Herd a hiss immediatly after pitching hydrated yeast, is it ok?

[KKtheMeader]

Hello all, I am making mead for the first time.
I added yeast to the must first time and even after 24 hours I did not see any active bubbles or sign of fermentation.
I again hydrated yeast and after it foamed a little bit (after 15 mins in water ), I added it to the existing must.
This time I suddenly herd a hiss or fizzing sound. It lasted for about a minute and formed some foam over the must.
I shook the vert a bit for 2 or 3 odd minutes.
Is it perfectly fine?
Is the sound normal and should I wait for another 2 days to see the result?

 

[Dan O]

Sounds like it already started. Check to make sure your airlock has a good seal & just wait. You should be fine.

 

[Miraculix]

That was the displeased hiss of the ancient mead cat, worshipped by the Egyptians since centuries.

You must have done something wrong to the cat, quickly burn some catnip and ask for forgiveness. Otherwise it might scratch your couch.

 

[KKtheMeader]

Hello all, I am making mead for the first time.
I added yeast to the must first time and even after 24 hours I did not see any active bubbles or sign of fermentation.
I again hydrated yeast and after it foamed a little bit (after 15 mins in water ), I added it to the existing must.
This time I suddenly herd a hiss or fizzing sound. It lasted for about a minute and formed some foam over the must.
I shook the vert a bit for 2 or 3 odd minutes.
Is it perfectly fine?
Is the sound normal and should I wait for another 2 days to see the result?

Thanks a lot for the quick reply.
My only concern was that I pitched the yeast second time after 24 hours and the sound was immediate and loud.
Hope that does not mean aggressive fermentation.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

If you think you might have aggressive fermentation just remember to degas and check gravity twice a day. If fermentation is getting ahead of nutrients you're going to start getting some sulfuric odors/yeast stress. Add nutrient as soon as you detect it and try to follow a schedule as much as possible. SNA or tosna have worked for me but it's still best to learn how thinks work for you. Plenty of people here that can help who have experience, welcome to the community and be ready for some learning curves

 

[KKtheMeader]

thank you all for your responses.
I am still not sure if it is an agressive fermentation.
How soon would I be able to know?
I just degassed the vert and sweet yeasty smell (quite winey ) with a slight fizzyness came out.
I don't smell anything acidic as of now.

 

[Dan O]

thank you all for your responses.
I am still not sure if it is an agressive fermentation.
How soon would I be able to know?
I just degassed the vert and sweet yeasty smell (quite winey ) with a slight fizzyness came out.
I don't smell anything acidic as of now.

Congratulations. Your ferment is under way. Fizzyness is a good sign. Keep a close eye on your gravity readings so you can time your feedings. Be absolutely sure to degas BEFORE adding nutrients or it could very well turn into an eruption, especially with 2 helpings of yeast in there. There's a saying in the mead community...There's no mess like a mead mess!

 

[KKtheMeader]

Thanks a million guys. I am really getting excited to see it working.
Just to be sure what exactly is acidic smell?
The sweet yeasty smell I can tell.
But the feeling was as if a aerated soft drink burp out of my nose with some sweetness. Sure there was gas in there.

 

[bushpilot]

All sounds fine to me.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Thanks a million guys. I am really getting excited to see it working.
Just to be sure what exactly is acidic smell?
The sweet yeasty smell I can tell.
But the feeling was as if a aerated soft drink burp out of my nose with some sweetness. Sure there was gas in there.

Acidic smell I'm not sure, CO² is normal, much like sniffing an open soda but watch out cus it can really burn when it's actively fermenting.

Sulfuric smell (rotten eggs, bad gas) indicates yeast stress. Degas vigorously so the CO² escapes (like shaking a soda flat) and also agitating/aerating oxygen into the must which yeast need.

 

[bracconiere]

and also agitating/aerating oxygen into the must which yeast need.

i thought yeast were anerobic, and only needed oxygen for reproduction at the start? otherwise acetic bac will start turning it to vinegar?

edit: and as far as the hissing, nucleation sites for co2....

 

[Kyzaboy89]

I haven't gone into that study yet, I do know they need the oxygen at start for reproduction, I thought I'd heard it's useful through the first 5 days or so. I haven't had a vinegar batch happen yet but that's just my experience. I use a drill mixer and vigorously degas during primary until s.g. is 1.020 area then gently degas. However much air gets in that way has been my go to for years, no fancy bubbler or anything, used to use a long stir spoon with slots in it but they tend to snap if you get to aggressive.

 

[bracconiere]

I haven't gone into that study yet, I do know they need the oxygen at start for reproduction, I thought I'd heard it's useful through the first 5 days or so. I haven't had a vinegar batch happen yet but that's just my experience. I use a drill mixer and vigorously degas during primary until s.g. is 1.020 area then gently degas. However much air gets in that way has been my go to for years, no fancy bubbler or anything, used to use a long stir spoon with slots in it but they tend to snap if you get to aggressive.

i'm not a mead maker....but i consider them a sugar wash, with just enough nutrients for the yeast to ferment. have done many sugar washes. and before i knew yeast didn't just ferment sugar water, i always got a lot of 'fizz' trying to add stuff....

 

[Maylar]

i thought yeast were anaerobic, and only needed oxygen for reproduction at the start?

Correct. Once the lag phase is done and the yeast go into "let's eat sugar" mode, oxygen is no longer needed or desired.

 

[Kevin Gallagher]

Thanks a million guys. I am really getting excited to see it working.
Just to be sure what exactly is acidic smell?
The sweet yeasty smell I can tell.
But the feeling was as if a aerated soft drink burp out of my nose with some sweetness. Sure there was gas in there.

what yeast did you use?

 

[KKtheMeader]

Hey Guys, just an update.
I see that there are minute bubbles.
But now there is a slight smell of sulfur along with yeasty smell. Is anything going bad here?

 

[Dan O]

Make sure you're degassing daily. The sulfur smell should fade with time.

 

[KKtheMeader]

Thanks for the input Dan O.
Since I am doing it the for the first time, can you tell me exactly how do I degas?
Should I just open the lead and keep it like that for some time?
Should I shake it after sealing it back?

 

[Dan O]

Thanks for the input Dan O.
Since I am doing it the for the first time, can you tell me exactly how do I degas?
Should I just open the lead and keep it like that for some time?
Should I shake it after sealing it back?

Pick it up & swirl .....GENTLY! You have double the yeast in there, so, it will be very volcanic if you swirl too much. I would swirl it once, then let bubbles catch up with the action of swirling. Wait until the bubbles have gone away, then repeat as necessary.

 

[KKtheMeader]

Hello brewers,
Really thanks for all the help and inputs you have been giving to a beginner like me.
So As it stands now, the sulfur smell has almost vanished. It is now reduced to a slight hint.
But the feel of soda gas is still there.
I have degased and added yeast nutrient a couple of times.
I want to be sure if I have not over fed the yeast with nutrient.
Just in case, if that happens what would be the side effect.
How do I know that I should have put less.

 

[Maylar]

You can definitely overdose your yeast with nutrients. First off, they won't assimilate nutrients after about 9% ABV and whatever you put in there after that will remain in the mead and taste like crap. Unfortunately I have no clue how to calculate the correct amount for any given batch, and I rely on the SNA calculators for that.

 

[KKtheMeader]

Basically I have added around 1 GM of nutrient for about 1.5/2 gm of yeast for my mead. Is that more?

 

[Maylar]

that's fine. 1 gm per gallon is typical.

 

[jkuhl]

Hey Guys, just an update.
I see that there are minute bubbles.
But now there is a slight smell of sulfur along with yeasty smell. Is anything going bad here?

Hydrogen Sulfide (I think it's called?) is a natural byproduct of the yeast.

There are two ways to deal with it:

1. Feed them yeast nutrient. A fed yeast doesn't produce so much sulfur.
2. Wait it out, it'll eventually leave the must on its own.