How much is too much?

[MasterJeem]

Just made a pumpkin apple cyser yesterday in hopes of getting it ready for fall. If not I guess there's always next year. I tweaked the recipe in the recipe section just slightly and I have high hopes. One question, though. Is there such thing as too much airlock activity? This thing is bubbling non-stop.

Yeast: 1 packet of lalvin d-47
Yeast food: 4 tsp yeast nutrient and a handful of raisins

This is a 5 gallon batch

 

[fatbloke]

You've got it in an airlocked fermenter, fine. But it it was in a bucket with loose lid or just a muslin/cheesecloth cover, you wouldn't ask the question, because you wouldn't notice the CO2 escape.

It's just that some honey, water, fruit combo's seem to generate more CO2 and using an airlocked fermenter at an early stage makes it more obvious..... and depending on the fermentation method/technique, a greater chance of an eruption in the earlier stages of ferment, until it settles down a bit......

 

[HanasHoney]

But I ask- I started 5gal pail on Jan 28, with an sir loc lid of honey oranges, raisins and a pkg of champaign yeast. Yesterday the bunking had stopped. So we racked to a glass Carnot with another air loc. virtually no bubbling.

What next?

Help!

 

[Tyrone]

Hanas, you should invest in a hydrometer to measure specific gravity and use that for indications of fermentation. Otherwise you are just guessing as to what is going on with your mead.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

Remember that an airlock is just a one way valve, lets the CO2 and pressure out and keeps excessive O2 and other potential bad crap from getting in. It's nice for effect, is an efficient simple tool to prevent eruptions and protect your brew. But whether its bubbling like mad or looks almost still it's not necesarily an indication of good or bad fermentation. Sometimes just moving your fermenter can cause activity mearly from the degassing a little swirling can cause.

Once it's racked into a secondary your fermentation should be done or close to it so shouldn't expect a lot of bubbling anyway, unless you stir somethin up or add more/new fermentables that restarts it.

 

[MasterJeem]

good to know. thanks, guys!

 

[GinKings]

What's the temperature where you are fermenting?

I purposely ferment cool to maintain a slower ferment. Warmer temps tend to ferment faster. Excessively high temps are generally considered a bad thing. Fermentation generates heat. Putting your fermenter in a small closet and closing the door can raise temp quite a bit.

 

[MasterJeem]

its fermenting at between 60 and 65 degrees. the reason why i was concerned in the first place is the fact that, at least when using yeast in breadmaking, the slower the yeast goes, the better the final product. so this thing looking like i'm blowing bubbles through my straw got me thinking that it might not be such a good thing. i'm going to try to make sure that there arent any temperature spikes. glad you mentioned it

 

[GinKings]

Slower is usually better with mead too, but you're at a good temp. Sounds like you got a nice healthy ferment going.

 

[MasterJeem]

so i've been giving the airlock a sniff once in a while and its not smelling too good. kinda sour smelling

 

[MasterJeem]

out of curiosity, i just took off the lid of the fermenter to see what's going on in there. has kind of a sour bread dough smell to it. this may be typical, but the other two batches i did smelled amazing since day one. i think i'm going to give it a taste in about a week and see what's up. i hope this isnt ruined. i have about 120 bucks in ingredients in this