hi, new to forum. 1st batch.

[idratherbefishin]

This is my 1st attempt at Mead making. I guess it's a Melomel?
this is what I did up to today. day 8.

1 gallon tea jug
1 stopper/air-lock
1 tablespoon yeast food (⅛ tsp per serving) Furmax
Yeast (Lavlin D47 wine yeast)
1 c dark cherry juice
Funnel

Sanatize
1 gallon water
3 lb honey
1 small pack raisins
1 orange (rind removed)
⅛ tsp yeast food
¾ pkg yeast Lalvin D47 wine yeast

Heat ½ gal water ~100
Add honey
Add orange, raisins to jug
Add cherry juice
Pour honey into jug
Top off with cold water
Add ⅛ yeast food
Gently shake
Add yeast (½ - 1 package)
Gently shake
Add water to air-lock
Cap jug with air-lock
Set in dark place
cover with towel.

Add ⅛ tsp yeast food first 3 days then intermittently after

10/21 1/8th tsp
10/23 1/8th tsp
10/30 1/8th tsp


today (10-30-2018) when I picked up the towel the stopper was cocked a little and didn't seem to be on tight.
I put a regular lid on it and shook it a couple times and it barely fizzed. My ferment seems to have stalled after 7 days. So I added an 8th of a teaspoon of yeast food shook and put the stopper back .
I just realized the yeast is over 2 years old. So I added another package of yeast.
If I order some new Yeast can I add it after starting it 10 days ago?
Any other suggestions?

 

[SKBugs]

Hey @idratherbefishin welcome to the forum
The only way to be sure that fermentation is happening is to take gravity readings before during and after. Do you have a hydrometer? If not, you will need to get one otherwise you will be operating in the dark and will continue to have the same problems as you have now.
I don't think you should be adding yeast nutrient after 7 days, as it is likely fermentation has largely finished and all it will do is give you off flavours etc. A reading with a hydrometer will tell you - if it stays the same reading over a couple of days, fermentation has stopped.
It is likely that your bung and stopper weren't on tight, so bubbles won't happen. But that is ok, as most of the experienced folk don't even use air locks for the first week or so, just cover it with a tea towel or something.
Do a search for TOSNA nutrient feeding, or look at meadmaderight.com for inspiration. Also study the BOMM sticky as well, which is full of gold (denardbrewing.com). All your answers will be on this forum, so relax and sit back with a coffee (or mead) and enjoy the read.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[idratherbefishin]

@SKBugs, thanks for the reply. hydrometer on the way.
At this point, I would just use it to make sure its at a stable reading and not fluctuating, correct?

 

[SKBugs]

It won't fluctuate as such, it will either be heading down which means that fermentation is occurring, or it will be still which means that fermentation is either stalled or has finished.
The idea is to record your reading before fermentation and then again after a while, usually a week or so depending on factors such as yeast type, temperature etc. But you can work out a number of things from the hydrometer - gravity, which will give you an alcohol strength; and it will also determine if fermentation is still occurring.