Blanchy

Recipes 

What's up with this? This is my first gallon of mead. I racked to secondary about a month ago, stuck it in a closet, and checked on it a few days ago. It looked like fermentation had started up again- lots of bubbles coming up the sides of the carboy, and foam collecting at the surface, but there is zero airlock activity. I'm stumped. Any guesses as to what is going on here?

mccann51

Recipes 

What was the SG when you racked it? What was the OG, and what yeast strain did you use? Activity in the airlock is a poor indication of fermentation activity.

OneCerebralSamurai

Recipes 

Lots of fermentation activity and no airlock activity means you have a leak somewhere.

Fermentation acivity means CO2 is being produced - if the airlock isn't bubling, then the CO2 is getting out another way.

truckjohn

Recipes 

It also degasses for a while after fermentation is over..... You dissolved a giant amount of CO2 into the solution...

But.... Check the seal on your airlock bung first... I find that if the bung or inside of the neck gets wet at all during transfer - it will pooch back out of the jug neck. Use a paper towel to dry off the inside of the neck and the bung - and it will seal right.

Thanks

Blanchy

Recipes 

Thanks!

I'll check on the seal.

Any risk of it blowing up in my face if I just pop the bung off?

Yooper

Recipes 

Only if it's been plugged. You could ease it off gently, just in case!

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mccann51

Recipes 

Do you have a hydrometer? Use it! It will tell you exactly where your fermentation is at.