No bubbles, at all...

[heykir456]

This is my first attempt at brewing anything. I wanted to try mead first because of it's relative ease (or so I thought) and apparently it's delicious, at least that's the general consensus at work. I'm having a bit of a problem and I looked for a similar issue but couldn't find one that fit my scenario, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

My recipe is as follows:

5 Lbs local honey
2.5 gallons spring water
1 packet Wyeast Sweet Mead 4184 Active Yeast
2 Tsp of yeast nutrient

I sanitized everything with campden tablets. I also brought the honey up to 150 degrees in a gallon of water and poured in the other 1.5 gallons to chill it before pitching the yeast. I waited until it was 70 degrees before I added the yeast. I shook it very well and made sure the airlock was nice and tight. It kind of bubbled at first, but after two days there was nothing, not even a little bubbling. The original specific gravity reading was .8 and the potential alcohol was 10% which is fine by me, I don't want something too strong because I might put some strawberries in for the secondary fermentation. I'm at a loss though as to why it isn't acting at all like it's fermenting. Am I missing something here?

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Bubbles are never an accurate means of measuring fermentation. Read the following guide if you haven't done so already. Particularly chapter 15. which refers to nutrients and aeration

http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=108&Itemid=14

I'm sure someone with experience will be along soon to give you some good advice.

For first time brewers i always recommend simple juice wines such as: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=10179

very easy and inexpensive.

 

[psychopomp23]

Question

When your saying that you sanitized everything with campden tablets do you mean that you put the campden in your must before pitching your yeast? And how much did you use? If so you should wait about 24 hours before pitching your yeast into it

 

[heykir456]

Aeration

Thanks for the advice. Leedsbrewer, thanks for the link, I've learned more in the last hour than I have in the last two months about mead. I aerated the must and it seems to be acting better already. Thank you both for your responses.

 

[kudapucat]

That's a difficult yeast. Be as kind to it as you can.
Also. Assuming you gravity was 1.080 for 10%
Please state it as 4 digits to avoid confusion. 0.800 is almost pure ethanol, 1.800 is too heavy and will never start (heavier than pure honey)

Take readings with your hydrometer every time you're concerned, this way you can really see what it's up to.

Oh and read the newbee guide again. Not all of it sinks in the first time.

Welcome to the obsession
Good luck.