Help Please on Blueberry Melomel day 0

[malweth]

My intro:
I've been brewing for years (Tea only. Ha). This is the first time I've ever fermented anything (except by accident... ) My 5 year old son is super excited over this project... though I've already told him he can only have sips!

My situation:
I've almost filling my primary (7.9 gal bucket) with:

16 lbs blueberries (Wade's recipe calls for 15 lbs, but they came in 4 lb bags...)
4 gal water
15 lbs honey (dissolved)
0 day chems (k-meta, energizer, nutrient, acid)

I haven't checked pH/Acid (I have a kit). My S.G. is 1.090.

My Problem:
All of this comes up to within 1 inch of the top of the pail!!!
I'm supposed to put 1 gal more liquid in (2 qts juice, 1/2 gal water). It just won't fit!!

My Questions:
1. Should I forget about the juice and water... and use it to top as needed?
2. I have another bucket (it has a hole for bottling). Should I continue with the recipe and move some over to the bucket?

I have a 6 gal carboy and 3 x 1 gal jugs... so a little overflow would be a-ok... I'd like to avoid any messes if possible.

THANK YOU!

 

[Wade E]

Yes, split it between the 2 buckets and add everything. I always make more then what what the recipe calls for so that I have top off wine after racking several times. I should amend my instructions to state that, sorry. Youll thank me later though when you dont have to figure out what to use to top off your wine after racking once or twice unlike most recipes. By the way, more fruit is almost always better then less fruit!

 

[malweth]

Thank you.

I've combined the must into two pails (the tapped one has a small leak from a crack, but I've stopped it temporarily with tape).

The S.G. is now about 1.075.

Since I want 1.100, I downloaded WineCalc, which says to add 2.27 pounds of sugar to each (4 gallons in each pail).

Is this the correct amount?
Should I add it directly or dissolve it in water first?

Thanks again!!!

 

[malweth]

Well... it's late and heading to bed. I ended up adding 4.5 lbs sugar to bring it to 1.100. The leaks continue, but the tape makes the slow drip even slower -- what's the best way to patch a primary? I'll be buying duct tape in the morning (I can't believe I'm out!).

I'm not sure about acid. It is a purple/red liquid and I only have tap and bottled spring water to dilute with - so I'll also be getting some distilled tomorrow. It seemed low, but New England water is very hard so it may be throwing off the readings.

Thanks for the help this far!

 

[Wade E]

Why do you want the gravity that high? I would seriously think about spending the money on a new primary as cracks and scratches are where bacteria hide! Forget the tape and get a new primary bucket. All my buckets have spigots on them. I dont use them for bottling though and just prefer to turn the nob and slightly tip the bucket to get all the wine out and leave most of the sediment.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Why are you adding sugar to melomel. Honey man, add honey.

 

[malweth]

(need one more post to put links in).

 

[malweth]

I hope this doesn't sound contradictory. It's all great advice, but I have some reasons for what I've done. If I'm doing anything critically wrong, please let me know!

I've been going by this recipe, which calls for starting S.G. of 1.100. The only deviation I've made was to use the Montrachet instead of the Pasteur Red (my shop was out and my initial order was for the wrong one).

I already put in 15 lbs of Honey! I didn't have more available. Sugar dissolves more easily, too!

My 2nd pail was a gift (perhaps once used) and must have gotten the crack in transit. I didn't know the crack was there until after I started -- it's small and bleeds out slowly, so water doesn't really even appear. The tape is to salvage the pail for this final use! I will be getting rid of it after this run.

Meanwhile, the crack-free pail is up to 74 degrees water temp and down to 1.094 (after about 12 hours fermenting). The cracked pail should have a lower temp (I didn't test it) because it was in the kitchen over the sink until I got a better patch, but its S.G. was the same.

Both pails have been moved down to a spare bathroom (so I could heat a smaller room). The slightly leaky one is in the shower I'm still trying to get the space heater to a good temperature. (It has a thermostat of sorts). It's a safe heater and there's nothing to fall on it...

I have taken many pictures... and more to come

 

[jtstar]

So how much liquid do you have in this pail with the leak and do you have any five gallon buckets laying around the house if so tip them upside down and see if there is a 1 or 2 stamped on the bottom if so clean it up and use it for your fermenter

 

[malweth]

There's 4 gal in each bucket (7.9 gal pails).

I don't have anything else available (until I buy something)! If I'd known I'd need a 3rd, I'd have bought it with the 2nd. In fact, I originally wanted to buy a 10 gallon "garbage" pail (like those I've seen on here), but my local store didn't have anything like that.

If this is going to be a major problem I can try to find or buy something. This would all be easier if Home Depot sold brewing equipment!

 

[jtstar]

What you want to look for is food grade plastic pails you can get them at home depot all you have to look for is the 1 or 2 on the bottom of the pail I got a 15 gallon fermentor that looks like a bushel basket with rope handles on it at Menards for six dollars

 

[mmadmikes1]

go to local store with Bakery. I get food grade buckets all the time for free. The frostings come in them

 

[Craig]

A local ice cream store was more than happy to give my empty ice cream tubs and lids. They are 11.4 L or about 2.5 US gal. Work out well for the small batches.