nizran01

Recipes 

This is my first batch of mead and I only have a 7 gall fermentor and I am making 2 gallons of mead. For my first ferment I was under the impression that the size of the fermentor won't affect fermentation, it will just affect how often the airlock bubbles. Now my question is that it has been a week since I pitched the yeast and it only bubbles maybe once ever couple mins. This would be normal under these circumstances right? If not, if I can find a couple of 1 gall glass carboys somewhere would I be able to rack the must into those and continue the fermentation process without any ill effects?

Stout Man

Recipes 

I don't know if there would be any ill affects but you should rack to something much smaller. Your yeast may be using that extra 5 gallons of oxygen now but once primary is over it will hurt your mead. Maybe just make a 3 gal batch instead of 2 and use a 3 gal carboy. You could use two 1 gallon jugs and modify each to be a little different than the other. I'd go for bulking up with the 3 though.

nizran01

Recipes 

yeah I will definitely rack to a couple of 1 gall jugs, I took a SG reading last night and it's at 1.02...I didnt check OG but I mixed 1 gal grape juice with 6 lbs of honey and about a 1/2 gal of water so I would think the OG would be pretty high.....im wondering if maybe my first ferment is close to being done?

nizran01

Recipes 

Well just went out and checked on my fermenter and as I opened the door to the cupboard it proceeded to go blurglpelgrp at me so it looks like maybe the yeast just needed another good suspension last night. Would it be roughly accurate to my OG if I make a small 6 oz batch of the same mead and take an SG measurement on it so I can get an idea of what the current alcohol content is? I used EC-1118 so I know it has a huge tolerance.