Mead slowed down

DShoaf · 04-03-2009, 06:16 AM

For almost a week I had good fermentation off a D47 yeast starter. Now I have little air lock activity. When I swirl the bucket I get a little action that lasts a few minutes, but then returns to the slow state. I am thinking about pitching D47 again, and a little nutrient+energizer to get fermentation going again. I might just be paranoid, but I want to get the most from my investment. Do you think this is a good way to get it going again? How long should I have vigerous fermentation? I was thinking that it should give me consistant airlock activity for 2 weeks or so, but this is my first mead and I just don't know. What should I expect?

Tusch · 04-03-2009, 08:26 AM

Doesn't sound like there is anything out of the ordinary. The vigorous part generally last a week, give or take a few days. So if it is slowing down, the yeasts are just getting past the bulk of the sugars. Also, swirling the bucket will release a lot of co2 trapped in the brew that hasn't yet come to the surface. You are essentially degassing the mead by swirling it, hence the airlock activity for a bit and then it dies back down.

DShoaf · 04-03-2009, 06:17 PM

I tend to be a little paranoid about brewing. I have had 2 catestropic incidents when brewing. The first one was on a brown ale that didn't take the yeast I pitched, then I added more and and explosion ensued. I had a river of Wort running down the tile in my hallway finding its way to the basement... BIG MESS! The other disaster happened with a Zin spraying and staining everything around it. So long story short, when it comes to fermentation and yeasting I just want to get everything right, before I have another huge mess on my hands. I plan to rerack this mead 1 month from the pitch into a glass secondary.

DShoaf · 04-04-2009, 03:15 AM

Yes my OCD got the best of me and I repitched D47. I did it dry along with Nutrient and Energizer and I am back to airlock activity every 30 seconds. I think that I don't have a need to do it again. I am going to check the SG in a week to give it some time. I am hoping that this was the push it needed to fully ferment.

Tusch · 04-04-2009, 01:18 PM

No offense but it would have fermented fully before

but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

DShoaf · 04-05-2009, 02:30 AM

None taken, I just have a compulsion to cover all my bases. Unfortunatly, sometimes twice.

Mr. Nice Guy · 04-05-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DShoaf

Yes my OCD got the best of me and I repitched D47. I did it dry along with Nutrient and Energizer and I am back to airlock activity every 30 seconds. I think that I don't have a need to do it again. I am going to check the SG in a week to give it some time. I am hoping that this was the push it needed to fully ferment.

You should get OCD over hightests sticky at the top of the mead forum! I had to read it a couple of times to grasp it all but it helps a lot. Yeasties have a hard time in meads so they need lots of help.

blakey971 · 04-06-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DShoaf

I tend to be a little paranoid about brewing. I have had 2 catestropic incidents when brewing. The first one was on a brown ale that didn't take the yeast I pitched, then I added more and and explosion ensued. I had a river of Wort running down the tile in my hallway finding its way to the basement... BIG MESS! The other disaster happened with a Zin spraying and staining everything around it. So long story short, when it comes to fermentation and yeasting I just want to get everything right, before I have another huge mess on my hands. I plan to rerack this mead 1 month from the pitch into a glass secondary.

as well as 1 catastrophic in spelling.

But good luck all the same!

DShoaf · 04-06-2009, 09:05 PM

Hey I dedicate my life to science not english... I wil keepe mi spelin in lin frome nowe onn.