Check handling of fruit additions, since bacteria may be introduced on the fruit skins. Check sanitation of any ingredient added post fermentation.

Front 2

Acidic

Back 2

Acid additions, acid level in honey, use of fruit, infection

Hint 2

Check level of acid additions. Check acid levels in honey. Check acid levels in any fruit used (some fruit have higher acid levels). Check for infection, particularly lactobacillus. Check sweetness levels and attenuation (an over-attenuated and drier mead than expected might seem acidic if less sweetness is present than what was planned.)

Front 3

Alcoholic

Back 3

Too warm a fermentation, insufficient aging and conditioning, unhealthy fermentation, too high a starting gravity or too many fermentables added, over-attentuation, infection

Hint 3

Lower fermentation temperature. Let mead age longer before consuming. Use a less attenuative yeast strain. Check yeast health. Use sufficient yeast nutrients. Check for possible infection, which could have caused more attenuation. Stabilize mead to prevent further attenuation.

Front 4

Cardboard

Back 4

Post-fermentation exposure to oxygen

Hint 4

Check for oxygen being introduced into mead post-fermentation. Don't splash when racking /bottling. Check caps and/or keg seals for good fit. Purge bottles/kegs withCO2 prior to filling. Store mead cool. Drink mead when fresh.

Front 5

Chemical

Back 5

Excessive nutrient use, contaminated water

Hint 5

Use less nutrient additions, check purity and cleanliness of water sources, check use of cleaning chemicals.

Front 6

Cloudy

Back 6

Yeast remaining in suspension, unfermented honey, clarifiers not working completely, pectin haze

Hint 6

Fine with clarifying agents, troubleshoot stuck fermentation, try different clarifying agents allow sufficient time for clarifying agents to work properly, add pectinase, mechanically.

Front 7

Cloying

Back 7

Incomplete fermentation, not enough acid or tannin to balance sweeetness.

Hint 7

Ferment more completely (troubleshoot fermentation), use less honey or sugary adjuncts, add balancing along acid/or tannin.

Front 8

Floral

Back 8

Honey variety choice

Hint 8

Select a honey variety with the desired varietal characteristics.
Not typically a fault, unless in a variety that shouldn't have these characteristics.

Front 9

Fruity/Estery

Back 9

High fermentation temperature, yeast strain, weak or nutrient-deprived fermentation, high gravity, honey variety.

Hint 9

Lower fermentation temperature. Try a cleaner yeast strain. Oxygenate must sufficiently. Reduce original gravity. Pitch a sufficient quantity of yeast (avoid yeast stress). Bottle condition and age longer at cellar temperatures to reduce esters. Try a different variety of honey.

Front 10

Harsh

Back 10

Excessive acids, alcohols, and/or tannins.

Hint 10

Look at sources of acids, alcohols, and tannins (see Acidic, Alcoholic, and Tannic descrptions for specific controls).

Front 11

Metallic

Back 11

Contaminated water supply, excessive additives, corroded equipment, eqipment not properly cleaned and rinsed.

Hint 11

Check water for metallic ions. Reduce water salts. Reduce nutrient additions. Check equipment condition for rust.Make sure stainless steel equipment is properly passivated. Fully rinse sanitizer. Try using reverse osmosis water and and salts as needed.

Front 12

Moldy

Back 12

Oxidation, mold growth, stale water and ingredients, sealing with cork, storage in musty barrels or containers.

Hint 12

Avoid oxidation. Check sanitation. Check water for freshness and taste. Use fresh ingredients. Check for mold in corks or use artificial corks.

Front 13

Phenolic

Back 13

Infection with wild yeast. Some honey varieties (eucalyptus, buckwheat, black mangrove) might have some of these flavors. Some spices may be phenolic. Fruit and spices can be an infection source. Oak aging can introduce phenolics. Water sources.

Hint 13

Check for infection. Check yeast strain and health. Check honey variety. Check for oak usage. Check cleanliness of water source.

Front 14

Sherry

Back 14

Oxygen introduced into mead post-fermentation.

Hint 14

Check for sources of oxygen being introduced after fermentation is complete. Check airlocks to make sure they haven’t dried out. Don’t splash when racking/bottling. Check caps and/or keg seals for good fit. Purge bottles/kegs with CO2 prior to filling. Store mead cool. Drink mead when fresh.

Front 15

Solvent

Back 15

High fermentation temperature, stressed fermentation, acetobacter infection, insufficient nutrients.

Hint 15

Lower fermentation temperature. Pitch a sufficient quantity of healthy active yeast. Check for infection. Try a different yeast strain. Ensure sufficient nitrogen-based nutrients are available.

Front 16

Sulfury

Back 16

Yeast, either a by-product of fermentation or autolysis. Insufficient nutrients (especially nitrogen) can cause the yeast to expel hydrogen the hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur compounds in water supply or in additives. Oxidized sulfur compounds. Excessive sulfite additions.

Hint 16

Provide sufficient based nutrients. Check for infection. Check water for excessive sulfates. Check for yeast autolysis (mead left on yeast too long at warm temperatures). Try another yeast strain. Cut back on sulfite additions.

Front 17

Sweet

Back 17

High original gravity, incomplete fermentation, low attenuation. Some honey varieties (e.g., orange blossom, clover) have higher perceived sweetness.

Hint 17

Use less honey, encourage a more complete fermentation, aim for a lower finishing gravity, try other honey varieties.

Front 18

Tannic

Back 18

Extraction of tannins from fruit, spices, or other ingredients. Excessive tannin additions. Use of oak. Use of tea.

Hint 18

Avoid use of raw spices, fruit pith and fruit skins. Reduce tannin additions. Use less oaking.

Front 19

Thin

Back 19

Over attentuation, poor quality honey, over filtration or excessive fining.

Hint 19

Reduce attenuation, back-sweeten with honey, use fewer adjuncts, try a different honey variety, add glycerin (glycerol syrup, wine finishing formula).

Front 20

Vegetal

Back 20

Bacterial infection in the must.

Hint 20

Encourage a fast, vigorous fermentation (use a healthy, active starter to reduce lag time; this is often due to bacterial contamination of must before yeast becomes established). Check sanitation. Check for aged, stale or old ingredients.

Front 21

Waxy

Back 21

Some varieties of honey, oxidized or low quality honey containing excessive fatty acids.

Hint 21

Try a different variety of honey. Filter honey. Avoid oxidation.

Front 22

Yeasty

Back 22

Yeast in suspension

Hint 22

Use a more flocculant yeast strain. Allow yeast sufficient time to flocculate. Filter mead or use clarifying agents. Avoid carrying over as much yeast. Age the mead longer. Try another yeast strain.