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Help, I have no idea what I'm doing...

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J

justinc

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 30, 2013
2
0
0
Hello,

I just made my first batch a few weeks ago. Very new to this and I think I might have messed up. I basically did it while watching a Youtube video. Basically my issue is that there is no CO2 coming out of the airlock at the top. I bought a kit, mixed the water, honey, yeast, and yeast energizer together in the white bucket. After three days I racked it into the carboy. That was several weeks ago. I can see bubbles like foam at the top of the brew, but nothing coming out of the airlock at the top. Does this mean I did something wrong? Or am I just being inpatient? Below is the recipe I used. Thank you so much for any help. If I did mess this one up I'd like to know now so I can start another batch and fix my mistake.


12 lbs. of Honey
4 gallons of spring water
5 teaspoons of yeast nutrient
5 teaspoons of yeast energizer
2 packets of Lalvin 71b-1122 yeast

Justin
 
Buckets are notorious for not making a perfect seal, and you won't get airlock activity if there's another way for the CO2 to get out, I have one bucket that's never ever bubbled... if you're seeing bubbling in the mead, it's doing something.

To really know what's going on, you'll want to invest in a hydrometer. It tells you the specific gravity of your must (basically, how much sugar is in there), and you'll watch it drop as the yeast eats the sugars and eventually it'll stop changing, and then you'll know your yeast is either out of sugar or has hit its alcohol tolerance.

If this is a 5 gallon batch with only 12 lb of honey, there's a good chance it's getting close to finished.

You can always have a taste, see if you can still detect sugar or not. And don't be alarmed if it tastes gross, many new meads do, it's not a cause for worry.
 
tweak'e-- I'm keeping it in my basement, to it stays around 70 degrees at all times.

Chevette Girl-- I do I have hydrometer that came with the kit. I used it when I initially mixed everything...I thought the purpose was to determine potential for alcohol. Initially it told me I had about 12%. I didn't realize that I should have left it in. That explains a lot haha.

Also you say it sounds close to being done...I thought it took at least two months for this process to be done. I will admit that when I racked it I tasted it and yeah, I could taste the yeast, but also could tell it would be pretty awesome if it worked out.

Sounds like from what your saying it's not necessarily a deal killer that the air lock isn't going crazy so that puts my mind at ease. Thank you.
 
If there's room in the fermenter you can leave a hydrometer in, just that it tends to get covered in muck from the process so most either sanitise and put in, take a reading and remove and clean.

Or some take aa sample and measure in a testing tube. I return the sample, some worry and dump it some just drink it.....

Some have a wine thief with a hydrometer that fits inside, sample/measure then return, etc...

In any case, you need the start gravity to know where youre starting at (and that you haven't done anything wrong), intermediate measurements so when to add nutrient addition if you'reusing SNA method and to be able to test when done.......
 
justinc said:
tweak'e-- I'm keeping it in my basement, to it stays around 70 degrees at all times.

Chevette Girl-- I do I have hydrometer that came with the kit. I used it when I initially mixed everything...I thought the purpose was to determine potential for alcohol. Initially it told me I had about 12%. I didn't realize that I should have left it in. That explains a lot haha.

Also you say it sounds close to being done...I thought it took at least two months for this process to be done. I will admit that when I racked it I tasted it and yeah, I could taste the yeast, but also could tell it would be pretty awesome if it worked out.

Sounds like from what your saying it's not necessarily a deal killer that the air lock isn't going crazy so that puts my mind at ease. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Your ease of mind might need to be a little tempered. If the specific gravity is close to 1.000 then the amount of CO2 being produced is minimal and you really need to have your mead gently transferred (racked) to a seal-able carboy. There the airlock should still bubble for a short time. If you are storing the mead in a plastic bucket that does not seal the mead from contact with the air then you the purpose of the airlock would seem to be entirely moot. But that said, visible activity in an airlock would seem to be far less significant than the readings you get from the hydrometer. You don't need to leave it in the mead but every day or so you should take a reading and monitor the drip in gravity.
 
That's the absolute best way to determine how a fermentation is progressing, by watching the hydrometer daily. I routinely leave a hydrometer in the carboy, no worries there. Check the gravity now and see what it is?
 
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