When to stop...

[southernstrikeeditor@gmai]

Hi all, looking for some advice. I have my first batch of mead fermenting and have already racked it once. What I've seen suggests I should let the fermentation settle, but I'm still seeing a bubble through the airlock every six to eight seconds after three weeks (plus two weeks before racking). Should I wait until this slows before I move to bottling or is it good to go?

 

[Maylar]

got a hydrometer? you need one.

 

[wildmazer]

yeah. don’t bottle when it’s still degassing. have you taken gravity readings?

 

[SteveO820]

Buy a hydrometer, they are cheap and extremely useful / practically a necessity. This will tell you when all the sugars have been converted by fermentation.
Bubbles are sign of gas(es) being released. At that rate I wouldn't bottle and would wait.
Yeast are living organisms, which can make them unique and temperamental. Depending upon the strain used and the conditions of their habitat, how they perform can very.

 

[JimRausch]

Plus, it's generally a good idea to let the lees settle until it's clear before bottling. A cloudy mead can have some off-flavors from suspended yeast and other particles.
I read some good advice from Yooper years ago: Rack every time the lees(sediment) reach 1/4 inch or more until there are no more, then bottle. Add 1 campden tab per gallon every other racking to help prevent oxidation. For me, depending on the yeast I use, that tends to be 3-4 rackings over a 2-3 month period.