Quick Grape Mead at 6 weeks and still fermenting

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

I started a 5 gallon batch of Joe's Quick Grape Mead on October 10th and as of today it is still fermenting! When I checked the gravity on November 12th, it was at 1.010 so I moved the carboy from a bedroom that was about 62° to the livingroom where temps are usually 72° and today (10 days later) it is at 1.004. There is still some airlock activity so I know that it is still fermenting, albeit very slowly. Is the mead going to be okay if it just keeps plugging along? I assume it's too late to add a yeast energizer or anything else???

 

[bernardsmith]

Two quick thoughts .
1. Just because an airlock is bubbling does not in fact mean that there is fermentation going on. The activity in the airlock can simply be because the CO2 that has been dissolved in the mead or wine is for all kinds of reasons including changes in ambient temperature, changes in ambient air pressure being released from the liquid. The only sure way to know whether fermentation is ongoing is to measure the specific gravity of your mead.
2. Wine (mead and cider included) ain't beer and there is no need for mead or wine or cider to ferment out quickly. Many wine makers aim for the very lowest temperatures that the yeast will do their work. Claude Jolicoeur, a great cider maker talks about his ciders' gravity dropping about .001 points a day- NOT 1 point a day, but 1/100 of that. Your mead will be fine.. Patience is the secret ingredient of all good wines.

 

[Val-the-Brew-Gal]

Two quick thoughts .
1. Just because an airlock is bubbling does not in fact mean that there is fermentation going on. The activity in the airlock can simply be because the CO2 that has been dissolved in the mead or wine is for all kinds of reasons including changes in ambient temperature, changes in ambient air pressure being released from the liquid. The only sure way to know whether fermentation is ongoing is to measure the specific gravity of your mead.
2. Wine (mead and cider included) ain't beer and there is no need for mead or wine or cider to ferment out quickly. Many wine makers aim for the very lowest temperatures that the yeast will do their work. Claude Jolicoeur, a great cider maker talks about his ciders' gravity dropping about .001 points a day- NOT 1 point a day, but 1/100 of that. Your mead will be fine.. Patience is the secret ingredient of all good wines.

The mead has dropped .006 gravity points in the last 10 days so I know there is still fermentation occurring with the airlock activity. My last batch of this mead fermented out at .995 so I am assuming this still has a little ways to go. However, I will check gravity again in a few days to see if there is still some evidence of ongoing fermentation. Thanks for your input!