Stuck Fermentation?

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Bobbynogz

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Hi again guys,

Once again many thanks for your help a while ago. Cleared some stuff up for me.

I'm afraid I have another conundrum now though...

I pitched exactly 12 days ago, and it took a good 48-72 hours for my yeast to get into full swing. It bubbled nicely (about 1 bubble every 5 seconds, in a one piece airlock, 1 gallon batch) up until now. Over the past 48 hours, they have been getting noticably slower, and last night I sat and watched it for a few minutes - it hasn't moved even a millimetre on the airlock. No bubbles (as far as I can tell - I shall check again in the morning and see if the airlock has even moved). (Morning update: It's move about a centremetre, perhaps 1/5 of the 'journey').

I am slightly worried about the rather severe snow we've just had. I've tried my best to keep the room it's in at a level 20ºC (that's 68ºF for you Americans!), but perhaps at night it's been getting a little chilly. I still doubt though it's got to any lower than 55ºF.

I understand mead has a primary fermentation where the airlock will show alot of activity, but after about two weeks will then slow to just 1 bubble every 30 seconds or so. However, I'm worried as to whether my ferment is stuck as nothing seems to be happening at all.

I suppose I have three options...

A) Leave it be for a week or so more, and hope for the best.

B) Re-rack it and mix in a teaspoon or two more of Tronozymol to wake up the yeasties a bit?

C) Quickly buy some proper, big boy energizer online and get next day delivery and bung that in?


On a side note that I have just thought of, I did put a couple of teaspoons of nutrients into the must at the beginning. I am using Tronozymol Nutrients (which apparently contain energiser salts too). I shan't post a link as i'm not sure on the rules of possible advertising, but readers can have a quick Google to see what it is.

I will also do a rough hydrometer reading tomorrow. I say rough because I'll have to just float it in the top of the carboy and it'll probably bob around a little bit, but should be stable enough to figure it out. I'll post the results, although I don't have an OG from when I pitched. Perhaps someone could give me an estimation of what 3lbs of honey + 1 gallon spring water, would roughly be? My calculations come out at about 1.085 OG, and looking at 1.000 FG... But that seems a bit dry, does it not?

Cheers for the help guys, I'm a bit puzzled!
 
Just to update - I just took a hydrometer reading, albeit a bit of bodge-job. I tied some sanitized fishing line onto the top the instrument and then dropped it into the carboy, it levelled out and much to my amazement it sat pretty much bang on the 1.000 mark (or there abouts).

This area was bang on the bottle mark on my hydrometer. SURELY a week and a half primary isn't ready for bottling?! :confused:
 
Probably not ready for bottling, but not all the time before bottling is spent in fermentation. It also needs to age and clarify. Try drinking mead that is too young and you'll be wondering how anyone can use this stuff for anything other than stripping paint.

Take another reading to double check the gravity, though.
 
Leave it be for a couple weeks and let it get good and clear...after that you can transfer to secondary to bulk age for a while, or just bottle it and age it in the bottle.

FWIW, I would think 3 lbs in 1 gal should've given a higher OG than 1.085, but perhaps you're using imperial gallons?
 
I think I'll give it a bit of a kick with Tronozymol, and re-rack to try and get the most out of the yeast. Then I'll just age it for a month and see what happens.
 
I think I'll give it a bit of a kick with Tronozymol, and re-rack to try and get the most out of the yeast. Then I'll just age it for a month and see what happens.

Gave it a shot of Tronozymol, not even a peep out of it so far... Will just stick it in a cupboard and age it then, see what happens. There must be no yeast left.
 
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