fermentation started up again?

[B192734]

So is it common for there to be a moderately strong fermentation start back up when the mead is racked over into a secondary? It's been about 1 month, and all bubbling had almost stopped in the primary. I moved it from a 5 gal carboy into a 3. It filled the 3 right up to the neck. When I got up this morning, it was bubbling away, and had the fruit risen up to the top and had actually blown a little bit of liquid through the bubbler.

 

[Emerald]

I'm not sure how common it is but I just had the same thing happen with my blueberry mead- I started it over half the fruit and then racked over the second batch of fruit and let it go for a week and I just racked it into my two one gallon jugs to do the final wait till bottling and of course I didn't use a fruit bag (which I will from now on!) and the second gallon jug had much more gunk in it than the first but there was plenty for both gallons.
Well got up yesterday to check on them only to find that the second gallon had gunk that floated all the way up to the airlock and some of the liquid was bubbling up into the airlock, while the first gallon is showing no activity at all.
I just cleaned and sterilized everything and took out a bit of the floating gunk in the second gallon and it is still bubbling a bit. (it was a PITA!)
I am thinking that it might just be a bit of trapped CO or the little bits of fruit that got into the second gallon from racking might not have been totally done fermenting.
The flavor is very yummy and the smell is better, I can't wait for it to age out a bit.
I wouldn't worry too much, but I am sure that someone with more experience will chime in here soon.

 

[jezter6]

Did you take a reading when you racked? Did you add the fruit after racking?

If you racked early, there's still some sugar left to eat, and if you added more sugar (fruit) then it would likely kick back up to start chewing on the new sugars.

 

[B192734]

I did add more fruit. I assumed there may be just a little, but not as much as it seems to be. If it was early, (I took a reading, and it was pretty close 1.001 or so) will it just start and run with it again? Should I do something to stop the fermentation? Or will it just kind of peter out and then be all good?

 

[TipsyDragon]

the yeast are eating the fructose in the fruit and fermenting again. it will die down as soon as the new sugars are gone.

 

[B192734]

How much sugar do you think would have been added in with the extra few pounds of fruit added? Since the honey should have been pretty much all converted then there shouldn't be any worry about that.

 

[TipsyDragon]

depends on the fruit some have more than others.