I have questions about yeast and head space for Mead

[haggardflorist]

Hi all!

So I started my first batch of Mead about a week ago and I have some concerns on whether the yeast is actually fermenting or not.

My recipe was 3lb honey with about 1 gallon of water and about 2-3grams of yeast per carboy. I made two identical batches in two carboys and then put the stopper/airlock on them and set them in my basement which has an ambient room temp of 70-76 degrees due to the furnace and water heater being in there.

I ran out of spring water while making the batches so there is quite a bit of head space in each carboy (from the bottom of the carboy's neck to the mead is about 4 inches). Does head space affect whether or not the yeast works or whether I will see bubbles in the airlock?

I have checked on them 2-3 times a day and look at the airlock and don't see any bubbles come out but if I swirl the mead around, then a bunch of bubbles come out. I didn't activate/hydrate the yeast because the youtube video I watched said not to, or rather that activating it doesn't make much of a difference. The yeast I used already had energizers and nutrients in it. I don't have the package anymore so I couldn't tell you what brand it is but it just said "Mead Yeast" or something.

I don't have a hydrometer and was thinking of buying one but Idk if checking it will make a difference or what to look for because I didn't check it before I started fermenting it.

Final question: If I hydrate/activate new yeast and add it to the batch, will it make a difference? Like will it affect the flavor or is putting too much yeast bad?

 

[JimRausch]

First of all- welcome!
After a week, she may be all finished fermenting. If you have some experience fermenting beer, it won't be like that. Much more subtle.
Now the scolding---- there's only one way to know for sure whether she's done or not, and that's to take a SG reading. So, go get that hydrometer, take a reading, then get back to us.

 

[haggardflorist]

First of all- welcome!
After a week, she may be all finished fermenting. If you have some experience fermenting beer, it won't be like that. Much more subtle.
Now the scolding---- there's only one way to know for sure whether she's done or not, and that's to take a SG reading. So, go get that hydrometer, take a reading, then get back to us.

What should the reading be on the hydrometer?

 

[JimRausch]

Your OG with 3 lb honey per gallon would have been something around 1.120. The FG will depend on the attenuation ability of your yeast as well as how well you treated said yeast, and what temp you fermented at. But mead often ferments down to 1.000 or less.
Headspace during the initial fermentation period is a good thing, so no worries there.
More scolding, and I apologize that I'm being a bit of a D**K here, but it sounds like you need to do some reading and research.
Get that SG so we can help with some actual worthwhile advice.

 

[AkTom]

/\ what he said.
Cheers
And don’t watch YouTube. Read here.