First Batch Question

[ASamWitch]

Greetings all:
I have read through the messages and haven't run across an answer to my question, and it is this:
I have started my first batch (1 week ago) of mead and I am following the one in Schramm's book on medium sweet mead. 2 exceptions-using wildflower/poplar honey (Dark color) and mg starting sg was 1.105. I am getting a bubble every 5-7 seconds. Is this considered ok? (i.e. not too slow)
Thanks ~ Sam

 

[bob1852]

Mead can take a while to get going, but it sounds like you're on track. Did you use his recommended nutrient additions?

 

[ASamWitch]

I did with the nutrient and energizer. I just wasn't sure what a 'robust fermentation' was.

 

[WheresOurFish]

If you stick around and keep brewing, you'll find that a lot of things affect how active the fermentation is, visibly. A lot of different things can either speed up or slow down a fermentation. Some are easy to control, like the type of yeast you use, your Orginal Gravity, and whether or not you add nutrients. Changing just one such factor can affect how visible your fermentation is. (By the way, how "visible" the fermentation is, is not necessarily a good indicator of how well the fermentation is progressing, as you'll see mentioned around here a lot).

If you want repeatable results, make sure to take lots of notes, with as much detail as you can stand. If something goes "wrong", having good notes can assist with troubleshooting. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on the boards, and giving them specifics about your recipe, gravity readings, temperatures, etc., can help narrow down possible causes and solutions a lot faster.

Have you had a bubble every 5-7 seconds for the entire week, or has it slowed down to that? What temperature is the area you're doing your fermentation? If you're on the cooler side of your yeast's tolerant range, that could explain a slow start. Did you aerate your must? Again, another big factor with mead, since they need a fair amount of oxygen while they're fermenting.

It sounds like you have a hydrometer, and honestly, that's your best way to tell if you've got an active fermentation. Take a reading, and compare it to your OG. If the SG keeps dropping, you're fine. If it's barely changing over a span of a couple days, you might need to look closer at what's going on.

 

[ASamWitch]

WheresOurFish-
Thanks for the response. I can tell from reading that there are a lot of factors that can effect a batch. I have had the 5-7 bubbles for the entire week. It took about 12 hours (over night) to see them start. My temp is around 64F. I stirred like a mad man (with one of those long handled slotted spoon thingys) before I put the lid on.

 

[WheresOurFish]

At 64F, I'd say that everything sounds normal. Increasing the temp might speed things up a bit, but honestly, that's not always a good thing. Warm ferments can often require longer aging times to get rid of undesirable results. (I've got a hot batch in my basement right now that's looking like it'll take at least a year to smooth out, all because my fermentation temp, while still in range for the yeast, was on the high side).

If you're still worried, take some SG readings every once in a while, as that's the best way to track your progress. But, for what it's worth, I think you'll be fine.

 

[ASamWitch]

OK, racked it and checked spg 1.012
next question, there is about 1 1/2-2 inches below shoulder of carboy (plactic 6 gallon, came in kit) is that going to be a problem?

 

[MedsenFey]

Possibly. You don't want to leave that much space with air in it. It can allow spoilage organisms to thrive.

 

[ASamWitch]

I was thinking I remembered reading something like that on here. Any ideas how to help?

 

[LightningInABottle]

I usually get a gallon of spring water from the store and top it off up to the part where the carboy next is narrow. It dilutes your overall ABV but prevents your mead from oxidizing.

 

[ASamWitch]

Thanks! How soon do I need to do this and about how much will it dilute it?

 

[youngbrewerME]

Honestly there is no need to dilute your mead. I would advise against it especially since your aiming for a medium to sweet mead. I have a jar of marbles that i sanitize and drop into the carboy until the headspace is gone. But really if you have sanitized properly you shouldn't have a problem with beasties. Your mead has not fully fermented out so some CO2 could push the air out the airlock. I wouldn't stress to much.

 

[patmac47]

I got a bunch of those glass vase stone on clearance from walmart. Wash and boil them, then drop them in your carbouy.

Racking is kinda weird, just don't get your wand down in the stones. The lee's will settle on top of the stones and kinda sift down.