Possible Stalled Fermentation

Hello all,

I just started making my first batch of mead last Friday and I am a bit concerned about how the primary fermentation is going. Note that the must is undergoing primary fermentation in a 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket.

I brewed a metheglin technically, adding cloves and cinnamon to the mix of 5 lbs. orange blossom honey and 3 gallons of water. I let it sit overnight to cool then added one packet of EC-118 yeast and a WYeast nutrient.

My concern is this: I did not have a food thermometer on hand, so I put the yeast in room temp. water and set the bowl I had that in into a larger pot of warm water so the water could warm up gradually. After a little while, I stirred the yeast gently, pitched the nutrient, then pitched the yeast itself. I did not take an OG, as I do not have the tools to do so.

After two days I noticed periodic bubbling and would check on what the must looked like through the airlock hole and it seemed to be going pretty well, along with an awesome smell.

My concern is that there is not a great amount of frequent bubbling going on and I'm paranoid that fermentation has stalled. Can anyone please advise or put my paranoia to rest? If any other info is needed to answer this question, I will gladly provide it.

Thanks,

Jacob

With the speed of 1118 and the very low OG, I'd expect the ferment to go smooth and VERY quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't ferment dry in a few days. Get a hydrometer and check gravity

What can I expect a good, finished gravity to be?

.92 or something crazy low like tht

I read somewhere if you don't have a hydrometer, wait till it stops bubbling then wait another two weeks and rack it. I am also doing a batch in a bucket right now and started to freak when mine wasn't bubbling. I didn't have the top all the way attached to to and as soon as I fixed that problem it started again. Good luck.

Thanks all, I'm not as worried anymore because there is a good bit of air pressure escaping from the bucket even though the airlock is somewhat dormant. I purchased a hydrometer and wanted to take a gravity reading, but there seems to be krausen on top. Should I just let it be, you think, or go for the reading anyway?