TEST Mead bottle caps

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

Mead is bubbling in my closet and it has passed the 24 hours test. In a few weeks it will be transfered to a new carboy and a few weeks more to bottles.

What does this mean? Well first it meand I must make this post and ask.... SEUNG STOP THE FUCKING SNOW IT FUCKS UP MY TABLET AND ROAMING LAPTOP STOP IT STOP NO SEUNG STOP!!!

Ask what type of cap should we use? I will probably go with a yellow bottle. I am trying to get a new wax stamp with black wax. Normally I used a light blue bottle with a red wax stamp for my personal sig.

This time its TEST Mead and this is a small batch and will go to a few for testing. It is a very simple recipe using raw uncooked wild mountain honey from USA/Canada with a spalsh of clover honry to mild out the sweetness with raisins and oranges to feed the yeast and balance the Ph levels.

There are 4 types

The flipcap/ EZ cap as featued here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064ODUDK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0064ODUDK&linkCode=as2&tag=CiderCore-20

Now EZ cap is nice because it offers a good seal and is resealable and requiresz no special tools. Repair is easy as you judt need the rubber gasket which sells cheap. This offers a balance between ease, sealing, and low cost. No tamper evidence for those with teens and they get into the shelves. STOP THE SNOW!!! 4TH TIME WRITING THIS POST STOP IT SEUNG!

Edit: If we go EZ i will be using shrink wrapped cap covers (custom probably) so this will provide one time tamper evidence!

Traditional beer cap featured here: https://www.amazon.com/Beer-Bottle-Caps-Absorbing-Homebrew/dp/B000Q64T8M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481768697&sr=8-4&keywords=Beer+cap+bottle

Traditional beer cap stores the best and is common. It requires a too, to seal and is one time use. Once opened and you dont have that tool you can not reseal. This is best for sealing but offers no reuseability and constant changing the lid. Tamper evident as one time use.

Cork featured here: https://www.amazon.com/Bellcork-Winery-Grade-Natural-Stopper/dp/B0130S5LWK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1481768823&sr=8-6&keywords=Cork

Cork are good and reusable but require a cork screw. They last a few times before being degraded but can be reused though. It offer mead to breath also. So worst seal but cheap and resealable and requires a common tool to open and seal. Slight taper evidence as you ca see if its been opened with a cork screw.

Zork featured here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064GY7H6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0064GY7H6&linkCode=as2&tag=CiderCore-20

I have never used Zork but it is a modern cork design. It has better initial seal for long term storage but once opened it can be resealed like a cork. Does not breath like a cork though. It seems to have good reviews but I have never used it. Tamper evidence only first use.

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

@Sethious @Harkuno @Montoya @Pander
@SeungRyul #stopthesnow
@mromutt #wishyoucoulddrink
Sorry cant edit my original post because of snow. Tagging certain people for view.

Plan is to send samples to sethious, harkuno, seung, pander, montoya for testing and QA. Take feedback and change recipe and then produce. Blueberry mead is on restriction until blueberry season starts. Plan on strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, and maybe a peach or apple?

 

[halfsane]

I want to pop mead corks as I pop kinetic rounds into vanduul bitch ships in PU

 

[supitza]

Did someone say BOTTLECAPS?
I have a small collection of those:

I'm rich in a post-apocalyptic world.

 

[CosmicTrader]

Cork (mead is a wine?)

 

[Thalstan]

Depends on the style of mead. If you are making a traditional still mead with the alcohol strength (11-13 percent) of wine, cork or zork it. You talk about reuse, but honestly, mead won't keep beyond a few days after you open it. Just like wine, it will oxidize, leaving you with off flavors. It also depends on how long you plan on keeping it. Are you planning on aging it, or just drinking it once it's done? If aging, cork, if not, zork.

Now, if you are talking about a sparkling mead, then you will need something that can take the pressure. That means champagne bottles and corks, or beer type bottles (flip cap/ez cap or traditional bottle cap) If you go with corks, you will also need a safety wire cage on top of it.

Btw, if you bottle at home, your kids will know where your brewing/bottling equipment is. They will know/figure out how to use the capper, so even then it will be hard to detect kids tampering. Honestly, if you can't trust your kids not to drink your stuff, either don't have it, or lock it up and DON'T let that key our of your possession.

Seal it with wax and it's harder for them to counterfit it. Put a seal on it and it's even harder (also, orient your seal the same way every time with respect to something - bottle seam, label, etc) They probably won't notice, but you would.

Btw, fresh apple cider is still available for another month or so. If you want to make a cyser, now is the time, or wait for next year's season.

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

Depends on the style of mead. If you are making a traditional still mead with the alcohol strength (11-13 percent) of wine, cork or zork it. You talk about reuse, but honestly, mead won't keep beyond a few days after you open it. Just like wine, it will oxidize, leaving you with off flavors. It also depends on how long you plan on keeping it. Are you planning on aging it, or just drinking it once it's done? If aging, cork, if not, zork.

Now, if you are talking about a sparkling mead, then you will need something that can take the pressure. That means champagne bottles and corks, or beer type bottles (flip cap/ez cap or traditional bottle cap) If you go with corks, you will also need a safety wire cage on top of it.

Btw, if you bottle at home, your kids will know where your brewing/bottling equipment is. They will know/figure out how to use the capper, so even then it will be hard to detect kids tampering. Honestly, if you can't trust your kids not to drink your stuff, either don't have it, or lock it up and DON'T let that key our of your possession.

Seal it with wax and it's harder for them to counterfit it. Put a seal on it and it's even harder (also, orient your seal the same way every time with respect to something - bottle seam, label, etc) They probably won't notice, but you would.

Btw, fresh apple cider is still available for another month or so. If you want to make a cyser, now is the time, or wait for next year's season.

Just normal mead. Honey water yeast. I like cork but the hard part is shipping with cork. I have seen some hand done cork jobs not go well...

Reuse as in using it for multiple batches. Ez is great because can make a batch bottle it. Drink it. Reuse all equipment but the gasket. Plan is since these bottles will be custom that we can reuse them if sent back, or can be used at home again.

I am thinking for now I wont be selling but taking donations for supplies (and if demand is large enough getting another carboy). Then if you send back bottle it will help reduce the price of the next batch. Another option is sell it cost fpr parts and offer niceties also at cost like wood boxes. Thr wax stamp will be required though my persinal taste and its cheap. I would love to do some specialty meads eventually but that is far future.

My kid is 3 so i have no worries about tamper. It was just a nice gesture for those with teens.

 

[Thalstan]

Be VERY Careful.

Federal Law prohibits you from selling alcohol you brew at home. You can give it away to friends and family, but you can't accept any kind of money for it. This is because they are not getting any tax money from it. Saying it's for a "box" or to help cover "shipping", covers the cost of the bottle, etc is a sure way to find yourself talking to the ATF and the IRS.

Also, don't re-use corks, zorks, or bottle-caps. You can never get them sanitized properly ever again. Only use new zork/caps/corks that have been properly soaked in one of the recommended solutions. (such as a sulfate solution)

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

Be VERY Careful.

Federal Law prohibits you from selling alcohol you brew at home. You can give it away to friends and family, but you can't accept any kind of money for it. This is because they are not getting any tax money from it. Saying it's for a "box" or to help cover "shipping", covers the cost of the bottle, etc is a sure way to find yourself talking to the ATF and the IRS.

Also, don't re-use corks, zorks, or bottle-caps. You can never get them sanitized properly ever again. Only use new zork/caps/corks that have been properly soaked in one of the recommended solutions. (such as a sulfate solution)

I can accept donations/gift, even money donations, to cover the cost of production if I produce less than 100 gallons a year, far above what I can produce a year. Preferably it would be best if people sent me ingredients like honey, but it is difficult due to my location.If I have excess funds I must declare it and keep records of all funds given and funds used. This is easy to do with paypal and simply scanning the receipt of purchase for digital record. I have done this awhile ago with someone when he made beer. Though he became very close to over 100 gallons, but beer is shorter to produce. With excess money I must stop donations untill excess funds are exhausted.

The cost of bottles again if tracked that I bought bottles for 10 dollars and received 10 dollars in exchange shows I made no profits, maintaining my non profit. Once the time comes I will start showing all costs of production in that thread. Mead is rather cheap to make just takes time. Its bottles thatbare expensive. Another option is people buy their own bottles and send it to me to be filled. Which is also rather simple.

If TEST Mead is in such demand I am making more than 100 gallon then I must be taxed and become formal. Something I am not sure montoya or sethious are ready to let their IP to be put on ATF forms.

Reuse of zorks are temporary for a few days. For production reuse thr inly safe in is flipcap and thats because the gasket is replaced. But you most people wont be drinking 750ml of mead in a single sitting so zork are good for that. Star San is what i use to cleanse and kills all bacteria and is a non-rinse food phosphoric acid cleaner. All bottles that are reused will be boiled down and left to air dry before being rinsed with star san and dried again before being bottled again.

 

[BUTUZ]

Swingtop every day of the week

 

[Montoya]

Today I learned that zorks exist.

 

[maynard]

Mead is bubbling in my closet and it has passed the 24 hours test...

ha ha, once I was brewing up some alcoholic root beer in glass gallon jugs in the closet of my dorm room

They exploded while we were on a weekend camping trip

Boy was my roommate pissed

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

ha ha, once I was brewing up some alcoholic root beer in glass gallon jugs in the closet of my dorm room

They exploded while we were on a weekend camping trip

Boy was my roommate pissed

I say closet but its more of a storage pantry. Its 2 feet wide and has no clothes hangar. Perfect place to brew. Also you need an airlock and bung to prevent explosions. https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bubble-Airlock-Carboy-Bung/dp/B00A6TRKO4

 

[maynard]

...Also you need an airlock and bung to prevent explosions. https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bubble-Airlock-Carboy-Bung/dp/B00A6TRKO4

I was so sure the caps were screwed on loosely enough!

I was too lazy to run a tube from a proper stopper into a jar of water, which is cheap and works great