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Aeration - When to stop

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cosmo

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2010
9
0
0
Despite much reading, I'm uncertain about what growth phase my yeast is in and when to stop aerating. Details about my batch:

9 lbs honey, 2.5 gall water, Lalvin D47 yeast (nothing else)

1/9/10 - Pitched yeast at 6:00 p.m. SG 1.100.
1/10/10 - Aerated (via shaking) at 12:11 p.m.
1/10/10 - Aerated at 9:23 p.m.
1/11/10 - Aerated at 6:55 a.m.
1/11/10 - Aerated at 8:53 p.m.

Today, 1/12/10 at 6:00 p.m. will be three days since I pitched. I'm getting bubbles in the airlock at 1 every 12 seconds (room is 72 degrees). There are bubbles on the surface that I believe are Krausen (my first mead, so I'm guessing).

Do I aerate some more? Do I stop? If not yet, when?

Thanks for the help.
 
slowbie

slowbie

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 16, 2009
86
1
0
West Michigan
Are you taking SG measurements? I've only made one mead so far, and it's still aging, but on the advice of the more experienced members of this forum, I took a SG measurement every day.

General practice is to stop aeration at the 1/3 sugar break, aka when your gravity has dropped 1/3 of what you plan on it dropping. Generally 1.000 is used as the base number, so you will probably want to stop aerating at 1.067.
 
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cosmo

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2010
9
0
0
I have not taken another gravity reading. I will do that, but won't be able to until this evening.
 
AToE

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Definitely need the gravity readings, I've had meads that needed aeration for 4 or 5 days, and ones that were past the 1/3 mark in the first 12 hours. Bubbles are fun, but not accurate!

Slowbie is right about your 1/3 break, but if you're even further along I wouldn't sweat it, you're probably fine, just stop aerating it now. There is no hard and fast line, the yeast go through a continuum rather than strict phases (not every yeast cell is in the same stage at the same time), most people on here seem to say that you're totally fine aerating to the 1/2 way mark, though it isn't necessary, and in some cases (Sulphur smells) even later into the fermentation.
 
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cosmo

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2010
9
0
0
Took a gravity reading 10 minutes ago, 1.086. Decided to aerate.
 
Kee

Kee

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 27, 2008
424
0
0
Phoenix, AZ
Cosmo, no nutrients? If you truly don't want to add anything other than honey, water, and yeast, you could boil some yeast in water to kill it, cool it off, and add it. That will give your yeast some needed nutrients and, perhaps, speed things up a bit.
 
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cosmo

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 2, 2010
9
0
0
Sorry, I forgot to include that I did add Yeast Energizer (Brewcraft) before pitching my yeast. I added 1.5 t. Should I add more?
 
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