Fermentation after racking

[Esnagami]

I Just racked my mead after one month of primary fermentation. ShouId I see any fermentation right away or in a couple of days or a week or more?

 

[fatbloke]

I Just racked my mead after one month of primary fermentation. ShouId I see any fermentation right away or in a couple of days or a week or more?

Don't know.

Did you check the gravity prior to racking ? If so, what was it ?

While racking can remove some potentially active yeast cells, it can also introduce some air/O2, which might restart a stuck or stalled ferment.

If there is nothing left for the remaining yeast to ferment, then you wouldn't see anything would you.

It's also entirely possible that the ferment might have slowed to almost nothing then after a time, an increase in temperature might trigger yeast into action and restart the fermentation.

So, a little more detail might help i.e. ingredients, gravity readings, etc

 

[Esnagami]

Specific gravity was 1.02 when racking. It's a traditional mead. No heating. I racked in the same place I keep it for fermenting. I was careful not to "splash" the mead into the carboy. It was a wine yeast. It was perking just before I racked it.

 

[biochemedic]

Premature racking is a sure-fire way to set up a stalled ferment. Depending on the yeast and your OG you could be done, or still a way to go to finished fermenting. The fact that you were still showing some signs of fermentation before racking suggests to me that you might have still been going -- airlock activity is not always the best indication of fermentation activity, but with a stable temp, it suggests continued yeast work.

What you can learn from this is that primary is for fermentation...generally I wouldn't rack until you have reached terminal gravity, and the best way to tell that is to see that you have stable gravity readings over the course of a week or so.

 

[Esnagami]

Good to know. Thank you so much for the information. I'll keep checking for two weeks then make a decision.
Thanks again!