This may be a little more complicated but here is a simple glossery in no paticular order.
Racking- the act of transfering your fermenting from one vessel to another leaving the sediment in the previous vessel, such as fruit and dead yeast.
OG= Starting gravity prior to fermentation.
FG= Final Gravity, the gravity reading after fermentation
Sugar Break= A measurement based on the OG minus the curent gravity to determing how much sugar is eaten up, the lower the gravity the more sugar has been removed. This is important if you are doing Step Nutrient methods.
Step Nutrient- Feading the Mead/yeast nutrients at timed intervals based on how much sugar is left to improve the yeast health and make a smoother mead with less of a possibilty of off flavors due to stressed yeast. The most common sugar break levels are 1/3 sugar break and 2/3 sugar break. That is when the yeast has eaten 1/3 of the available sugar up to what it can handle, usally close to 14-15% ABV but some yeasts like champaign yeast can go as high as 22% ABV.
Primary Fermentation- This is from when you first toss the yeast to when you first rack it. The primary fermentation usually lasts 2 weeks to a month depending on yeast and other factors. At this time about 75% of the fermentation process happens and it will bubble frequently as it lets out CO2. When the process slows to about 1 bubble a minute it is time to rack off of the primary and into the secondary.
Secondary Fermentation- this is a slower longer fermentation that happens after you rack it for the first time. It may not be noticeable but the mead is still fermenting. This is often the time where the still active bits of yeast take small bites out of fruit and other just introduced sugar sources.
Racking on to..(Fruit/spices)= This is going from the primary to the secondary fermentation.
Stabalizing- This is the process of aresting the yeast so that they do not continue to ferment. Usually it is using a process of adding Potassium Sorbate and some sort of Sulfate and/or cold crashing. This is done usually before addtion of more honey to back sweeten.
Cold Crashing- Lowering the tempature of the mead below the tempature tollerance of the yeast, forcing the yeast into a state of hybernation. When this is done much of the yeast sinks to the botom allowing for you to rack above it and thus remove most of the yeast and clearing the mead, at least a little, quicker.
Back Sweetening- The process of stoping fermentation and then adding honey or honey water to make the mead sweeter. Because the yeast is arrested and stoped it does not have a chance of restarting and thus losing the sugar to the yeast.
Degasing- As yeast ferments it gives off CO2. Many times the CO2 is disolved into the mead, making it less sweet as disolved CO2 is essentially carbonic acid. Degassing is the act of aggitating the mead so that it releases the CO2 gas.
Aereating- The act of adding air or O2 to the mead prior to tossing the yeast in. This gives the yeast more O2 to use in it's fermentation process. I rarely find it nessasary to do more that stir it heavily or put a small amount in the blender for a bit. Some people aereate daily for the first week by addition of an oxygen stone (device that adds O2 directly into the mead) or by stiring every day for the first week or so. This is also what a Lees Stirrer is for.
Bulk Aging-This is aging the mead, after it is clear in the carboy container that your fermented it in, after cleaning it and making sure the lees are out of it.
Bottle Aging- This is bottling it after it has cleared and then waiting for opening it about 6 months to a year and letting it sit in the bottle or Bottle Aging it. The term implys action but in actuality it is just letting it sit.
Oaking- This is the addition or contact of the mead with oak to smooth out the flavor and make the mead taste better. Various different oak toast levels are used (the burn level of the oak) and there are 3 types of oak that are common in aging (French, American, and I want to say Bulgarian)
Hopefully this can help.
Racking- the act of transfering your fermenting from one vessel to another leaving the sediment in the previous vessel, such as fruit and dead yeast.
OG= Starting gravity prior to fermentation.
FG= Final Gravity, the gravity reading after fermentation
Sugar Break= A measurement based on the OG minus the curent gravity to determing how much sugar is eaten up, the lower the gravity the more sugar has been removed. This is important if you are doing Step Nutrient methods.
Step Nutrient- Feading the Mead/yeast nutrients at timed intervals based on how much sugar is left to improve the yeast health and make a smoother mead with less of a possibilty of off flavors due to stressed yeast. The most common sugar break levels are 1/3 sugar break and 2/3 sugar break. That is when the yeast has eaten 1/3 of the available sugar up to what it can handle, usally close to 14-15% ABV but some yeasts like champaign yeast can go as high as 22% ABV.
Primary Fermentation- This is from when you first toss the yeast to when you first rack it. The primary fermentation usually lasts 2 weeks to a month depending on yeast and other factors. At this time about 75% of the fermentation process happens and it will bubble frequently as it lets out CO2. When the process slows to about 1 bubble a minute it is time to rack off of the primary and into the secondary.
Secondary Fermentation- this is a slower longer fermentation that happens after you rack it for the first time. It may not be noticeable but the mead is still fermenting. This is often the time where the still active bits of yeast take small bites out of fruit and other just introduced sugar sources.
Racking on to..(Fruit/spices)= This is going from the primary to the secondary fermentation.
Stabalizing- This is the process of aresting the yeast so that they do not continue to ferment. Usually it is using a process of adding Potassium Sorbate and some sort of Sulfate and/or cold crashing. This is done usually before addtion of more honey to back sweeten.
Cold Crashing- Lowering the tempature of the mead below the tempature tollerance of the yeast, forcing the yeast into a state of hybernation. When this is done much of the yeast sinks to the botom allowing for you to rack above it and thus remove most of the yeast and clearing the mead, at least a little, quicker.
Back Sweetening- The process of stoping fermentation and then adding honey or honey water to make the mead sweeter. Because the yeast is arrested and stoped it does not have a chance of restarting and thus losing the sugar to the yeast.
Degasing- As yeast ferments it gives off CO2. Many times the CO2 is disolved into the mead, making it less sweet as disolved CO2 is essentially carbonic acid. Degassing is the act of aggitating the mead so that it releases the CO2 gas.
Aereating- The act of adding air or O2 to the mead prior to tossing the yeast in. This gives the yeast more O2 to use in it's fermentation process. I rarely find it nessasary to do more that stir it heavily or put a small amount in the blender for a bit. Some people aereate daily for the first week by addition of an oxygen stone (device that adds O2 directly into the mead) or by stiring every day for the first week or so. This is also what a Lees Stirrer is for.
Bulk Aging-This is aging the mead, after it is clear in the carboy container that your fermented it in, after cleaning it and making sure the lees are out of it.
Bottle Aging- This is bottling it after it has cleared and then waiting for opening it about 6 months to a year and letting it sit in the bottle or Bottle Aging it. The term implys action but in actuality it is just letting it sit.
Oaking- This is the addition or contact of the mead with oak to smooth out the flavor and make the mead taste better. Various different oak toast levels are used (the burn level of the oak) and there are 3 types of oak that are common in aging (French, American, and I want to say Bulgarian)
Hopefully this can help.
