This look normal?

[slvrstang]

No bubbling in the airlock after 48hrs of pitching WLP720 Sweet-mead yeast into 1.075 SG mead made with only honey.

Used 1tsp of yeast nutrient.

*Large picture warning*

Possible infection?

 

[Golddiggie]

Looks more like it's just post-lag phase... Did you aerate it more than just once? Typically you aerate and feed meads until 1/3 of the sugar has been consumed... Figure it will go to .998, which put's the 1/3 break at 1.049...

What size batch is this? Which nutrient did you add?

Sounds like this is your first mead, yes?

 

[slvrstang]

It was aerated once right before pitching with an aquarium pump. It's a 5g batch and I used "Brewcraft Yeast Nutrient" which contains Thiamin and Vitamin B complex.

link to the nutrient: http://www.winemakersdepot.com/Biotin-Powder-Thiamin-Vitamin-B-Complex-Yeast-Nutrient-2-oz--P132.aspx

Yes, this is my first mead. I've made about 20 batches of beer though.

 

[AussieBrewerInColorado]

Please don't use airlock activity as your only indicator, it is definitely not the best indicator of fermentation. Check your gravities and see the progress in that. If it keeps moving, the yeast are doing their thing. Also, be patient and give it some more time to do its thing. I would like to know your gravity readings and krausen activity after a few more days. Mead takes a lot more patience than beer too. What is your ambient fermentation temperature? The color change is also a good indicator of yeast activity. It should become lighter in color with time and clear up quite a bit after a few months. I wouldn't give up on it yet assuming you had sanitary conditions.

 

[Golddiggie]

I would aerate it again, after taking a SG reading, and give it a dose of DAP (amount to match your volume)... Take SG readings each day until you hit the 1/3 break... Once you're at the 1/3 break, aerate once more, give it one more dose of nutrient and let it ride...

Chances are (without knowing the details of the yeast you used, since I don't use White Labs yeast, at all) it will ferment to dry... Which means your FG will probably be either .998 or .990... That will put you in the 10.3%-11.3% ABV range... Unless the yeast gives up before then...

Once it's done fermenting, give it at least several more weeks (a month isn't a bad idea) before you rack it into another vessel. Let it sit there for another month or two, before you rack again. Each time it will become clearer as more settles out of it... If you really want to rush this (I wouldn't) you could cold crash it... I would also use a carboy for racking, so that you can see how much it's cleared before you rack again... You could be surprised how clear it will become given enough time.

I would also let it stay in bulk form for at least 6 months before you decide to bottle it up... Most mazers let their batches go 6-12 months before they think about bottling it up... Myself included. My current batches were started in just before Thanksgiving 2010 and are still in bulk/batch form... Not going to look to bottle for at least 3-6 months more...

 

[slvrstang]

Good stuff. I'll be back in 3-4 days with an SG reading and possibly another photo.




Ambient temps are around 65*, the yeast strain suggests 70-75 but I don't have any heating solution.

Also this WLP720 yeast is supposed to ferment ~75% but we'll see.

 

[smyrnaquince]

It was aerated once right before pitching with an aquarium pump

How clean is the air out of an aquarium pump? Do they use food-grade lubricants? Can you sanitize the internals so you are not pumping bacteria, etc., through your mead?

 

[Golddiggie]

If you have a heating pad, either put the bucket onto it, or tape it to the side... Turn it on the lowest setting and make sure you have a thermometer on the side (one that sticks on)... That should help you to get it into the yeast's "happy range" of temperatures...

BTW, this is another reason I prefer Lalvin yeasts... You can easily get one that ferments well at 59-68F, with a 14% ABV tolerance, or as wide a range of 50-86F if you don't mind it being able to go up to 18% ABV... Lalvin yeasts are pretty standard issue for a great many mazers... Just pick the one that has the characteristics you want, and you're good to go... I've had great results/luck with their strains (have used three different strains so far)...