I siphoned up all the yeast on my first batch of cider, so that's my problem. I figured it out by the time I did the mead, though! And I have two more gallons of cider going now. Some mistakes I only want to make once :)
Ooh yeah, that must have been pretty nasty! I just got done fermenting my first mead. I just used an old whiskey bottle, water, honey, and some cloves, kaffir lime leaves, and foraged sumac. I haven't tried it yet, but just racked it to age for a while. Smells more like a summer drink, so I think I'll wait til then. How's the cider? I just made another gallon and a half. It's in high demand by my friends for our Thanksgiving and Christmas parties!