newbie as of today

olynick · Apr 2, 2014

Hello I just started my first one gallon mead today using honey, elderberries, oranges, and a campden tablet. My airlock is bubbling about once every 25-30 seconds and its been about 4 hours. I live in florida and I keep my house at about 73 degrees. the temp strip on my bucket reads 81 degrees and I have it sitting in the corner of the kitchen (only place I have room for it) and I have a black cloth wrapped around it to keep it as dark as I can. I used lalvin ec-1118. anyone have advice? did I cover it all? will my airlock speed up over time or stay slow like that?

Valtyr · Apr 2, 2014

Only advice i can think of is trying to bring the temperature down a bit. Higher temperatures can stress the yeast and cause some off flavors. One idea is to keep the cloth that's covering it wet to help draw off some of the heat. Or you could try a swamp cooler, like many here use.

Sounds like it should be a pretty nice mead, though. Good luck, and welcome to the obsession.

olynick · Apr 3, 2014

Thank you, I moved it to another room and it did come down a little I think its sitting at 77 degrees now.

olynick · Apr 3, 2014

Also since I started this yesterday on the 2nd, I will be going camping april 30th for a week. A friend of mine who makes Mead said it should be ok and by the time I get back it should be ready to rack to the 2nd bottle. So that means it will be in the first fermentation bucket for about 1 month and 1 week. does that sound ok?

Valtyr · Apr 3, 2014

It should be fine. I've had meads that I've left in the primary for almost four months before I got around to racking them, and they turned out fine. I usually primary for about 2 months, or so.

olynick · Apr 3, 2014

Ok good to know thx

olynick · Apr 3, 2014

Just checked on it and the temp has came down to 73 now, although im freezing my ass off lol, I am always a cold person tho. Does seem like the bubbling has slowed down and I don't know if that's due to the temp or if its just random. At night when I go into my room tho I will have to turn the a/c down a bit so I don't freeze my ass off more but during the day I don't spend my time in there.....I know the temp isn't good to fluxuate like that but its gonna have to do.