Counting the bubbles in the mead

[beefarmer]

Making my first batch of mead..1 gallon started 1/21/12
2lb 8 oz honey, 1 gallon spring water, 1 tsp nutrient, 1tsp energizer, 1/2 packet lavin d47

after first day airlock was bubbling away, was afraid it would bubble over, now on day 10 we're getting 1 boubble every 30 secounds. is this normal? we have about 1/2 inch of sediment on the bottom

 

[huesmann]

Sounds like time to rack.

 

[BobJ]

Sounds like time to rack.

+1 My opinion as well....

 

[beefarmer]

should I have added more yeast, or is this working a little quick. Most of what I read, and watching the other post, it seems it should have taken longer to get to this point.

 

[tweake]

bubbles are not a good indicator and neither is time. a change in temp or other factor could have slowed the ferment and racking could cause a stuck ferment.

get a hydrometer, they are cheap and easy to use.

 

[biochemedic]

All respect to the others, but tweake has it right: it's way too soon to rack. Get a hydrometer as tweake said, and check a gravity reading if you're really concerned you're slowing down/stuck/finishing (this is really the best way to tell where your mead is in it's fermentation.) Overall, I think you'd just be better off leaving it alone! Let it keep working until there are NO bubbles, and let is clear up a bit before you even consider racking. 10 days is bare embyonic status when it comes to the life cycle of mead.

Rather than racking, you'd probably be better served to lightly degas it, and consider adding another dose of nutrients (in that order, specifically, to avoid a 'mead eruption accident' from rapidly adding a whole bunch of nucleation points all at once...)

 

[Aquavitae]

Don't rack yet. Just let it ride.

Also, Biochemedic, your use of the words 'nucleation points' says to me that I should greet a fellow man (or woman!) of science. *respectful thug nod*

 

[biochemedic]

*respectful thug nod*

*flashes an 'HB' (for homebrewer) symbol out of a series of intertwined fingers*

 

[Bhunter87]

Awww brewlove... The story of two scientists from worlds apart, brought together by their love of homebrew and big words....

Ima make mills off you two