fermentation and airlock question

[centerfieldeight]

Hey guys I am really new to home brewing and have a quick and probably dumb question. I am making my first batch of mead right now. I am about three weeks into it right now and I had my airlock full of vodka. I noticed today some sort of bug had found its way into the airlock so I removed the airlock, removed the bug, resanitized, refilled the airlock and replaced it. Before I did this I was bubbling along at about once every 10 seconds now, only about n hour later, I am bubbling every 2-3 seconds. Any thoughts? Did I get oxygen into the carboy and shouldn't have? Thanks for your time and answers.

 

[centerfieldeight]

Update: I actually just checked on it again right now and it is bubbling every half second or so. I would think this is a good thing right but I have read about not removing airlocks during brewing. Thanks again

 

[Insomniac]

Sounds good to me, was it 3 weeks in to fermentation? I would be a bit surprised if just opening it made any real difference but how much head space is there in the fermenter and did you aerate it at the start? I guess if the head space is large and you didn't aerate it, the little extra oxygen could help it along, either way it sounds like a good thing, its more of an issue once fermentation stops.

 

[centerfieldeight]

I aerated it pretty well to start and it is five gallons in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy. So there is quite a bit of head space. Should I open it periodically until fermentation stops just to keep it chugging along? Or is it best to just leave?

 

[centerfieldeight]

Bump for more thoughts

 

[kh54s10]

The bubbling slowed because when you removed the airlock you released the built up pressure in the fermenter. After the airlock was re-installed it took a while to build the pressure back.

 

[fatbloke]

And no, if you haven't monitored the gravity numbers, you won't know what stage it's got to in the fermentation. So now it's probably just as well to let it do it's thing - plus you don't list your ingredients and technique/method, so with no nutrient etc, it could take a very long time to finish.

If you didn't use any nutrient in the early stage, then 3 weeks plus into the ferment, you'd only really want to add something like FermaidO (as different from the more easily available FermaidK), or yeast hulls, or just bring 2 tsp of bread yeast to the boil in 100mls of water and simmer for 5 minutes, let it cool and then give the batch a good stir before adding the sludge (actually you'd probably need to give it a good stir before adding any of the above, to prevent a mead fountain - and put the fermenter into a sink before you do that as it's easier to clean up).

 

[centerfieldeight]

I used 15 pounds of honey, yeast nutrient and white labs yeast.

My airlock didn't bubble slower after I removed it it bubbled faster. Almost immediately actually.

Thanks for your input. I am extremely new at this and don't know what to look for or expect. Maybe I am just being paranoid/impatient.
Thanks again