Mead Stuck Fermentation

About 3 weeks ago I made a 3 gallon batch of Cherry melomel, first time with this recipe. I am currently fermenting this with fruit in, in a 5 gallon bucket. I wanted to look in to see how the mead was coming along, and since I put the cover back on, the air lock has shown no activity at all. Before I opened the bucket I had a very steady blow off. At first I thought maybe it was just because there was so much headspace, but now its been about 5 days an no activity. My thought is to simply transfer it to the secondary and hopefully that will mix it up enough to kick it back into gear....any suggestions?

Tim

before you took the lid off there was more pressure in the open space from the initial vigorous start of the ferment so your airlock was perculating. No that youre a few weeks in and probably near the end of primary there is much less gas released, probably just barely enough to keep your melomel blanketed but not enough to up the internl pressure enough to cause airlock bubbles. Doesnt mean ferment is done, also doesn't mean that it isn't.

Since you're going on a month I wouldn't go in there stirring it up really but give the bucket a gentle swirl with the top on to see if it wants to work a little more, then take a few hydrometer readings, about 3 days apart. if they are all the same, rack into secondary (good time to add some cherries if you have them to enhance the flavor) and go on from there, it doesn't sound like anything is wrong.

This is great advice. I will give it a little swirl and see what happens, regardless, I am close to racking to secondary anyways, but will take some gravity readings first.

Thank you very much!!